12 permits · verified 2026-10-03
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Fulton County Ga?
In short
A food truck in Fulton County Ga, GA 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. Fulton County Department of Public Works, Planning & Community Services charges $40 flat, per request for the zoning certification letter. 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-03 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Fulton County Ga
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service, Mobile Food, Temporary Event & Pop-Up Food Permits | Fulton County Board of Health, Environmental Health Section | New facility plan review (including a mobile food unit with its base and unit in Fulton) — Risk Type I $450, Type II $600, Type III $750. Administrative fee for an existing-facility ownership/name change with no structural change: $250. Plan review for an existing facility: major $350, minor $200. Annual foodservice inspection fee — Type I $450 (+$100 per bar or satellite kitchen), Type II $600 (+$150), Type III $750 (+$150). Provisional permit (all types) $200. Temporary foodservice, 1-7 day event: $100 permit/opening inspection plus $37/day (Type I) or $73/day (Type II); 8-14 day event: $200 plus the same daily rates. Mobile/extended foodservice unit base-of-operations assessment $150; if the base is outside the county, plan review $300 and annual inspection $300. Non-profit inspection fee per vendor $100. Pop-up foodservice vendor letter of approval $150; pop-up facilitator/location letter of approval $300. Re-inspection at the owner's request after a passing score: $700. | annual permit; plan review is one-time per project, and temporary or pop-up permits are per event | 2026-10-03 |
| 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 | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Safety Manageronly if it applies to you | Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health Section | No fee | set by the certifying organisation, not by Georgia | 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 Fulton County Ga
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit / Zoning Complianceonly if it applies to you | Fulton County Department of Public Works, Planning & Community Services | Varies — formula on the Fulton County Ga page | per project | 2026-10-03 |
| Zoning Certification Letteronly if it applies to you | Fulton County Department of Public Works, Planning & Community Services | $40 flat, per request | per request (one-time) | 2026-10-03 |
| Business Occupation Tax Certificate | Fulton County Finance Department, Business License Division | Varies — formula on the Fulton County Ga page | annual, calendar year (January 1 - December 31); renew by March 31 | 2026-10-03 |
| On-Site Sewage Management / Septic / Well Permitonly if it applies to you | Fulton County Board of Health, Environmental Health Section | Varies — formula on the Fulton County Ga page | per project | 2026-10-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
GA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration | Georgia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Services Division | No fee | no renewal — valid until cancelled, suspended or revoked | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Georgia state position (local occupation tax certificate)only if it applies to you | Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division | No fee | set by the issuing city or county, usually annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge | no expiry, but an annual registration is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $110 one-time — $100 filing fee plus a $10 service charge | no expiry, but an annual registration is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Registrationonly if it applies to you | Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $60 a year — $50 plus a $10 service charge; $40 for a nonprofit | annual — filed between 1 January and 1 April | 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 Fulton County Ga?
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 Fulton County Ga, GA, 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.
5 of the 12 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:
Food Service, Mobile Food, Temporary Event & Pop-Up Food Permits: New facility plan review (including a mobile food unit with its base and unit in Fulton) — Risk Type I $450, Type II $600, Type III $750. Administrative fee for an existing-facility ownership/name change with no structural change: $250. Plan review for an existing facility: major $350, minor $200. Annual foodservice inspection fee — Type I $450 (+$100 per bar or satellite kitchen), Type II $600 (+$150), Type III $750 (+$150). Provisional permit (all types) $200. Temporary foodservice, 1-7 day event: $100 permit/opening inspection plus $37/day (Type I) or $73/day (Type II); 8-14 day event: $200 plus the same daily rates. Mobile/extended foodservice unit base-of-operations assessment $150; if the base is outside the county, plan review $300 and annual inspection $300. Non-profit inspection fee per vendor $100. Pop-up foodservice vendor letter of approval $150; pop-up facilitator/location letter of approval $300. Re-inspection at the owner's request after a passing score: $700.
Food Service Permit: $240–$1,050 a year, set by the county board of health — no state fee, floor or ceiling
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Fulton County Ga permits page and the GA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Fulton County Ga?
Permits for a food truck in Fulton County Ga, GA come from 6 separate offices: Fulton County Board of Health, Environmental Health Section, Fulton County Department of Public Works, Planning & Community Services, Fulton County Finance Department, Business License 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.
- Fulton County Board of Health, Environmental Health SectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Service, Mobile Food, Temporary Event & Pop-Up Food Permits, On-Site Sewage Management / Septic / Well Permit10 Park Place S.E., Atlanta, GA 30303 · 770-520-7500fultoncountyboh.com/environmental-health/food-service
- Fulton County Department of Public Works, Planning & Community ServicesIssues 2 permits on this page: Building Permit / Zoning Compliance, Zoning Certification Letterfultoncountyga.gov/inside-fulton-county/fulton-county-departments/public-works/planning-zoning-and-permitting
- Fulton County Finance Department, Business License DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Business Occupation Tax Certificate141 Pryor St SW, Suite 7067, Atlanta, GA 30303 · 404-612-7722fultoncountyga.gov/inside-fulton-county/fulton-county-departments/finance/business-licenses
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Taxpayer Services DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration1800 Century Boulevard NE, Atlanta, GA 30345-3205 · (877) 423-6711gtc.dor.ga.gov
- Georgia Department of Public Health, Environmental Health SectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Service Permit, Certified Food Safety Manager200 Piedmont Avenue SE, Atlanta, GA 30334 · (404) 657-2700dph.georgia.gov/environmental-health/food-service
- Georgia Secretary of State, Corporations DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: General Business License — Georgia state position (local occupation tax certificate), Articles of Incorporation, Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Registration2 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive SE, Suite 313, Floyd West Tower, Atlanta, GA 30334-1530 · (404) 656-2817ecorp.sos.ga.gov
What does a food truck need in Fulton County Ga that other businesses do not?
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 Fulton County Ga
- Food Service, Mobile Food, Temporary Event & Pop-Up Food Permits — Fulton County Board of Health, Environmental Health Section, New facility plan review (including a mobile food unit with its base and unit in Fulton) — Risk Type I $450, Type II $600, Type III $750. Administrative fee for an existing-facility ownership/name change with no structural change: $250. Plan review for an existing facility: major $350, minor $200. Annual foodservice inspection fee — Type I $450 (+$100 per bar or satellite kitchen), Type II $600 (+$150), Type III $750 (+$150). Provisional permit (all types) $200. Temporary foodservice, 1-7 day event: $100 permit/opening inspection plus $37/day (Type I) or $73/day (Type II); 8-14 day event: $200 plus the same daily rates. Mobile/extended foodservice unit base-of-operations assessment $150; if the base is outside the county, plan review $300 and annual inspection $300. Non-profit inspection fee per vendor $100. Pop-up foodservice vendor letter of approval $150; pop-up facilitator/location letter of approval $300. Re-inspection at the owner's request after a passing score: $700., annual permit; plan review is one-time per project, and temporary or pop-up permits are per event. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- 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 4 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Fulton County Ga, GA; what each one involves is set out on the Fulton 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 Fulton County Ga?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 of these permits. A coffee shop needs Alcoholic Beverage License — Temporary, Alcoholic Beverage License — Permanent and Mixed Drink / By-the-Drink Excise Tax, 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 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
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 and coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Fulton County Ga permits page and the GA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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.