10 permits · verified 2026-10-10
What permits do you need to open a food truck in El Paso County Co?
In short
A food truck in El Paso County Co, CO has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 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 El Paso County Co
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Event Retail Food Permit | El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division | $248–$425 Limited menu $248 for one event or $340 for multiple events; full menu $298 for one event or $425 for multiple events (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2024) | per event, or for multiple events under the multiple-event permit | 2026-10-10 |
| Retail Food Establishment License (fixed and mobile) | El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division | The county Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule prices the license 'Per Section 25-4-1607 C.R.S.'; the C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) amounts as enacted by SB25-285, 2026 amount (amount from January 1, 2027 in brackets): restaurant or caterer 0-100 seats $481 ($567); 101-200 seats $538 ($634); over 200 seats $581 ($687); limited food service $338 ($394); mobile food establishment full service $481 ($567); mobile prepackaged food $338 ($394); grocery under 15,001 sq ft $244 ($282); grocery over 15,000 sq ft $441 ($519); grocery with deli under 15,001 sq ft $469 ($552); grocery with deli over 15,000 sq ft $894 ($1,062). Plan review is charged separately. | annual | 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 El Paso County Co
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado State Sales Tax License (county sales tax statement) | Colorado Department of Revenue (sales tax) | Varies — formula on the El Paso County Co page | as set by the Colorado Department of Revenue for the state license | 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 El Paso 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 El Paso County Co, CO, 5 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.
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:
Special Event Retail Food Permit: $248–$425 Limited menu $248 for one event or $340 for multiple events; full menu $298 for one event or $425 for multiple events (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2024)
Retail Food Establishment License (fixed and mobile): The county Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule prices the license 'Per Section 25-4-1607 C.R.S.'; the C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) amounts as enacted by SB25-285, 2026 amount (amount from January 1, 2027 in brackets): restaurant or caterer 0-100 seats $481 ($567); 101-200 seats $538 ($634); over 200 seats $581 ($687); limited food service $338 ($394); mobile food establishment full service $481 ($567); mobile prepackaged food $338 ($394); grocery under 15,001 sq ft $244 ($282); grocery over 15,000 sq ft $441 ($519); grocery with deli under 15,001 sq ft $469 ($552); grocery with deli over 15,000 sq ft $894 ($1,062). Plan review is charged separately.
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 El Paso County Co permits page and the CO state page.
Which offices issue these permits in El Paso County Co?
Permits for a food truck in El Paso County Co, CO come from 5 separate offices: El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division, Colorado Department of Revenue (sales tax), 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.
- El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Special Event Retail Food Permit, Retail Food Establishment License (fixed and mobile)1675 W. Garden of the Gods Rd, Suite 2044, Colorado Springs, CO 80907 · (719) 578-3199 option 3www.elpasocountyhealth.org/licenses-permits-inspections-water-testing/retail-food/retail-food-establishments
- Colorado Department of Revenue (sales tax)Issues 1 permit on this page: Colorado State Sales Tax License (county sales tax statement)tax.colorado.gov/sales-tax-guide
- 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 El Paso 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 El Paso County Co
- Special Event Retail Food Permit — El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division, $248–$425 Limited menu $248 for one event or $340 for multiple events; full menu $298 for one event or $425 for multiple events (Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule, effective January 1, 2024), per event, or for multiple events under the multiple-event permit. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Retail Food Establishment License (fixed and mobile) — El Paso County Public Health, Environmental Health Division, The county Board of Health 2024 Fee Schedule prices the license 'Per Section 25-4-1607 C.R.S.'; the C.R.S. 25-4-1607(1.1)(a) amounts as enacted by SB25-285, 2026 amount (amount from January 1, 2027 in brackets): restaurant or caterer 0-100 seats $481 ($567); 101-200 seats $538 ($634); over 200 seats $581 ($687); limited food service $338 ($394); mobile food establishment full service $481 ($567); mobile prepackaged food $338 ($394); grocery under 15,001 sq ft $244 ($282); grocery over 15,000 sq ft $441 ($519); grocery with deli under 15,001 sq ft $469 ($552); grocery with deli over 15,000 sq ft $894 ($1,062). Plan review is charged separately., annual. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; 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 El Paso County Co, CO; what each one involves is set out on the El Paso 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 El Paso County Co?
A food truck and a coffee shop in El Paso County Co, CO need exactly the same 4 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a food truck | Only a food truck needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 0 | 4 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| 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 coffee shops page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the El Paso 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.