How to start a food truck

What a food truck business is, and the choices that set your costs

The federal industry code for this work, NAICS 722330, covers meals and snacks prepared and served for immediate eating from motorized vehicles or nonmotorized carts, and it treats the central base a route runs from as the establishment, not each vehicle. The 2026 edition of the FDA Food Code now defines a mobile food establishment as one operated from a vehicle, portable structure or watercraft that changes location as part of its routine, and a servicing area as the base it returns to for cleaning, emptying waste, refilling water and ice, and loading food.

Five choices decide your permits and your monthly overhead before the first service:

• Truck, trailer or cart. Regulators price them differently. Since March 6, 2024, Los Angeles County calls carts Compact Mobile Food Operations and trucks Mobile Food Facilities, with separate fees for each (LA County fee summary).
• The menu’s risk class. Texas sorts vendors into Type I (no time and temperature controlled food, such as prepackaged ice cream), Type II (limited handling: coffee trucks, snow cones, hot dogs) and Type III (cooking and holding: burger, barbecue and taco trucks), and charges accordingly (Texas DSHS). Oregon runs Classes I to IV, with Class IV allowed a full menu (OAR 333-162-0020).
• Commissary or self-sufficient. Some places require a commissary kitchen agreement; others let a fully equipped unit work without one. This is the biggest recurring cost decision in the plan.
• Roaming or a fixed pod spot. Portland counts two or more carts on one property as a pod, which may need site-wide permits on top of each cart’s.
• Street sales or booked events. Florida lets a licensed truck cater and work a one- to three-day temporary event without extra temporary event fees (Florida DBPR).

How many trucks there are and where demand is going

County Business Patterns counted 12,487 mobile food establishments with paid staff in 2023, with 38,438 employees and a combined payroll of $996.3 million. About 81 percent had fewer than five employees, and the average was around three. The Bureau of Labor Statistics put the 2025 average at 12,663 private mobile food establishments, up 5.4 percent on 2024, with 47,111 employees. Both count operating bases, not trucks, and leave out owner-operators with no payroll.

The calendar swings hard. Mobile food payrolls ran from 35,522 people in January 2025 to 57,028 in August, so the national winter low is about 62 percent of the summer peak. Wisconsin’s January ran at 26 percent of its August level, while Florida’s ran at 82 percent of its October peak. A truck in the North needs winter cash or indoor work; a truck in the South plans around summer heat.

Booked work is growing alongside street sales. Food Truck Club, a booking marketplace, reported from its own data that apartment communities, corporate offices and business parks lead booked demand, that Tuesday through Thursday together carried 47.8 percent of bookings, and that about half of posted catering events went unfilled for lack of verified trucks. It is one company’s data, weighted toward Sun Belt metros.

The wages you will pay, from O*NET, which republishes Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025 wage data and 2024 to 2034 projections:

Occupation	Median pay (2025)	Employed (2024)	Growth to 2034	Openings to 2034
Fast food cooks	$14.85/hr, $30,890/yr	669,500	Decline (-1% or lower)	82,100
Restaurant cooks	$17.98/hr, $37,390/yr	1,460,200	Much faster than average (7% or higher)	250,700
Food service managers	$33.36/hr, $69,390/yr	352,800	Faster than average (5% to 6%)	42,000

Licensing: what applies everywhere

There is no federal food truck license; the unit is a retail food establishment permitted by a state, county or city. The Food Code 2026 adds rules written for mobile units, including the water tank inlet (5-303.13) and removing wastes (5-402.14), but your inspector enforces whatever edition your jurisdiction has adopted.

Nearly every jurisdiction asks for the same four things in some form: a health permit for the unit, usually after plan review; a commissary or servicing base agreement where one is required; a fire inspection for propane and cooking equipment; and local rules on where and how long you may park. Add vehicle registration, insurance and a sales tax account. Los Angeles County ties the health permit to the specific license plate and asks for a valid DMV registration (LA County guidelines).

