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15 permits · verified 2026-10-02

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

In short

A food truck in Dekalb County Ga, GA has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. DeKalb Public Health (DKPH), Environmental Health Division charges $140 per event; the same $140 fee applies to a Pop-Up Vendor permit or a Pop-Up Facilitator permit for the pop-up food service permit. 8 of the 15 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-02 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a food truck in Dekalb County Ga

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Pop-Up Food Service Permitonly if it applies to youDeKalb Public Health (DKPH), Environmental Health Division$140 per event; the same $140 fee applies to a Pop-Up Vendor permit or a Pop-Up Facilitator permitper event2026-10-02
Mobile Food Service PermitDeKalb Public Health (DKPH), Environmental Health Division$240–$250 per year, by category: No Cook $240, Cook-Serve $245, Complex $250annual2026-10-02
Temporary Food Permitonly if it applies to youDeKalb Public Health (DKPH), Environmental Health Division$150 for 1-4 days, plus $20 for each additional day up to 14 days total. A Temporary Foodservice Organizer plan review is a separate $200.per event2026-10-02
Food Service PermitGeorgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section$240–$1,050 a year, set by the county board of health — no state fee, floor or ceilingthe permit is valid until suspended or revoked, but counties bill an annual fee2026-09-03
Certified Food Safety Manageronly if it applies to youGeorgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health SectionNo feeset by the certifying organisation, not by Georgia2026-09-03

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 Dekalb County Ga

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Business and Occupational Tax CertificateDeKalb County Department of Planning & Sustainability, Business & Alcohol License OfficeVaries — formula on the Dekalb County Ga pageannual, calendar year2026-10-02
Building Permitonly if it applies to youDeKalb County Department of Planning & Sustainability, Permits, Plan Review & Inspections DivisionVaries — formula on the Dekalb County Ga pageper project2026-10-02
Septic / Land Use Permitonly if it applies to youDeKalb Public Health (DKPH), Environmental Health DivisionVaries — formula on the Dekalb County Ga pageper project2026-10-02
Certificate of OccupancyDeKalb County Department of Planning & Sustainability, Permits, Plan Review & Inspections DivisionVaries — formula on the Dekalb County Ga pagenot applicable (one-time, before a new commercial business license is processed)2026-10-02
Commercial Sanitation Account and Dumpster Prepayment FeeDeKalb County Department of Public Works, Sanitation DivisionVaries — formula on the Dekalb County Ga pageone-time account setup and dumpster prepayment, then ongoing monthly collection service2026-10-02

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

GA 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
Sales and Use Tax Certificate of RegistrationGeorgia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Services DivisionNo feeno renewal — valid until cancelled, suspended or revoked2026-09-03
General Business License — Georgia state position (local occupation tax certificate)only if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations DivisionNo feeset by the issuing city or county, usually annual2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division$110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service chargeno expiry, but an annual registration is due each year2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division$110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service chargeno expiry, but an annual registration is due each year2026-09-03
Annual Registrationonly if it applies to youGeorgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division$60 a year — $50 plus a $10 service charge; $40 for a nonprofitannual — filed between 1 January and 1 April2026-09-03

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 Dekalb County Ga?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 15 records listed for a food truck in Dekalb County Ga, GA, 6 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

8 of the 15 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:

Mobile Food Service Permit: $240–$250 per year, by category: No Cook $240, Cook-Serve $245, Complex $250

Temporary Food Permit: $150 for 1-4 days, plus $20 for each additional day up to 14 days total. A Temporary Foodservice Organizer plan review is a separate $200.

Food Service Permit: $240–$1,050 a year, set by the county board of health — no state fee, floor or ceiling

The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Dekalb County Ga permits page and the GA state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Dekalb County Ga?

