14 permits · verified 2026-10-24
What permits do you need to open a food truck in San Luis Obispo County?
In short
A food truck in San Luis Obispo County, CA has 6 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). 6 of the 14 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-24 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in San Luis Obispo County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Food Facility Health Permit | County of San Luis Obispo Health Agency, Environmental Health Services | Annual, per facility: Mobile Food Facility (Push Cart) $539; Mobile Food Facility (Preparation Unit) $716; Mobile Support Unit $487. Plan review, new facility: Push Cart $908; Preparation Unit $1,195. Remodel: Push Cart $626; Preparation Unit $645. | annual | 2026-10-24 |
| Temporary Food Facility Permit (community events)only if it applies to you | County of San Luis Obispo Health Agency, Environmental Health Services | Temporary Food Facility - Single Event $281; Temporary Food Facility - Single Event - Pre packaged $181; Temporary Food Facility - Multiple Events $372 (the schedule prints the unit 'facility/yr' on these three lines); Temporary Food Event Organizer Fee $372 per event. | per event, or multiple events as listed | 2026-10-24 |
| Food Facility Permit | California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch | No fee | set by the local enforcement agency | 2026-09-03 |
| Food Handler Card | California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch | $15 statutory maximum for at least one accredited course | 3 years | 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.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in San Luis Obispo County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Business License (unincorporated area) | County of San Luis Obispo Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector-Public Administrator | Varies — formula on the San Luis Obispo County page | annual; the Tax Collector's page says 'All licenses must be renewed annually' | 2026-10-24 |
| Business License Zoning Clearance | County of San Luis Obispo Department of Planning & Building | Varies — formula on the San Luis Obispo County page | one-time per application (new business, change of use or name change) | 2026-10-24 |
| Building Permit (unincorporated area, commercial)only if it applies to you | County of San Luis Obispo Department of Planning & Building | Varies — formula on the San Luis Obispo County page | per project (one-time) | 2026-10-24 |
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
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Statement of Information (LLC)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $20 per filing, biennial | biennial | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $70 one-time filing | no expiry, but a Statement of Information is due biennially | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but a Statement of Information is due annually | 2026-09-03 |
| Statement of Information (Corporation)only if it applies to you | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | $25 per filing, annual | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Seller's Permitonly if it applies to you | California Department of Tax and Fee Administration | No fee — no fee to apply | no expiry while actively engaged in business as a seller | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxonly if it applies to you | California Franchise Tax Board | Varies — formula on the CA page | annual, until the entity is cancelled | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — California position (city or county, not state) | California Secretary of State, Business Programs Division | No fee | set by the issuing city or county | 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 San Luis Obispo County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 14 records listed for a food truck in San Luis Obispo County, CA, 6 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 6 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $15.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 14 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 Health Permit: Annual, per facility: Mobile Food Facility (Push Cart) $539; Mobile Food Facility (Preparation Unit) $716; Mobile Support Unit $487. Plan review, new facility: Push Cart $908; Preparation Unit $1,195. Remodel: Push Cart $626; Preparation Unit $645.
Temporary Food Facility Permit (community events): Temporary Food Facility - Single Event $281; Temporary Food Facility - Single Event - Pre packaged $181; Temporary Food Facility - Multiple Events $372 (the schedule prints the unit 'facility/yr' on these three lines); Temporary Food Event Organizer Fee $372 per event.
The other 4 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the San Luis Obispo County permits page and the CA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in San Luis Obispo County?
Permits for a food truck in San Luis Obispo County, CA come from 7 separate offices: County of San Luis Obispo Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector-Public Administrator, County of San Luis Obispo Department of Planning & Building, County of San Luis Obispo Health Agency, Environmental Health Services, 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.
- County of San Luis Obispo Auditor-Controller-Treasurer-Tax Collector-Public AdministratorIssues 1 permit on this page: County Business License (unincorporated area)1055 Monterey Street, Room D290, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 · (805) 781-5831www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/auditor-controller-treasurer-tax-collector-public/tax-collector/services/county-business-licenses
- County of San Luis Obispo Department of Planning & BuildingIssues 2 permits on this page: Business License Zoning Clearance, Building Permit (unincorporated area, commercial)Old County Courthouse Building, 976 Osos Street, Room 200, San Luis Obispo, CA 93408 · (805) 781-5600www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/planning-building/how-to-apply-for-a-permit-in-unincorporated-slo-co
- County of San Luis Obispo Health Agency, Environmental Health ServicesIssues 2 permits on this page: Mobile Food Facility Health Permit, Temporary Food Facility Permit (community events)2156 Sierra Way, Suite B, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 · (805) 781-5544www.slocounty.ca.gov/departments/health-agency/public-health/environmental-health-services/all-environmental-health-services/food-facilities-and-operations/food-facility-health-permitting
- California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug BranchIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Facility Permit, Food Handler Cardwww.cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CEH/DFDCS/Pages/FDBPrograms/FoodSafetyProgram/RetailFood.aspx
- California Secretary of State, Business Programs DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Statement of Information (LLC), Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation(916) 657-5448bizfileonline.sos.ca.gov
- California Department of Tax and Fee AdministrationIssues 1 permit on this page: Seller's Permitonlineservices.cdtfa.ca.gov
- California Franchise Tax BoardIssues 1 permit on this page: Annual LLC Tax and Minimum Franchise Taxwww.ftb.ca.gov
What does a food truck need in San Luis Obispo County that other businesses do not?
1 of the 4 permits particular to a food truck here applies to no other business type we cover in San Luis Obispo County: Mobile Food Facility Health Permit.
Mobile Food Facility Health Permit
A food truck or cart operating in San Luis Obispo County needs a mobile food facility health permit from Environmental Health Services. Its page says 'all Mobile Food Facilities must undergo an initial consultation or construction plan check' before a permit is issued, that 'it is unlawful to build a Mobile Food Facility without prior written approval from this office', and that 'it is unlawful to operate a Mobile Food Facility without the health permit sticker affixed to the exterior.' An operation that depends on a Mobile Support Unit for daily servicing needs a separate health permit for that unit. Fees are listed under the Schedule B names Push Cart, Preparation Unit and Mobile Support Unit, per Schedule B fund center 160-02, adopted in Ordinance No. 3596 on May 5, 2026 and in effect July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. Schedule B footnote 12 states that for a new business 'annual fees shall be prorated on a Quarterly basis for the remaining part of the year, however no fee shall be prorated to an amount less than the BOS approved hourly rate.'
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 San Luis Obispo County
- Temporary Food Facility Permit (community events) — County of San Luis Obispo Health Agency, Environmental Health Services, Temporary Food Facility - Single Event $281; Temporary Food Facility - Single Event - Pre packaged $181; Temporary Food Facility - Multiple Events $372 (the schedule prints the unit 'facility/yr' on these three lines); Temporary Food Event Organizer Fee $372 per event., per event, or multiple events as listed. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Food Facility Permit — California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch, No fee, set by the local enforcement agency. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in San Luis Obispo County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the San Luis Obispo 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 San Luis Obispo County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Facility Health Permit. A coffee shop needs Retail Food Facility Health Permit, 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 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
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 restaurants page and retail stores page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the San Luis Obispo County permits page and the CA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Schedule B FY 2026-27 Fee Schedule — Fund Center 160-02, Public Health - Environmental HealthCounty of San Luis Obispo · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Mobile Food Facility Health PermittingCounty of San Luis Obispo Health Agency, Environmental Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- Ordinance No. 3596 — Ordinance Amending County Fee Schedule BCounty of San Luis Obispo Board of Supervisors · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
- 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.