A certified food manager is required in most places. LA County restates California’s rule that a unit handling unpackaged potentially hazardous food needs one owner or employee who has passed an accredited food safety exam, valid five years, with 60 days to comply. Austin wants at least one registered Certified Food Manager per food enterprise, with the certificate posted.

Health permits in five places

Place	Agency	License or permit	Key requirements as the agency states them
Los Angeles County	LA County Public Health, Environmental Health	Public Health Permit for a Mobile Food Facility	Operate from a commissary, mobile support unit or other approved facility; no storage of the truck or food at home; plan check before the permit; a route sheet for every stop; a letter grade on every approved truck
Texas	Department of State Health Services	Mobile food vendor license, Types I to III	Required statewide from July 1, 2026 under HB 2844; expires one year after the pre-licensing inspection; new applicants cannot operate until that inspection is done
Oregon	Oregon Health Authority, licensed through the local public health authority	Mobile food unit license, Classes I to IV	No commissary mandate if the unit is self-sufficient; everything integral to the unit; local plan review before construction or remodeling
Florida	DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants	Mobile food dispensing vehicle (MFDV) license	One state license; no separate local license allowed; a commercial site for water and wastewater; plan review for a vehicle never licensed by the division
New York City	NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene	Food vendor or supervisory license plus a unit permit	Permits capped; the unit stored at a permitted commissary and returned at least once a day; sidewalk distance rules

Los Angeles County: the commissary comes first

Public Health permits and inspects mobile food facilities across the county, except in the three cities with their own health departments, Long Beach, Pasadena and Vernon (LA County). The county’s plan check and operational guidelines are blunt: every unit operates out of a commissary, mobile support unit or other approved facility, storing the truck or any food at home is not approved, the commissary owner signs a written statement, the county checks commissary use with random inspections, and no permit issues until the commissary location is verified. A restaurant or market can serve as the commissary when approved. The state basis is the California Retail Food Code, which San Diego County’s commissary form cites (sections 114295, 114339 and 114341) and requires to be renewed every year.

The build itself goes through plan check. Submit one complete set of plans, pay by cash, cashier’s check or money order, and expect the first review within 20 working days. The guidelines set minimum sink sizes, at least 5 gallons of water reserved for handwashing, warewashing water at 120°F and no stainless steel or aluminum potable water tanks. Fire suppression goes over all cooking equipment and is certified every six months. A truck stopped longer than an hour must be within 200 feet of an approved, available toilet and handwashing facility.

Fees on the schedule effective March 6, 2024 (LA County fee summary, announcement), as of October 2026: an annual health permit of $325 for a low-risk truck such as a prepackaged ice cream or produce truck, $598 for moderate risk such as a smoothie or pizza truck and $761 for high risk such as a taco, kebab or barbecue truck; plan submittal of $544, or $741 for a truck handling raw meat, poultry or fish; a high-risk cart at $592.

Texas: one state license, local fire inspections

The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 2844 on May 26, 2025. Before it, mobile vendors needed a license from each local health department they worked in. From July 1, 2026, DSHS licenses all of them. As of October 2026 the application costs $309 for Type I, $618 for Type II and $876 for Type III, and the pre-licensing inspection costs $400 for Type II or $500 for Type III.

Fire is still a city job. In Austin, the fire department inspects every unit with propane or any appliance that produces grease-laden vapors, for $222, and issues an annual permit on a pass; failing, arriving more than 15 minutes late or not showing means paying again. New units under the 2024 International Fire Code need a Class 1 hood suppression system with a current semi-annual tag, a Class K extinguisher with fryers or solid fuel, a 2A10BC extinguisher, a propane inspection report from a licensed LPG plumber, a one-time electrical inspection by a master electrician and a listed propane alarm. Propane on board may not exceed 200 pounds, and piping may not run on the sides, rear or roof. Outside city limits, the Travis County Fire Marshal inspects at the same time and place as the county health inspection. Austin also lists a central preparation facility contract and a restroom facility agreement among its forms.