Permits for a food truck in Dekalb County Ga, GA come from 7 separate offices: DeKalb County Department of Planning & Sustainability, Business & Alcohol License Office, DeKalb Public Health (DKPH), Environmental Health Division, DeKalb County Department of Planning & Sustainability, Permits, Plan Review & Inspections Division, DeKalb County Department of Public Works, Sanitation Division, Georgia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Services Division, Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division. 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 Dekalb County Ga that other businesses do not?

1 of the 5 permits particular to a food truck here applies to no other business type we cover in Dekalb County Ga: Mobile Food Service Permit.

Pop-Up Food Service Permit

A pop-up food vendor or the facilitator organizing a pop-up food event in DeKalb County each pay $140, a separate, lower-tier category from the general Temporary Food Permit above for a specific pop-up event structure. The permit fee is the same $140 whether the applicant is the individual vendor or the event's facilitator. This fee schedule is dated effective January 1, 2024 and was confirmed still current, with no later successor published, as of October 2, 2026.

Mobile Food Service Permit

A food truck, cart or other mobile food unit operating anywhere in DeKalb County needs an annual Mobile Food Service permit from DeKalb Public Health, priced by the same No Cook/Cook-Serve/Complex categories used for fixed establishments: $240, $245 or $250 a year. The county's separately named 'Extended Food Service' permit category uses the identical $240/$245/$250 tiers on the same fee schedule. This fee schedule is dated effective January 1, 2024 and was confirmed still the current version linked from DKPH's live Environmental Health page as of October 2, 2026.

Temporary Food Permit

A restaurant, coffee shop or food truck operating at a one-off or short-run event in DeKalb County needs this permit rather than the annual fixed or mobile permit. The base fee is $150 for an event lasting one to four days, plus $20 for each additional day up to a 14-day maximum. An event organizer coordinating multiple food vendors separately needs a $200 Temporary Foodservice Organizer plan review. Applying less than 20 business days before the event adds a $50 late fee per permit. This fee schedule is dated effective January 1, 2024 and was confirmed still current as of October 2, 2026.

Certified Food Safety Manager

No state fee: under rule 511-6-1-.03 the certificate comes from an accredited programme rather than from the state, and the department links straight out to the accreditation directory. At least one employee with supervisory and management authority must hold it, designated to a single establishment. Three exemptions sit in the rule: a mobile unit that does not process food, an establishment serving only food that needs no temperature control and limited preparation, and a temporary establishment. A sixty-day grace period runs from a new permit, a change of ownership or the loss of your certified manager, and the original certificate must be posted in public view. The food service rules (chapter 511-6-1) set no food handler card requirement for ordinary staff — the words do not appear in them; the model instead is that the person in charge demonstrates knowledge to the inspector.

Shared with other businesses in Dekalb County Ga

  • Food Service Permit — Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, $240–$1,050 a year, set by the county board of health — no state fee, floor or ceiling, the permit is valid until suspended or revoked, but counties bill an annual fee. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.

The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Dekalb County Ga, GA; what each one involves is set out on the Dekalb County Ga permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across GA and are covered on the GA state page.

How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Dekalb County Ga?

The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 4 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Service Permit. A restaurant needs State Retail Alcohol License (Georgia ALP), Fixed Food Service Establishment Permit and County Alcohol License, which a food truck does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Dekalb County Ga, GA, compared with a food truck
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a food truckOnly a food truck needsOnly it needs
Restaurants7413
Coffee shops6323
Auto repair shops1051
Childcare centres2052
Contractors and trades3053
Fitness studios1051
Retail stores2052
Salons and barbers2052
Veterinary clinics1051

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. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Dekalb County Ga permits page and the GA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. DeKalb Public Health, Environmental Health Division, Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 2024DeKalb Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  2. DeKalb Public Health, Environmental Health main page — links the current Environmental Health Fee ScheduleDeKalb Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-02
  3. Georgia Comp. R. & Regs. chapter 511-6-1 — food service, including the permit requirement and the certified food safety manager ruleGeorgia Department of Public Health · 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.