What permits do you need to open a food truck in San Mateo County?

Mobile Food Facility Permit

The EHS Mobile Food Facilities page says Environmental Health Services 'is responsible for the inspection of various types of Mobile Food Facilities', listing mobile food preparation units, hot dog and espresso carts, limited food vehicles, push carts, food trucks and ice cream trucks, and that its Vehicle Inspection Program 'conducts annual certification and complaince inspections of MFFs', which 'may involve commissaries that service these MFFs'. The permit is annual and its fee depends on the unit type, under the Board-approved EHS fee schedule that adjusts each January 1 under Ordinance 4901. A truck operating on County roads in the unincorporated area also needs the $200 County License Board license under Chapter 5.52, and one based in County Fire's service area needs County Fire's annual operational permit for mobile food preparation vehicles.

Mobile Food Preparation Unit License (County roads)

Ordinance Code §5.52.020 provides that no person shall operate a mobile food preparation unit 'on County roads without first receiving License therefor from the License Board of the County of San Mateo', and §5.52.030 sets the fee: 'Every person conducting the business of a mobile food preparation unit on County roads shall pay a fee of $200 for the License, the term of which shall be one year.' County roads are in the unincorporated area; a truck working city streets follows that city's rules. This license is separate from, and in addition to, the Environmental Health mobile food facility permit and, inside County Fire's service area, the County Fire annual operational permit for mobile food preparation vehicles. Applications go through the Treasurer-Tax Collector's business license process, which the Business License Board reviews.

Temporary Event / Temporary Food Facility Permit

The EHS Temporary Events page says that 'county fairs, city festivals, street events and other events open to the general public are to be approved and permitted by San Mateo County Environmental Health Services', and that a health permit is required 'whenever food or beverage (prepackaged or unpackaged) is sampled, sold, prepared or given away to the public'. Each vendor completes a risk-category application and gives it with the fee to the event coordinator, who submits the coordinator application and all vendor applications and fees 'as one packet' at least 14 calendar days before the event; the page warns that a late packet is subject to late penalties or denial. Fees are per event under the Board-approved EHS fee schedule that adjusts each January 1 under Ordinance 4901. The page also tells coordinators to contact ABC, the fire department and planning or building departments for their own approvals.

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 Mateo County

• County Business License Application (Title 5 business types, unincorporated area) — San Mateo County Treasurer-Tax Collector (business licenses approved by the County Business License Board), $50 non-refundable application fee, as published on the Treasurer-Tax Collector's Business Licenses page on 2026-10-09; the license fee itself is set by the Title 5 chapter for the business type, 1 year, January 1 to December 31 (Ordinance Code §5.04.260). Also required for retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
• Annual Operational Fire Permit (San Mateo County Fire service area) — San Mateo County Fire Department (operated cooperatively with CAL FIRE), Fire Marshal, Each annual operational permit is priced on the San Mateo County Fire Department service fee schedule established by Board of Supervisors Resolution 080751, which provides for automatic consumer-price-index adjustment effective no earlier than April 1 of each year. Contact the San Mateo County Fire Marshal, (650) 345-1612 or smcfdfiremarshal@fire.ca.gov, for the current amount., annual. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops, auto repair shops and fitness studios; what it involves is set out on the fitness studios 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.