The Commissary Agreement is a Boulder County Public Health (BCPH) form, from its Consumer Protection Program, that lets a commissary owner give a mobile unit, pushcart, caterer or temporary vendor permission to use the commissary's kitchen. The operator submits it with a retail food license or plan review application, and the commissary owner must complete and sign it. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original is published by Boulder County at the address linked below.
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What is Commissary Agreement – Boulder County, CO?
The Commissary Agreement is a Boulder County Public Health Consumer Protection Program form in which the owner of a commissary kitchen gives written permission to a mobile unit, pushcart, caterer or temporary vendor to use the kitchen facilities for listed food operations.
The form records the date, the owner or operator and the establishment's name and address, and the business receiving permission. It then lists the uses the commissary will serve: food preparation, storage, service and cleaning of equipment, ware washing, filling water tanks, dumping wastewater, and an "Other" line. It also asks about the commissary's water supply (municipal or well, with a PWSID# line), its sanitary sewer service (municipal or septic) and the equipment available for the proposed uses.
The agreement is valid for the current calendar year only. The county's licensing page describes a licensed commissary as a commercial kitchen with a current retail food license that has allowed a retail or wholesale food operator to use its facility, and describes a mobile unit as a vendor that reports to and operates from a commissary.
The form is not a license. It accompanies the retail food license or plan review application, which are separate documents.
Who needs to file Commissary Agreement – Boulder County, CO?
Mobile unit operators, caterers and temporary vendors who will use someone else's commissary use this form. The form says the commissary owner must complete and sign it before the operator is approved to use the commissary.
- Mobile units and pushcarts: the county's licensing page lists the Commissary Agreement among the items for a mobile unit (or push cart), which it defines as a vendor that reports to and operates from a commissary.
- Other operations: the same page also lists a commissary agreement for prepackaged TCS food, for a retail food manufacturer, and as part of plan review for vendors at special events such as farmers markets.
- Commissary owners: the owner of the kitchen signs the agreement and gives a phone number. The form warns that use of a licensed facility by an unlicensed operation may put the licensed operator's license in jeopardy.
A self-contained mobile vendor is described by the county as approved to operate without a commissary, and the county's page does not list a Commissary Agreement for that category. Ask Boulder County Public Health at 303.441.1564 if you are unsure which category you are in.
When to file Commissary Agreement – Boulder County, CO
Submit the Commissary Agreement together with your retail food license application or plan review application to Boulder County Public Health; the form does not set a separate due date. It must be completed and signed by the commissary owner before you are approved to use the commissary.
The agreement is valid for the current calendar year only, so an agreement signed for one year does not cover the next. Check that the date and signatures are current when you apply.
The form also notes that BCPH may require an inspection of the commissary before the operator uses it, to decide whether it is adequate for the intended use.
Documents you need
- Your retail food license application or plan review application: the form says to submit the Commissary Agreement together with one of them to Boulder County Public Health.
- The operator's signature and the commissary owner's signature on the agreement itself: the commissary owner must complete and sign it before you are approved to use the commissary.
How to fill out Commissary Agreement – Boulder County, CO
Enter the date
At the top, write the date in the Date line.
Identify the commissary owner
Fill in the owner or operator's name, the establishment name and the address of the establishment (the commissary).
Name the business receiving permission
On the "do hereby give permission to" line, write the name of the mobile unit, pushcart, caterer or temporary vendor that will use the kitchen.
Check the permitted uses
Check every use that applies: food preparation, storage of foods and cleaning agents, service and cleaning of equipment, ware washing, filling water tanks, dumping wastewater, or Other with a description.
Describe water and sewer service
Mark the commissary's water supply as Municipal or Well, adding the PWSID# on the well line, and mark its sanitary sewer service as Municipal or Septic.
List available equipment
Mark each item the commissary has for the proposed uses: hand sink, prep sink, mop sink, three-bay sink, dish machine, refrigeration, cooling equipment, dry storage, or Other.
Add both signatures
The operator signs with date and phone number, and the commissary owner signs with date and phone number on the lines below.
Review, download and attach
Check that every section is complete, download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and attach it to your retail food license or plan review application as described under How to submit.
How to submit Commissary Agreement – Boulder County, CO
The form says to submit the completed agreement, with signatures, together with your retail food license or plan review application to Boulder County Public Health. It names no separate mailing address, portal or appointment process for the agreement itself.
- Contact details printed on the form: Environmental Health, 3450 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80304. Tel: 303.441.1564. Fax: 303.441.1468. Website: www.BoulderCountyHealth.org.
- What to include: the agreement signed by both the operator and the commissary owner, attached to your license or plan review application.
- Questions: call Boulder County Public Health at 303.441.1564 to confirm how your application should be delivered.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels used for your Boulder County Public Health application.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting the agreement signed only by the operator; the form says the commissary owner must complete and sign it, and it has separate signature lines with dates and phone numbers for both.
- Using an agreement from a previous year; it is valid for the current calendar year only.
- Sending the agreement alone instead of with the retail food license or plan review application.
- Choosing a commissary that lacks the equipment or storage for your food volume and preparation methods; the form says it must be acceptable for both.
- Naming a commissary that does not comply with the Colorado Retail Food Establishment Rules and Regulations, which the form requires.
- Leaving the uses, water supply, sewer and equipment sections blank instead of checking each use that applies and marking the commissary's services.
- Operating a mobile unit without reporting to the commissary every 24 hours on operational days for supplies, cleaning and servicing.
- Using a licensed commissary while your own operation is unlicensed; the form warns this may put the commissary's license in jeopardy.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Commissary Agreement for Boulder County?
It is a Boulder County Public Health form in which a commissary owner gives a mobile unit, pushcart, caterer or temporary vendor permission to use the kitchen for listed operations. It is completed and signed by the commissary owner before the operator is approved to use the commissary.
Is the Commissary Agreement a Boulder County property tax form?
No. It comes from the Consumer Protection Program of Boulder County Public Health and concerns food operations that use a commissary kitchen. It is not a tax document and is not connected to Boulder County property tax.
Who has to sign the Commissary Agreement?
Both the operator and the commissary owner sign. The form has a signature line for each, with a date and phone number, and says the commissary owner must complete and sign it before you are approved to use the commissary.
How long is a Commissary Agreement valid?
It is valid for the current calendar year only. The form does not say it carries over, so check that the agreement you submit is signed for the year in which you apply.
Where do I submit the Commissary Agreement?
Submit it with your retail food license or plan review application to Boulder County Public Health. The form lists Environmental Health, 3450 Broadway, Boulder, Colorado 80304, and 303.441.1564; call to confirm how to deliver it.
Does the commissary have to be inspected?
It may be. The form says a facility inspection by Boulder County Public Health may be required before the operator uses the commissary, to determine whether it is adequate for the intended use.
How often must a mobile unit report to its commissary?
Every 24 hours on operational days, for all supplies and cleaning and servicing operations, according to the "Important Things to Remember" section of the form.
Can I fill out the Commissary Agreement online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not connected to Boulder County, and does not file the agreement; you submit it with your Boulder County Public Health application.
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