The Food Zup Exemption (printed on the form as Food License Zoning Use Permit Exemption) is a one-statement form from the City and County of Denver's Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection. By signing it, a food business attests that it operates strictly out of a commissary kitchen and has no storefront, so it does not have to provide a POP/ZUP with its retail/wholesale food license application. On FillingPDF you can fill out the Denver Food Zup Exemption online and download or print the completed PDF; the form itself is published by the city.
Last updated
What is Food Zup Exemption – Denver, CO?
The Food Zup Exemption (printed title: Food License Zoning Use Permit Exemption) is a signed attestation on a Denver licensing form that a food business operates strictly out of a commissary kitchen with no storefront and so need not provide a POP/ZUP.
The form carries the heading of the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, 201 W. Colfax Ave. Dept. 206, Denver, CO 80202, and the address www.denvergov.org/businesslicensing. Its text is one paragraph: by submitting the document, the signer attests to operating strictly out of a commissary kitchen and having no storefront, and is therefore exempt from providing a POP/ZUP for a retail/wholesale food license application. The only entries are the signature and the date.
A zoning use permit, as the city describes it, grants the owner of a lot, building or structure permission for the requested use of the land. This form does not issue that permit. It replaces the permit only for the applicant who can truthfully make the attestation.
The city's renewal page for the retail food mobile license (food truck or food cart) lists the "food ZUP exemption" among the documents to upload. The form is not a license, and it does not address property taxes: it concerns only the zoning use permit requirement of a food license application.
Who needs to file Food Zup Exemption – Denver, CO?
Food businesses that operate strictly out of a commissary kitchen and do not have a storefront use this exemption when a retail/wholesale food license application would otherwise call for a POP/ZUP. The signer attests to both facts, so the form is not for a business that has a storefront.
On the city's renewal page for the retail food mobile license (food truck or food cart), the exemption appears in the list of documents to upload. That page says a mobile unit operating on private property will be asked for a zoning use permit, and that when one is not required you can upload a signed copy of the food ZUP exemption instead.
The statement is written in the first person ("I operate..."), so the applicant who makes the attestation is the one who signs. The form gives no rule for a representative signing on someone else's behalf.
When to file Food Zup Exemption – Denver, CO
The form is submitted with the food license application that asks for a POP/ZUP, so it is due whenever that application is filed. No separate due date is printed on it. The city's renewal page lists the signed exemption among the documents gathered before you renew in the online portal, and it warns that incomplete applications will be rejected. Renewal timing for the license itself (for example, renewing as early as 90 days before expiration) belongs to the license, not to this form; check the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection's page for your license type.
How to fill out Food Zup Exemption – Denver, CO
Confirm the exemption applies to you
Use this form only if you operate strictly out of a commissary kitchen and do not have a storefront, and your retail/wholesale food license application asks for a POP/ZUP.
Read the attestation paragraph
The printed text says that by submitting the document you attest to both facts and are exempt from providing a POP/ZUP. There are no other lines to complete in the body.
Check the Department details
The heading shows the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, 201 W. Colfax Ave. Dept. 206, Denver, CO 80202. Nothing needs to be entered there.
Sign on the Signature line
The applicant who makes the attestation signs on the Signature line. The form provides no separate signature block for a representative.
Enter the date
Write the signing date on the Date line next to the signature. The form does not print a required date format.
Review, download and upload
Check that the signature and date are present, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF. Save it as a legible .pdf or .jpg with a simple file name and upload it with your application as described under How to submit.
How to submit Food Zup Exemption – Denver, CO
The exemption is submitted as an uploaded document with the food license application in Denver's Online Permitting and Licensing Center. The form itself names no other channel.
- Online upload: on the retail food mobile license renewal page, the steps are to click the Business Licenses tab, select Renew Application in the Action column of the My Records page, and follow the prompts. Upload a signed copy of the exemption where the application asks for a zoning use permit and one is not required.
- File requirements: materials must be digital files saved as .pdf or .jpg; other file types are not accepted. Name files with numbers or letters only, with no symbols or spaces (for example, drivers-license-name-2022.pdf). Every file must be legible, and you can merge documents into a single .pdf when needed.
- Questions: Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection, 201 W. Colfax Ave., Dept. 206, Denver, CO 80202. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Friday.
FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the city's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Signing the attestation when the business has a storefront or does not operate strictly out of a commissary kitchen; the form states both as facts.
- Uploading the exemption unsigned or without the date; the city's page refers to a signed copy, and the form has Signature and Date lines.
- Assuming the exemption always replaces a zoning use permit for a mobile unit on private property; the city says you will be asked for one and may upload the exemption only when it is not required.
- Saving the document as a file type other than .pdf or .jpg; the Department cannot accept other file types.
- Naming the file with symbols such as / ? < > \ : * | “ ^ or with spaces, which the city warns can cause complications.
- Uploading an illegible scan or photo; the city requires all materials to be legible.
- Submitting the application without the exemption or another required document and expecting it to proceed; the city rejects incomplete applications.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Food Zup Exemption in Denver?
It is a signed statement, printed as Food License Zoning Use Permit Exemption, in which a food business attests that it operates strictly out of a commissary kitchen and has no storefront. The attestation makes it exempt from providing a POP/ZUP for its retail/wholesale food license application.
Is the Food Zup Exemption a Denver property tax form?
No. It has nothing to do with Denver property tax. It comes from the Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection and concerns only the POP/ZUP requirement of a retail/wholesale food license application.
Who can sign the Food Zup Exemption?
The applicant who operates strictly out of a commissary kitchen and has no storefront. The statement is written in the first person, and the form gives no rule for a representative signing for someone else.
Where do I submit the Food Zup Exemption?
Upload a signed copy with your food license application in Denver's Online Permitting and Licensing Center. The retail food mobile renewal page describes this under Business Licenses, My Records and Renew Application. The form itself names no other submission channel.
What file format does Denver accept for the exemption?
Only .pdf or .jpg files. Use letters and numbers in the file name, with no symbols or spaces, and make sure the file is legible. The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection says it cannot accept other file types.
Do I still need a zoning use permit for a food truck on private property?
You will be asked for one if you operate on private property, according to the city's renewal page. It adds that when a zoning use permit is not required, you can upload a signed copy of the food ZUP exemption instead.
Can I fill out the Food Zup Exemption online?
Yes. You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service and does not file the form with the City and County of Denver; you submit it through the city's channels.
Is there a deadline for the Food Zup Exemption?
No separate deadline is printed on the form. You submit it with the food license application that asks for a POP/ZUP, and the city says incomplete applications will be rejected.
Ready to fill out Food Zup Exemption – Denver, CO?
Fill out Food Zup Exemption – Denver, CO now