9 permits · verified 2026-09-08
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Colorado Springs?
In short
A food truck in Colorado Springs, CO has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Colorado Springs, City Clerk's Office charges $110 a year for the first unit; $25 for each additional unit for the mobile food vendor license. 2 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Colorado Springs
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Food Vendor License | City of Colorado Springs, City Clerk's Office | $110 a year for the first unit; $25 for each additional unit | 1 year | 2026-09-08 |
| Retail Food Establishment License | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability | $244–$1,063 a year for 2026, banded by establishment type and size; the schedule rises in 2027 and 2028 | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability | No fee | set by the certifying programme, not by Colorado | 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 Colorado Springs
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales/Use Tax License | City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax Office | No fee | expires every odd year on December 31; mandatory renewal | 2026-09-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
CO registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $50 one-time filing, online only | perpetual, but a periodic report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally)only if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax License | Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division | Varies — formula on the CO page | 2 years — every license expires on 31 December of an odd-numbered year | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $50 one-time filing, online only | perpetual, but a periodic report is due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Periodic Reportonly if it applies to you | Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division | $25 a year; $50 more if filed late | annual — due in the entity's own periodic report month | 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 Colorado Springs?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a food truck in Colorado Springs, CO, 4 apply to every business of this type and 5 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 $110.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Retail Food Establishment License: $244–$1,063 a year for 2026, banded by establishment type and size; the schedule rises in 2027 and 2028
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Colorado Springs permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Colorado Springs?
Permits for a food truck in Colorado Springs, CO come from 5 separate offices: City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax Office, City of Colorado Springs, City Clerk's Office, Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division, Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation Division, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Colorado Springs Sales Tax OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales/Use Tax License(719) 385-5903coloradosprings.gov/finance-sales-tax/page/sales-tax-faq
- City of Colorado Springs, City Clerk's OfficeIssues 1 permit on this page: Mobile Food Vendor License(719) 385-5901coloradosprings.gov/BusinessLicensing
- Colorado Secretary of State, Business DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — Colorado position (issued locally), Articles of Organization (LLC), Periodic Report1700 Broadway, Suite 550, Denver, CO 80290 · (303) 894-2200www.coloradosos.gov/pubs/business/businessHome.html
- Colorado Department of Revenue, Taxation DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax License1375 Sherman Street, Denver, CO 80261 · (303) 238-7378tax.colorado.gov/sales-tax-account-license
- Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and SustainabilityIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment License, Certified Food Protection Manager4300 Cherry Creek Drive South, Denver, CO 80246 · (303) 692-3645cdphe.colorado.gov/dehs/rf/licensing
What does a food truck need in Colorado Springs that other businesses do not?
1 of the 3 permits particular to a food truck here applies to no other business type we cover in Colorado Springs: Mobile Food Vendor License.
Mobile Food Vendor License
Late renewal is $55; a duplicate license is $5. Requires sign-off from El Paso County Public Health, City Planning/Land Use Review, and City Sales Tax. The City Clerk's Mobile Food Vendor Licensing page states that licenses are valid for one year from the date of issuance or renewal, and that applicants also file a copy of their health inspection and, if applicable, a trade name registration and certificate of good standing with the Colorado Secretary of State.
Certified Food Protection Manager
No state fee, because Colorado runs no certification scheme of its own — it adopts the 2022 federal food code by reference and with it the certified food protection manager requirement, which took effect on 1 March 2025. The certificate comes from an accredited private programme at that programme's price and on its term. Colorado excludes four provisions of that code when adopting it, on patio dogs, preoperational inspections, the permit to operate and inspection follow-up, but the manager provision is not among the exclusions. There is no statewide food handler card — the phrase appears nowhere in the regulations — though an individual local public health agency may expect training of its own.
Shared with other businesses in Colorado Springs
- Retail Food Establishment License — Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Division of Environmental Health and Sustainability, $244–$1,063 a year for 2026, banded by establishment type and size; the schedule rises in 2027 and 2028, annual. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Colorado Springs, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Colorado Springs permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across CO and are covered on the CO state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Colorado Springs?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Vendor License. A coffee shop needs Annual Facilities Permit, Retail Food Establishment — County Plan Review and Ancillary Fees and Fire Construction Plan Review, 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 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
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. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Colorado Springs permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Colorado Springs — Mobile Food Vendor LicensingCity of Colorado Springs, City Clerk's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
- 6 CCR 1010-2 — Colorado retail food establishment regulations, adopting the 2022 FDA Food Code and the certified food protection manager requirement from 1 March 2025Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment · 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.