Oregon: the self-sufficient unit

The Oregon Health Authority says that, unlike many states, it does not require a commissary if the operator can show the unit does all preparation, dishwashing and storage on board. Everything must be integral to the unit, and the menu must stay within the capacity originally approved. In Multnomah County, which includes Portland, every cart, trailer and truck goes through plan review before construction or remodeling, carts stay on wheels, licenses run by calendar year and are renewed by December 31, and licenses do not transfer to a buyer.

Florida: preemption and a state license

Florida Statutes 509.102 preempts licenses, registrations, permits and fees for mobile food dispensing vehicles to the state; a city or county may not demand its own and may not ban trucks from its entire jurisdiction. Local governments keep other powers, such as where trucks may operate. With the DBPR license, a truck may drive from place to place throughout the state. A self-sufficient vehicle needs no commissary but must fill and empty its tanks at a commercial location, such as a commissary or a truck stop. Plan review for a new vehicle asks for a labeled equipment plan, a sample menu and a side photo with the service window open. Fees depend on application date and county, and food operations in a private residence are not allowed.

New York City: a capped permit

New York needs both a person license (food vendor or supervisory) and a permit for the unit, and permits are capped. Local Law 18 of 2021 and Local Law 54 of 2026 add 12,780 permits by 2031, released yearly for five years from July 1, 2026: 1,500 supervisory licenses for every borough except Manhattan, 500 including Manhattan and 200 for people with disabilities and veterans (NYC Business). The supervisory license holder must be on the unit whenever it operates, and new licenses go first to people on waiting lists created in 2022, which are closed. A newcomer should expect a long wait for a full-term permit.

Where you may park: vending zones and time limits

Local codes, not the health permit, decide where you may sell. In the Institute for Justice’s 2012 report, drawn from a 2011 survey of the 50 largest cities, 20 required trucks to stay a set distance from restaurants, 34 closed parts of the city to vending, often prime commercial areas, and 19 made vendors move on after anywhere from 15 minutes to two hours. IJ says nearly every court to consider a proximity ban has struck it down. Treat those numbers as history and read your own city’s current code.

New York’s sidewalk rules show the detail involved: at least 10 feet from a crosswalk, on a sidewalk at least 12 feet wide, within 18 inches of the curb and at least 20 feet from a building entrance or sidewalk cafe (NYC Business). Los Angeles County adds a route sheet with the address, phone number and arrival and departure time of each stop, and a change not reported can cost you the permit (LA County). Pods, breweries and festivals set their own terms on top.

Setting up the business

Entity and EIN. The SBA notes that an LLC protects owners from personal liability in most instances, and the EIN is free from the IRS.

Sales tax. Register before the first sale. Texas wants the sales tax ID before a health permit application, and it taxes all food ready for immediate consumption sold by mobile vendors (34 TAC 3.293). California requires a free seller’s permit from anyone selling food, even temporarily (CDTFA).

Insurance. Commercial auto on a motorized truck, general liability, and cover for equipment and spoiled stock. Event hosts and property managers usually ask for a certificate of insurance, and Food Truck Club says it verifies insurance and health permits before listing a truck. Workers’ compensation is required in California with one employee and in Florida at four or more non-construction employees; most Texas private employers may opt out.

The commissary contract. Where one is required, it is a permit condition, so sign it before you buy anything you cannot return. New York requires units to return to the commissary daily and keep propane there in FDNY-approved storage, with no tanks left on the unit overnight.

The truck, the base and the kit

Build to the plan check, not to the seller’s description. Los Angeles County requires at least 20 cubic feet of storage for full food preparation and gas appliances that meet ANSI standards. In practice, a truck built to another county’s rules can fail a new plan check on sink sizes, tank materials or the hood. Ask the seller for the original plan approval and the last fire inspection, and have the unit looked at by your health department and fire inspector before money changes hands.

Permits do not come with a used truck. Multnomah County says licenses are not transferable and a cart idle for over a year may need plan review again; LA County ties the permit to the plate and the owner. Budget for a new plan check on any used unit.

