11 permits · verified 2026-09-29
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Lauderdale County Al?
In short
A food truck in Lauderdale County Al, AL has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Lauderdale County License Commissioner charges $16 a year, combined state+county total (October 2022 ALDOR Handbook, §40-12-91) for the delicatessen / off-premises food privilege license (title 40-12, §91). 3 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-29 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Lauderdale County Al
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Health Permit (Lauderdale County Health Department) | Lauderdale County Health Department (Alabama Department of Public Health) | No fee | annual | 2026-09-29 |
| Delicatessen / Off-Premises Food Privilege License (Title 40-12, §91)only if it applies to you | Lauderdale County License Commissioner | $16 a year, combined state+county total (October 2022 ALDOR Handbook, §40-12-91) | annual; the license year runs October 1 to September 30, renewal is due October 1-31, and a 15 percent penalty plus interest applies to renewals after October 31 | 2026-09-29 |
| Sandwich Shop / Barbecue / Hot Dog Stand Privilege License (Title 40-12, §153)only if it applies to you | Lauderdale County License Commissioner | $8.50 a year, combined state+county total (October 2022 ALDOR Handbook, §40-12-153) | annual; the license year runs October 1 to September 30, renewal is due October 1-31, and a 15 percent penalty plus interest applies to renewals after October 31 | 2026-09-29 |
| Food Establishment Permit | Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and Lodging | $50–$650 a year, set by the county health department, not by the state | annual — expiring when the privilege licenses expire, or on a date the health officer sets | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and Lodging | No fee | 5 years for a certification; 12 months for attendance without certification | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
AL registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| State and County Business Privilege Licenseonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division | Varies — formula on the AL page | annual — 1 October to 30 September, delinquent 1 November | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | $200 one-time filing | perpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 2024 | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | $200 one-time filing | perpetual — Alabama abolished the annual report in 2024 | 2026-09-03 |
| Corporation Annual Report (abolished)only if it applies to you | Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services | No fee | not applicable — the filing no longer exists | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Privilege Taxonly if it applies to you | Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division | Varies — formula on the AL page | annual — due when the matching federal return is due | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax License | Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division | No fee | annual — renew online between 1 November and 31 December | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a food truck in Lauderdale County Al?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a food truck in Lauderdale County Al, AL, 3 apply to every business of this type and 8 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
3 of the 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Food Establishment Permit: $50–$650 a year, set by the county health department, not by the state
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Lauderdale County Al permits page and the AL state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Lauderdale County Al?
Permits for a food truck in Lauderdale County Al, AL come from 6 separate offices: Lauderdale County Health Department (Alabama Department of Public Health), Lauderdale County License Commissioner, Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax Division, Alabama Secretary of State, Business Services, Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Division, Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and Lodging. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Lauderdale County Health Department (Alabama Department of Public Health)Issues 1 permit on this page: Food Service Health Permit (Lauderdale County Health Department)4112 Chisholm Rd., Florence, AL 35630 · 256-764-7453www.alabamapublichealth.gov/lauderdale
- Lauderdale County License CommissionerIssues 2 permits on this page: Delicatessen / Off-Premises Food Privilege License (Title 40-12, §91), Sandwich Shop / Barbecue / Hot Dog Stand Privilege License (Title 40-12, §153)102 S. Court St., 1st Floor, Florence, AL 35630 · 256-760-5745www.lauderdalecountyal.gov/home/departments/license-commissioner
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Business and License Tax DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: State and County Business Privilege License2545 Taylor Road, Montgomery, AL 36117 · (334) 353-7827www.revenue.alabama.gov/business-license
- Alabama Secretary of State, Business ServicesIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation (LLC), Certificate of Incorporation, Corporation Annual Report (abolished)770 Washington Avenue, Suite 580, Montgomery, AL 36104 · (334) 242-5324www.sos.alabama.gov/business-entities
- Alabama Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Business Privilege Tax, Sales Tax LicensePO Box 327710, Montgomery, AL 36132-7710 · (334) 242-1490www.revenue.alabama.gov/sales-use/business-tax-online-registration-system
- Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and LodgingIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment Permit, Certified Food Protection Manager201 Monroe Street, Suite 1250, Montgomery, AL 36104 · (334) 206-5373www.alabamapublichealth.gov/foodsafety/food-and-lodging.html
What does a food truck need in Lauderdale County Al that other businesses do not?
