Texas food truck permit checklist

The steps, in order

1. 1.Form your entity and get your EIN

   Federal

   Decide sole proprietor vs LLC, then get your free Employer Identification Number from the IRS online in about 15 minutes. Almost every application below asks for it, so it goes first.

   Fee: No fee. The EIN itself is free. An LLC filing with the Texas Secretary of State is separate. (checked 2026-07-14, source)

   Official page

2. 2.Get your Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit

   State

   Free from the Texas Comptroller, online. You legally need it before you sell your first taco, and the DSHS page never mentions it. Do it now so it is never the blocker.

   Fee: No fee (checked 2026-07-14, source)

   Official page

3. 3.Pick your DSHS license tier (this decides your budget)

   State

   Texas HB 2844 replaced city health permits with one statewide license, effective July 1, 2026. Type I is prepackaged-only, Type II is limited prep, Type III is full cooking. Most cooking trucks are Type III. Your tier sets your application fee, your inspection fee, and your build requirements, so lock it before you spend on the build.

   Fee: Type I $309 flat (no pre-licensing or routine inspection fees). Type II $618 plus a $400 pre-licensing inspection. Type III $876 plus a $500 pre-licensing inspection. Application and pre-licensing fees are due together at submission. (checked 2026-07-14, source)

   Watch out: Austin stopped issuing city health permits on June 30, 2026; from July 1 you must hold the state DSHS license to operate. Do not budget around an old city permit or a pre-2026 fee table.

   Official page

4. 4.Sign your central preparation facility (commissary) agreement

   State

   DSHS requires mobile food units to operate from a separately permitted and inspected central preparation facility, with a variance path via its published Variance Request Procedures if your unit is fully self-contained. Line this up before the DSHS application; the paperwork is part of your application and commissaries in Austin can have waitlists.

   Fee: Private cost, typically monthly. Austin commissaries commonly run several hundred dollars per month; get quotes from at least two. Ask DSHS about a variance before paying for a commissary you may not need. (checked 2026-07-14, source)

   Watch out: Sequencing trap reported by operators in other metros: health applications stall without a signed commissary agreement. Sign first, then apply.

   Official page

5. 5.Apply for the DSHS statewide mobile food vendor license

   State

   Apply through DSHS Online Licensing Services (the portal is linked from the DSHS mobile food vendor page). Application fee plus the pre-licensing inspection fee are due at submission, so a Type III truck pays $1,376 up front. Applications opened in June 2026 and the license is statewide; cities can no longer require a duplicate local health permit.

   Fee: Type III totals $1,376 at application ($876 application plus $500 pre-licensing inspection). Routine inspections later: $400 for Type II, $500 for Type III, none for Type I. (checked 2026-07-14, source)

   Official page

6. 6.Book the right fire inspection for where you park

   City

   Fire authority in the Austin area depends on your operating location: inside Austin city limits it is the Austin Fire Department, in unincorporated Travis County it is the county fire marshal. AFD's inspection applies to units with propane or any appliance producing grease-laden vapors, and issues an annual permit after you pass. No propane and no cooking equipment means no AFD fire permit at all.

   Fee: $222. AFD mobile food vending inspection, inside Austin. Travis County Fire Marshal fees are separate; verify for county locations. (checked 2026-07-14, source)

   Watch out: A failed, missed, or late AFD inspection forfeits the $222 fee and you pay a new one to reschedule. Cylinders must be secured in their mount or cage with a current hydrostatic date stamp, 200 pounds of propane max on the vehicle.

   Official page

7. 7.Get your Restroom Facility Agreement for Austin locations

   City

   Austin requires a restroom facility agreement for each location where you vend for more than two hours: a signed agreement with a business whose restroom sits within 150 feet and stays available during all your operating hours. It is per location, so collect one for each regular spot. Confirm current enforcement with Austin Public Health during the HB 2844 transition.

   Fee: No fee. No fee; it is paperwork with a nearby business. (checked 2026-07-14, source)

   Watch out: This is the requirement AI answers and generic guides miss most for Austin. Organizers of longer events will ask for it.

   Official page

8. 8.Certify your food manager and handlers

   State

   A Certified Food Manager is required when you handle open temperature-controlled foods; prepackaged-only Type I operations are generally exempt. Food handler cards cover the crew. Both are inexpensive online courses from accredited programs; get them done while the license application processes.

   Fee: Verify the current fee with the Texas licensing agency.

9. 9.Get insured and save your Certificate of Insurance

   Private

   General liability plus commercial auto for the truck. Event organizers and most commissaries will not book you without a COI, so keep the PDF on your phone. Quotes are fast online.

10. 10.Check county and city business registrations for your spots

    County

    HB 2844 removed duplicate local health permits, but non-conflicting local rules still apply: zoning, parking rules, event vending permissions, and any local business registration. Confirm the rules for each regular location before you commit to it.

    Fee: Verify the current fee with Travis County.

11. 11.Pass inspection, then book your first three gigs

    Private

    Once the pre-licensing inspection passes and the license lands, you are legal. Book your first gigs with local organizers and commissary boards so the paperwork starts paying for itself; most ask for the COI before they confirm.

Renewal calendar

What comes due after you open, and how far ahead to start the paperwork. The .ics download puts each of these on your calendar.

• TX Mobile Food Vendor License (DSHS)

  Texas DSHS

  Every yearStart 45 days before

  Seeded by your Austin and Travis County Permit Pack. Cost shown is Type III at application; adjust to your tier.

• AFD fire inspection permit

  AFD or Travis County Fire Marshal

  Every yearStart 30 days before

  Annual after passing. $222 inside Austin; county authority and fees differ. A missed appointment forfeits the fee.

• General liability insurance (COI)

  Your insurer

  Every yearStart 21 days before

  Organizers require the COI. Renew before it lapses.

• Food manager certification

  Accredited provider

  Every 2 yearsStart 30 days before

  Check your certificate's own term; many run longer.

• Commissary agreement anniversary

  Your commissary

  Every yearStart 30 days before

  Re-negotiate or re-sign before it auto-renews.