Beyond the propane and electrical sign-offs above, a mobile point of sale that works offline, a public weekly schedule page and an event booking form cover most of what a new truck needs.

Pricing and money

Street prices are set at the window against the trucks and counters nearby. Private events are priced per person or against a guaranteed minimum, while breweries, pods and festivals usually take a percentage of sales or a flat fee. Food Truck Club’s data shows why booked work matters: host-paid events averaged $1,799, against about $438 for events where guests paid at the window, and at guest-paid homeowners’ association events roughly 1,594 declared guests produced about 32 buyers. Ask any organizer for past sales before agreeing to a pay-at-the-window date.

The one compliance study, the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Food Truck Nation, found that running a truck for a year took an average of 45 government procedures over 37 business days and $28,276 in permits, licenses and ongoing compliance. That study dates from about 2017, gives no method on the page and predates the Texas and Florida changes, so treat it as history, not a budget; we found no startup cost estimate with a stated method.

Hiring and safety

Every California and Austin unit needs its certified food manager, and New York needs the supervisory license holder on board.

Fire and propane are the hazards specific to trucks, and the inspection rules above exist for them. IJ noted that short move-on limits push cooking trucks to drive off before their equipment has cooled. LA County bans smoking within 40 feet of a truck or cart.

OSHA treats mobile food the same as caterers: NAICS 7223 is missing from the partially exempt list, which covers 7221, 7222 and 7224. A business with 10 or fewer employees at all times in the last calendar year keeps no injury records unless OSHA asks in writing; above that, a truck operation keeps the logs.

Finding your first customers

The Google Business Profile. Google’s guidelines say nothing written for trucks, which Whitespark pointed out in 2025. Under the general rules, a business that serves customers where they are gets one service-area profile with its address hidden, and a shown address needs permanent fixed signage, which a commissary bay does not have. Service areas go by city or postal code, up to 20, within about two hours’ drive (Google); list only the places you are permitted to serve. Google lets a seasonal business mark itself temporarily closed off season. Our Google Business Profile work covers the setup.

Local Services Ads are not an option. Google’s category list has no food truck category.

A weekly schedule in one place. Post the week’s stops on a page on your website, then share it to the profile and social accounts. In Los Angeles County a social post even counts as an approved way to submit the route notice.

A booking page for events. Office managers and property managers ask for insurance, permits, menus with dietary options and photos at a similar event. Put all of it on one page with an inquiry form that asks the date, headcount, venue and who pays.

Reviews from the first week. In BrightLocal’s 2026 survey, 47 percent of consumers would not use a business with fewer than 20 reviews and 74 percent look at the last three months. The FTC rule in effect since October 21, 2024 bans incentives conditioned on a particular sentiment, so a free item for a five-star review breaks it. Ask every customer, the same way. A review routine keeps the count current through the season.

Safety as a selling point. An IJ study of 260,000 inspection reports in seven cities found trucks and carts did as well as or better than restaurants in every city examined, as Food Safety News reported in 2014. In Los Angeles County, show the letter grade.

The food truck marketing playbook picks up from here, from the map to repeat event hosts.

What trips up new truck owners

• Buying the truck first. The commissary, plan check and fire inspection decide whether a unit can be permitted. Confirm all three before you pay.
• Assuming the old permit comes with a used truck. It does not, in Multnomah County or Los Angeles County.
• Choosing a menu without checking its class. In Texas a cooking menu costs $876 to apply plus a $500 inspection, against $309 for a Type I menu.
• Treating the Texas license as the whole story. Fire inspections, parking rules and city forms such as Austin’s restroom agreement still apply.
• Planning a New York launch on a short timeline. Permits are capped and the new ones start with closed waiting lists.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a commissary for a food truck?

It depends on where you work. Los Angeles County and New York City require one; Oregon does not if the unit is self-sufficient, and Florida does not either, though you must use a commercial site for water and wastewater.

What permits does a food truck need?

