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12 permits · verified 2026-10-24

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

In short

A food truck in Yolo County, CA has 4 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). 4 of the 12 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 Yolo County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Mobile Food Facility PermitYolo County Department of Community Services, Environmental Health DivisionAnnual: mobile food facility, full food preparation (RC3) $996; limited food preparation (RC2) $847; pre-packaged food or whole produce vehicle $295. Compact Mobile Food Operation RC1 $328 / RC2 $743 / RC3 $973; CMFO endorsement $326; CMFO auxiliary conveyance unit $229. Mobile support unit $476. Mobile food facility reciprocity $363. Mobile food facility plan check $1,795.annual2026-10-24
Temporary Food Facility Permit (community events)only if it applies to youYolo County Department of Community Services, Environmental Health DivisionSingle event: RC1 $311 / RC2 $329 / RC3 $347 per event. Annual: RC1 $371 / RC2 $421 / RC3 $480. Sampling only, annual $250. Certified agriculture / farmers' market vendor $253. Swap meet / flea market $443. Event organizer permit $688.per event, or annual for annual permits2026-10-24
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 Yolo County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Building Permitonly if it applies to youYolo County Department of Community Services, Building DivisionVaries — formula on the Yolo County pageper 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

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 Yolo County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a food truck in Yolo County, CA, 4 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 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $15.00. That is a floor, not a total. 4 of the 12 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 Permit: Annual: mobile food facility, full food preparation (RC3) $996; limited food preparation (RC2) $847; pre-packaged food or whole produce vehicle $295. Compact Mobile Food Operation RC1 $328 / RC2 $743 / RC3 $973; CMFO endorsement $326; CMFO auxiliary conveyance unit $229. Mobile support unit $476. Mobile food facility reciprocity $363. Mobile food facility plan check $1,795.

Temporary Food Facility Permit (community events): Single event: RC1 $311 / RC2 $329 / RC3 $347 per event. Annual: RC1 $371 / RC2 $421 / RC3 $480. Sampling only, annual $250. Certified agriculture / farmers' market vendor $253. Swap meet / flea market $443. Event organizer permit $688.

The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Yolo County permits page and the CA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Yolo County?

Permits for a food truck in Yolo County, CA come from 6 separate offices: Yolo County Department of Community Services, Environmental Health Division, Yolo County Department of Community Services, Building Division, 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 Yolo 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 Yolo County: Mobile Food Facility Permit.

Mobile Food Facility Permit

The county's Mobile Food Facilities page says 'MFFs and CMFOs require a Yolo County Environmental Health (YCECH) permit to operate' and 'Operators of MFFs are required to annually renew their YCEH permit to operate'. Every mobile food facility must operate out of an approved commissary, report to it once each operating day, and park there overnight; an enclosed, occupiable unit such as a food truck also needs a California Department of Housing and Community Development insignia. Construction plans are required for any unit that does not hold a permit with another California environmental health agency. The page adds that 'Additional requirements for operating location may be required by the city/cities/unincorporated areas of Yolo County the MFF choses to operate in.' Amounts are from the Environmental Health Fees 2025-2026 sheet (Resolution 25-71.01, effective December 9, 2025), matching the Current Master Fee Schedule lines revised 12/09/2025.

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 Yolo County

  • Temporary Food Facility Permit (community events) — Yolo County Department of Community Services, Environmental Health Division, Single event: RC1 $311 / RC2 $329 / RC3 $347 per event. Annual: RC1 $371 / RC2 $421 / RC3 $480. Sampling only, annual $250. Certified agriculture / farmers' market vendor $253. Swap meet / flea market $443. Event organizer permit $688., per event, or annual for annual permits. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops 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 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Yolo County, CA; what each one involves is set out on the Yolo 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 Yolo County?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Facility Permit. A coffee shop needs County Business License (unincorporated Yolo County), Retail Food Facility Health Permit (permanent food facility) and Food Facility Plan Check, which a food truck does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Yolo County, CA, compared with a food truck
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a food truckOnly a food truck needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops6313
Restaurants7314
Retail stores7314
Auto repair shops3043
Childcare centres2042
Contractors and trades1041
Fitness studios1041
Salons and barbers3043
Veterinary clinics1041

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

  1. Yolo County Environmental Health Fees 2025-2026, Resolution 25-71.01, Effective December 9, 2025Yolo County Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  2. Current Master Fee Schedule (print date 9/14/2026)County of Yolo · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  3. Mobile Food FacilitiesYolo County Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-24
  4. 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.