Food Hygiene Rating Stickers: Display Rules & Requirements

In Wales, the Food Hygiene Rating (Wales) Act 2013 makes it a legal requirement for food businesses to display their food hygiene rating sticker in a conspicuous place at or near each customer entrance. Failure to display the sticker is a criminal offence that can result in a fixed penalty notice of up to 200 pounds. The sticker must be the official one issued by the local authority, not a printed copy or a modified version. In England and Northern Ireland, display is voluntary under the current FHRS framework. The FSA has repeatedly recommended mandatory display and the UK Government has consulted on making it compulsory in England, but as of 2026 it remains voluntary. However, even in England and Northern Ireland, there are strong business reasons to display a good rating. Customers look for the sticker when choosing where to eat, and the absence of a sticker often prompts them to check online where they may find a less favourable rating. Scotland uses a different system (FHIS) which does not use the 0-5 sticker format.

Beyond the physical sticker, your food hygiene rating appears on the FSA website (food.gov.uk/ratings) and is increasingly displayed by third-party platforms. Delivery services such as Just Eat, Deliveroo, and Uber Eats pull rating data from the FSA API and display it alongside your business listing. Google Maps and Google Business profiles sometimes show the rating as well. You have no control over these online displays because the data is public. This means a low rating is visible to every potential customer searching online, regardless of whether you display a physical sticker. Some businesses with low ratings choose not to display their sticker in the window, but this simply causes customers to check online where the information is equally available along with the implication that the business was trying to hide the score. For businesses with a rating of 4 or 5, prominent display is a competitive advantage. It signals transparency and builds trust before the customer even walks in.