10 permits · verified 2026-10-10
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Douglas County Co?
In short
A food truck in Douglas County Co, CO has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Colorado Secretary of State, Business Division charges $50 one-time filing, online only for the articles of incorporation. 5 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-10 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Douglas County Co
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail Food Establishment License (restaurants, grocery, mobile units) | Douglas County Health Department, Environmental Health | Restaurant: 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 seats $538, more than 200 seats $581; limited food service (convenience, other) $338; grocery store 0-15,000 sq. ft. $244, more than 15,000 sq. ft. $441; grocery store with deli 0-15,000 sq. ft. $469, more than 15,000 sq. ft. $894; mobile unit (prepackaged, non-TCS) $338, mobile unit (full service) $481; K-12 schools and non-profits $0. Change of ownership or site evaluation (initial inspection) $120; plan review application $155 (DCHD 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule, fees set by state legislation effective September 1, 2025). | annual; the license is not transferable | 2026-10-10 |
| Special Event Retail Food License and Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | Douglas County Health Department, Environmental Health | Special events license $135 a year; special event plan review application $115 per event (2-5 vendors) or $230 per event (5+ vendors); late application fee $60 (DCHD 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule). | annual license; plan review per event | 2026-10-10 |
| 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 Douglas County Co
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business Licensing — county statement (Colorado Department of Revenue)only if it applies to you | Colorado Department of Revenue | Varies — formula on the Douglas County Co page | not applicable; this record carries the county's published statement | 2026-10-10 |
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 Douglas County Co?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 10 records listed for a food truck in Douglas County Co, CO, 3 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
5 of the 10 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:
Retail Food Establishment License (restaurants, grocery, mobile units): Restaurant: 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 seats $538, more than 200 seats $581; limited food service (convenience, other) $338; grocery store 0-15,000 sq. ft. $244, more than 15,000 sq. ft. $441; grocery store with deli 0-15,000 sq. ft. $469, more than 15,000 sq. ft. $894; mobile unit (prepackaged, non-TCS) $338, mobile unit (full service) $481; K-12 schools and non-profits $0. Change of ownership or site evaluation (initial inspection) $120; plan review application $155 (DCHD 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule, fees set by state legislation effective September 1, 2025).
Special Event Retail Food License and Plan Review: Special events license $135 a year; special event plan review application $115 per event (2-5 vendors) or $230 per event (5+ vendors); late application fee $60 (DCHD 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule).
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 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Douglas County Co permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Douglas County Co?
Permits for a food truck in Douglas County Co, CO come from 5 separate offices: Douglas County Health Department, Environmental Health, Colorado Department of Revenue, 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.
- Douglas County Health Department, Environmental HealthIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment License (restaurants, grocery, mobile units), Special Event Retail Food License and Plan Review11045 E Lansing Circle, Third Floor, Englewood, CO 80112 · 720-643-2400www.douglasco.gov/health-department/how-to-start-a-food-business
- Colorado Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business Licensing — county statement (Colorado Department of Revenue)tax.colorado.gov
- 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 Douglas County Co that other businesses do not?
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 Douglas County Co
- Retail Food Establishment License (restaurants, grocery, mobile units) — Douglas County Health Department, Environmental Health, Restaurant: 0-100 seats $481, 101-200 seats $538, more than 200 seats $581; limited food service (convenience, other) $338; grocery store 0-15,000 sq. ft. $244, more than 15,000 sq. ft. $441; grocery store with deli 0-15,000 sq. ft. $469, more than 15,000 sq. ft. $894; mobile unit (prepackaged, non-TCS) $338, mobile unit (full service) $481; K-12 schools and non-profits $0. Change of ownership or site evaluation (initial inspection) $120; plan review application $155 (DCHD 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule, fees set by state legislation effective September 1, 2025)., annual; the license is not transferable. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Special Event Retail Food License and Plan Review — Douglas County Health Department, Environmental Health, Special events license $135 a year; special event plan review application $115 per event (2-5 vendors) or $230 per event (5+ vendors); late application fee $60 (DCHD 2026 Environmental Health fee schedule)., annual license; plan review per event. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- 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 Douglas County Co, CO; what each one involves is set out on the Douglas County Co 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 Douglas County Co?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A coffee shop needs Liquor License — Local Approval (unincorporated Douglas County) and State License, 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 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| 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. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Douglas County Co permits page and the CO state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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.