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13 permits · verified 2026-10-27

What permits do you need to open a food truck in El Dorado County?

In short

A food truck in El Dorado County, CA has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division charges $20 per filing, biennial for the statement of information (llc). 5 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-27 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a food truck in El Dorado County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Mobile Food Facility and Compact Mobile Food Operation (CMFO) PermitEl Dorado County Environmental Management DepartmentAnnual permit, per the Environmental Management Department fee schedule (Resolution 122-2026, Exhibit A): Mobile Food/Pre-Packaged $221; Mobile Food/Roadside $398; Mobile Support Unit $221; CMFO food preparation with raw meats $398; CMFO non-motorized food prep $398; CMFO pre-package with PHF cart $221; CMFO pre-package only, no PHF, greater than 25 sq ft $221; CMFO pre-package only, no PHF, under 25 sq ft annual registration $111; CMFO Commissary $221. Plan check: Satellite Food/Mobile Roadside $442; Compact Mobile Food Operation $221. These fees are effective September 19 through December 31, 2026.Annual; under Resolution 122-2026, Exhibit B §J, a permit "shall expire annually on the one-year anniversary date of issuance or date of receipt, unless the permit or receipt indicates a different expiration."2026-10-27
Temporary Food Facility and Event Coordinator Permitonly if it applies to youEl Dorado County Environmental Management DepartmentPer the Environmental Management Department fee schedule (Resolution 122-2026, Exhibit A): Temporary Foods open food preparation, single event $221; open food preparation within 14 days of the event, single event $287; open food preparation (high risk), annual permit $442; limited food preparation (low risk), annual permit $221; pre-packaged (with limited food sampling/dispensing), single event $111; Temporary Food Event add-on for permitted food facilities $177 (high-risk add-on $332); Event Coordinator, temporary/occasional event $221 ($287 within 14 days of the event). These fees are effective September 19 through December 31, 2026.Single event, or annual for the annual temporary food permits2026-10-27
Food Facility PermitCalifornia Department of Public Health, Food and Drug BranchNo feeset by the local enforcement agency2026-09-03
Food Handler CardCalifornia Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch$15 statutory maximum for at least one accredited course3 years2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in El Dorado County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
County Business License — unincorporated El Dorado CountyEl Dorado County Treasurer-Tax CollectorVaries — formula on the El Dorado County pageThe BL-100 FAQ states: "The term for a business license shall be for a period of one year commencing with the first day of the calendar month during which the license is issued and expiring on the last day of the 12th succeeding month."2026-10-27
Building Permit — unincorporated El Dorado Countyonly if it applies to youEl Dorado County Planning and Building DepartmentVaries — formula on the El Dorado County pagePer permit2026-10-27

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

CA registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Statement of Information (LLC)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$20 per filing, biennialbiennial2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$70 one-time filingno expiry, but a Statement of Information is due biennially2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$100 one-time filingno expiry, but a Statement of Information is due annually2026-09-03
Statement of Information (Corporation)only if it applies to youCalifornia Secretary of State, Business Programs Division$25 per filing, annualannual2026-09-03
Seller's Permitonly if it applies to youCalifornia Department of Tax and Fee AdministrationNo fee — no fee to applyno expiry while actively engaged in business as a seller2026-09-03
Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxonly if it applies to youCalifornia Franchise Tax BoardVaries — formula on the CA pageannual, until the entity is cancelled2026-09-03
General Business License — California position (city or county, not state)California Secretary of State, Business Programs DivisionNo feeset by the issuing city or county2026-09-03

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 El Dorado County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a food truck in El Dorado County, CA, 5 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.

Of the 5 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $15.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Mobile Food Facility and Compact Mobile Food Operation (CMFO) Permit: Annual permit, per the Environmental Management Department fee schedule (Resolution 122-2026, Exhibit A): Mobile Food/Pre-Packaged $221; Mobile Food/Roadside $398; Mobile Support Unit $221; CMFO food preparation with raw meats $398; CMFO non-motorized food prep $398; CMFO pre-package with PHF cart $221; CMFO pre-package only, no PHF, greater than 25 sq ft $221; CMFO pre-package only, no PHF, under 25 sq ft annual registration $111; CMFO Commissary $221. Plan check: Satellite Food/Mobile Roadside $442; Compact Mobile Food Operation $221. These fees are effective September 19 through December 31, 2026.

Temporary Food Facility and Event Coordinator Permit: Per the Environmental Management Department fee schedule (Resolution 122-2026, Exhibit A): Temporary Foods open food preparation, single event $221; open food preparation within 14 days of the event, single event $287; open food preparation (high risk), annual permit $442; limited food preparation (low risk), annual permit $221; pre-packaged (with limited food sampling/dispensing), single event $111; Temporary Food Event add-on for permitted food facilities $177 (high-risk add-on $332); Event Coordinator, temporary/occasional event $221 ($287 within 14 days of the event). These fees are effective September 19 through December 31, 2026.

