Special Events Licensing

An SE license is not required for faith-based organizations when conducting:

• Fellowship meals, weddings, or funerals held at a place of worship or religious education
• Fundraising activities or community events held on the premises of a faith-based organization

Requirements:

• A Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) or trained volunteer must oversee food safety and train all food handlers

Limitations:

• Food prepared in a church may not be served at off-site locations
• Off-site events hosted by a faith-based organization are not exempt
• Organizations that choose to obtain a food license are no longer considered exempt

Exemptions for Faith-Based Organizations

An SE license is not required when:

• Only non-potentially hazardous baked goods are sold
• The bake sale is not conducted as part of a regular business operation

An SE license is not required when:

• The event is held on private property with the owner’s permission
• Total gross receipts or donations are less than $1,000 per calendar year
• A sign is posted stating:
  “The products sold at this stand are not subject to state inspection or regulation.”

Note: This exemption does not apply if potentially hazardous foods are served.

An SE license is not required when:

• Food is prepared outside of a licensed establishment
• All food is brought in by attendees for shared consumption

Conditions:

• The event is not sponsored by a non-school licensed food establishment
• The event and food preparation do not take place in a licensed food establishment kitchen

Events may still be advertised, and individuals who do not bring food may attend and consume food without triggering licensing requirements.

An SE license is not required when food is not served to the general public.

An event is considered private when access to food is limited to a defined group, such as:

• Invite-only events (e.g., weddings)
• Members-only functions
• Client-only gatherings

Access must be effectively restricted to a specific group.

Alternatively, if food service is provided by a properly licensed catering operation in Douglas or Pope County, a separate SE license is not required.

A SE Food Stand license is required for a single food operation with a defined menu.

This applies when:

• There is one food stand or booth
• A set menu of food items is prepared and served at the event

A SE Cook-Off license is used for events where multiple food vendors are preparing similar food items at a single event.

This typically applies when:

• Multiple stands are participating in a coordinated event
• Vendors are cooking and serving the same or similar types of foods (e.g., chili cook-offs, BBQ competitions)

If an event includes multiple independent food service operations serving different types of food, each vendor must be licensed separately.

Each food stand or operation is responsible for obtaining its own SE Food Stand license, even if they are all located at the same event.

A special event recreational camping area is defined in Minnesota Statute Chapter 327 as “a recreational camping area which operates no more than two times annually and for no more than 14 consecutive days.”

Special event recreational camping areas are typically used in conjunction with events such as county fairs, flea markets, music festivals, sporting events, or other community festivals or gatherings.