Sandwich Shop / Barbecue / Hot Dog Stand Privilege License (Title 40-12, §153)
A sandwich shop, barbecue stand or hot dog stand buys the section 153 license from the Lauderdale County License Commissioner for $8.50 a year, a combined state and county total that already includes the $1 issuance fee. The county's business-license application lists a copy of the county Health Department permit as required documentation for sandwich shops, and the ALDOR Handbook makes the health certificate a prerequisite for this license. A business that also holds a restaurant license under section 151 or a delicatessen license under section 91 should confirm with the Commissioner's office which combination applies. Cities stack their own license.
Food Establishment Permit
There is no state food permit fee at all — the health department's own rule listing every fee it collects at state level covers lead contractors, milk plants and cluster wastewater, and the word food does not appear in it. The permit comes from the county health officer and the price is the county's. That split is fiscal rather than regulatory: all sixty-seven counties enforce the same state rule, but the state runs sixty-five of the county health departments while Jefferson and Mobile elect their own health officers, hire their own staff and set their own fees, which run several times higher. Russell County charges $75 to $350 by priority category, with a mobile unit at $50 and a temporary at $10 a day; Chilton charges $50 to $100 by seats or floor area; Jefferson charges $250 to $650 by level; Mobile charges $410 or $615 by square footage. Ask your own county rather than working from a statewide figure, because none exists. A restaurant must also produce the health certificate before the county will issue its privilege license.
Shared with other businesses in Lauderdale County Al
- Food Service Health Permit (Lauderdale County Health Department) — Lauderdale County Health Department (Alabama Department of Public Health), No fee, annual. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and childcare centres; what it involves is set out on the childcare centres page.
- Delicatessen / Off-Premises Food Privilege License (Title 40-12, §91) — Lauderdale County License Commissioner, $16 a year, combined state+county total (October 2022 ALDOR Handbook, §40-12-91), annual; the license year runs October 1 to September 30, renewal is due October 1-31, and a 15 percent penalty plus interest applies to renewals after October 31. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — Alabama Department of Public Health, Division of Food, Milk and Lodging, No fee, 5 years for a certification; 12 months for attendance without certification. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across AL and are covered on the AL state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Lauderdale County Al?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 5 of these permits. A coffee shop needs Beverage / Coffee Sales Privilege License (Title 40-12, §69(b)) and Alcoholic Beverage Sales — Dry County with Five Wet Cities, which a food truck does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a food truck | Only a food truck needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 7 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the childcare centres page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Lauderdale County Al permits page and the AL state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Alabama Department of Revenue — Handbook of Privilege and Store Licenses, October 2022, with the fee schedule for each business typeAlabama Department of Revenue · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Code of Alabama §45-39-200.04, License Commissioner duties (Lauderdale County, Act 79-107)law.justia.com (Code of Alabama mirror) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
- Lauderdale County License Commissioner — Business License page (fiscal-year term, October renewal, city-license stacking)Lauderdale County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-29
- Alabama Administrative Code chapter 420-1-5 — the exhaustive list of fees the health department collects at state level, which contains no food establishment feeAlabama Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Alabama Administrative Code chapter 420-3-22 — food establishment sanitation, permits issued by the county health officerAlabama Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Russell County Health Department — environmental fee schedule, revised 27 March 2025, an example of a state-run county's food permit feesAlabama Department of Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Mobile County Health Department — board of health fee schedule, 5 December 2025, an independent county department's food permit feesMobile County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.