A health permit or license for the unit, usually after plan review, a fire inspection if you carry propane or cooking equipment, vehicle registration, a sales tax account, a certified food manager and the local parking rules. Texas now issues one state health license, and Florida bars separate local licenses.

How much do food truck permits cost?

As of October 2026, Los Angeles County charges $325 to $761 a year plus $544 or $741 for plan check, Texas DSHS charges $309 to $876 to apply plus a $400 or $500 inspection, and Austin’s fire inspection is $222 a year. No all-in startup figure with a stated method exists.

Can I park my food truck anywhere?

No. Cities set vending zones, distances from restaurants and time limits, and private property needs the owner’s permission. In IJ’s 2011 survey, 34 of the 50 largest cities closed parts of town to vending.

Can I buy a used food truck and start right away?

Usually not. Permits do not transfer to a new owner, and a unit that sat idle or was changed may need a fresh plan review before it can be licensed.

Can my food truck cater private events?

In Florida, yes, and a licensed truck can work a one- to three-day temporary event without extra fees. Elsewhere, ask your health department whether your permit covers private events.

Can a food truck have a Google Business Profile?

Usually yes, set up as a service-area business that keeps the commissary or home address off the map. Google has no rule written for trucks and no Local Services Ads category for them.

Sources

Checked on October 3, 2026. Rules and fees change, and many are set state by state or city by city: confirm the current requirements with the agency that issues them before you apply.

• NAICS 722330 Mobile Food Services: industry definition (naics.com)
• US Census Bureau: County Business Patterns 2023 data file
• BLS QCEW: mobile food services (NAICS 722330), 2025 annual averages
• BLS QCEW: mobile food services, first quarter 2025
• BLS QCEW: mobile food services, third quarter 2025
• BLS QCEW: mobile food services, fourth quarter 2025
• US Chamber of Commerce Foundation: Food Truck Nation
• O*NET OnLine: Cooks, Fast Food (BLS data)
• O*NET OnLine: Cooks, Restaurant (BLS data)
• O*NET OnLine: Food Service Managers (BLS data)
• FDA: Food Code 2026 full text (PDF)
• Los Angeles County Environmental Health: food trucks and carts
• Los Angeles County Environmental Health: plan check and operational guidelines for mobile food facilities
• Los Angeles County Environmental Health: new permit fees and categories (May 2024)
• Los Angeles County Environmental Health: mobile food facility fee summary (PDF)
• San Diego County: Commissary Letter of Agreement, form FH-273 (PDF)
• Texas DSHS: mobile food vendors
• City of Austin: mobile food vendors
• Austin Fire Department: mobile food vending fire inspections
• Travis County Fire Marshal: mobile food vendors
• Oregon Health Authority: mobile food units
• OAR 333-162-0020: mobile food unit classes
• Multnomah County: food cart licenses
• City of Portland: food cart permitting
• Florida DBPR Division of Hotels and Restaurants: mobile food dispensing vehicle guide
• Florida Statutes 509.102: mobile food dispensing vehicles (2025)
• NYC Business: Street Vending in NYC
• Institute for Justice: Food-Truck Freedom (2012, PDF)
• Food Safety News: food trucks as safe as restaurants (June 2014)
• SBA: Launch your business
• 34 Texas Administrative Code 3.293: food and sales tax (Cornell LII)
• California CDTFA: tax guide for restaurant owners
• California Division of Workers' Compensation: employer information
• Texas Department of Insurance: workers' compensation for employers
• Florida Division of Workers' Compensation: coverage requirements
• eCFR: 29 CFR 1904 Subpart B, recordkeeping exemptions
• Food Truck Club: food truck catering industry report (June 2026)
• Google Business Profile Help: guidelines for representing your business
• Google Business Profile Help: manage your service areas
• Whitespark: are food trucks eligible for a Google Business Profile? (2025)
• Google Local Services Ads Help: categories and badge availability
• BrightLocal: Local Consumer Review Survey 2026
• FTC: Consumer Reviews and Testimonials Rule, questions and answers