The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the El Dorado County permits page and the CA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in El Dorado County?

Permits for a food truck in El Dorado County, CA come from 7 separate offices: El Dorado County Treasurer-Tax Collector, El Dorado County Environmental Management Department, El Dorado County Planning and Building Department, California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch, California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division, California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, California Franchise Tax Board. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a food truck need in El Dorado County that other businesses do not?

Mobile Food Facility and Compact Mobile Food Operation (CMFO) Permit

A food truck, roadside mobile unit, food cart or other compact mobile food operation selling in El Dorado County holds an annual Environmental Management Department permit for the unit; PHF on the schedule means potentially hazardous food. The amounts above are copied from the department's fee schedule, which matches Exhibit A of Resolution 122-2026. These fees are effective September 19 through December 31, 2026, under Resolution 122-2026, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on July 21, 2026. Vending inside Placerville or South Lake Tahoe also needs that city's license: the department's temporary food page lists each city's vending contact and states 'A SEPARATE LICENSE IS REQUIRED IN ALL THE ABOVE LOCATIONS.' Contact Environmental Management Department, Environmental Health Division, 2850 Fairlane Court, Building C, Placerville, (530) 621-5300; South Lake Tahoe office, 924 B Emerald Bay Road, (530) 573-3450.

Temporary Food Facility and Event Coordinator Permit

A vendor preparing or serving food at a community event holds a temporary food facility permit from the Environmental Management Department, and the event coordinator holds its own permit. An application filed within 14 days of the event pays the higher amount shown. The amounts above are copied from the department's fee schedule, which matches Exhibit A of Resolution 122-2026. These fees are effective September 19 through December 31, 2026, under Resolution 122-2026, adopted by the Board of Supervisors on July 21, 2026. The department's Temporary Food Facilities and Community Events page lists vending contacts for the county (Treasurer-Tax Collector), the City of Placerville and the City of South Lake Tahoe, and states: 'A SEPARATE LICENSE IS REQUIRED IN ALL THE ABOVE LOCATIONS.' Contact Environmental Management Department, Environmental Health Division, 2850 Fairlane Court, Building C, Placerville, (530) 621-5300; South Lake Tahoe office, 924 B Emerald Bay Road, (530) 573-3450.

Food Handler Card

The state does not sell the card and sets no fee of its own — it caps the market instead. At least one accredited course and examination must cost no more than $15 including the card, and if no course is available at that price the requirement does not apply at all. A handler has 30 days from hire to obtain one, it lasts three years, and it travels with the person rather than the employer. Since Senate Bill 476 the employer must treat the training and examination as paid working time, relieve the worker of other duties while they do it, reimburse the cost, and may not require a card as a condition of being hired. The exemptions are broad: grocery and convenience stores, school cafeterias, certified farmers' markets, licensed health care facilities, and any workplace covered by a collective bargaining agreement with its food handlers. Riverside, San Bernardino and San Diego counties run their own card programmes under a pre-2009 carve-out and charge their own fees. Do not confuse this with the separate food safety MANAGER certification, which is one certified person per facility and lasts five years.

Shared with other businesses in El Dorado County

The other 2 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in El Dorado County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the El Dorado County permits page. The 7 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CA and are covered on the CA state page.

How does a food truck compare with other businesses in El Dorado County?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A coffee shop needs Retail Food Facility Permit, Food Facility Plan Check (new construction and remodel), Cottage Food Operation Registration (Class A) or Permit (Class B) and Weighing and Measuring Device and Point-of-Sale Registration, which a food truck does not.

Permits particular to each business type in El Dorado County, CA, compared with a food truck
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a food truckOnly a food truck needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops8404
Restaurants8315
Retail stores7225
Auto repair shops2042
Childcare centres1041
Contractors and trades2042
Fitness studios1041
Salons and barbers2042
Veterinary clinics2042

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 retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the El Dorado County permits page and the CA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Environmental Management Department Fee Schedule (Fees effective September 19, 2026 - December 31, 2026)El Dorado County Environmental Management Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  2. Resolution 122-2026 — Resolution Establishing Environmental Management Department Fee Schedule and Policies and ProceduresEl Dorado County Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  3. EMD FeesEl Dorado County Environmental Management Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  4. Temporary Food Facilities and Community EventsEl Dorado County Environmental Management Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  5. California Health and Safety Code section 113948 — food handler card, three-year term and $15 price ceiling (amended by Senate Bill 476, effective 1 January 2024)California Legislative Information · 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.