§ 21-27-10. Registration of food businesses.
(a) No person shall operate a food business as defined in § 21-27-1 unless he or she annually registers the business with the state director of health;
provided, that food businesses conducted by nonprofit organizations, hospitals, public
institutions, farmers markets, roadside farm stands, or any municipality shall be
exempt from payment of any required fee. Additionally, no license fee shall be required
for an establishment that:
(1) Holds a Class C liquor license pursuant to § 3-7-8; and
(2) Complies with the license limits set forth in § 3-7-8(b).
(b) In order to set the registration renewal dates so that all activities for each establishment
can be combined on one registration instead of on several registrations, the registration
renewal date shall be set by the department of health. The registration period shall
be for twelve (12) months commencing on the registration renewal date. Any renewal
registration fee shall be at the full, annual rate regardless of the date of renewal.
Any fee for a first-time application shall have the registration fee pro-rated based
upon the date of issuance of registration. If the registration renewal date is changed,
the department may make an adjustment to the fees of registered establishments, not
to exceed the annual registration fee, in order to implement the changes in registration
renewal date. Registrations issued under this chapter may be suspended or revoked
for cause. Any registration or license shall be posted in a place accessible and prominently
visible to an agent of the director.
(c) Registration with the director of health shall be based upon satisfactory compliance
with all laws and regulations of the director applicable to the food business for
which registration is required.
(d) The director of health is authorized to adopt regulations necessary for the implementation
of this chapter.
(e) Classification for registration shall be as follows:
(1) In-state and out-of-state food processors that sell food in Rhode Island (Wholesale)
(2) Food processors (Retail)
(3) Food service establishments:
(i) 50 seats or less
(ii) More than 50 seats
(iii) Mobile food service units
(iv) Industrial caterer or food vending machine commissary
(v) Cultural heritage educational facility
(4) Vending machine sites or location:
(i) Three (3) or less machines
(ii) Four (4) to ten (10) machines
(iii) Eleven (11) or more machines
(5) Retail markets:
(i) 1 to 2 cash registers
(ii) 3 to 5 cash registers
(iii) 6 or more cash registers
(6) Retail food peddler (meat, seafood, dairy, and frozen dessert products)
(7) Food warehouses
(f) In no instance, where an individual food business has more than one activity eligible
under this chapter for state registration within a single location, shall the business
be required to pay more than a single fee for the one highest classified activity
listed in subsection (e) of this section; provided, that, where several separate but
identically classified activities are located within the same building and under the
management and jurisdiction of one person, one fee shall be required. In each of the
instances in this subsection, each activity shall be separately registered.
(g) Fees for registration of the above classifications shall be as set forth in § 23-1-54.