10 permits · verified 2026-09-11
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Maui County?
In short
A food truck in Maui County, HI 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. County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing charges $25 one-time or annual — renewal cycle not stated on the source page for the vendor's license (mobile food vendor / county rights-of-way). 1 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-11 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Maui County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor's License (Mobile Food Vendor / County Rights-of-Way)only if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing | $25 one-time or annual — renewal cycle not stated on the source page | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-11 |
| Food Truck/Trailer Wastewater Discharge Licenseonly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Environmental Management, Wastewater Reclamation Division | $130 one-time for a new license — $10 non-refundable application fee plus $120 license-issuance fee; renews every 2 years at $120 | 2 years, renewable — renewal applications must be submitted at least 90 days before expiration | 2026-09-11 |
| Food Handler Certification | Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch | No fee | 3 years | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Establishment Permit | Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch | $300–$400 a year for a restaurant, banded by risk category and floor area | annual — a late renewal adds 20% of the annual fee | 2026-09-04 |
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 Maui County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — Maui County positiononly if it applies to you | County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-11 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
HI registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — Hawaii positiononly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $51 one-time filing, including the $1 state archives fee | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $51 one-time filing, including the $1 state archives fee | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division | $15 a year on paper; a $10 late fee applies per year delinquent | annual — due at the end of the calendar quarter containing the entity's own original registration date | 2026-09-04 |
| General Excise Tax License | Hawaii Department of Taxation | $20 one-time registration | no expiration — remains active until closed, surrendered or revoked for abandonment | 2026-09-04 |
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 Maui County?
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 Maui County, HI, 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.
Of the 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $20.00. That is a floor, not a total. 1 of the 10 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 Establishment Permit: $300–$400 a year for a restaurant, banded by risk category and floor area
Which offices issue these permits in Maui County?
Permits for a food truck in Maui County, HI come from 5 separate offices: County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing, County of Maui, Department of Environmental Management, Wastewater Reclamation Division, Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety Branch, Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division, Hawaii Department of Taxation. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- County of Maui, Department of Finance, Division of Motor Vehicles and LicensingIssues 2 permits on this page: Vendor's License (Mobile Food Vendor / County Rights-of-Way), General Business License — Maui County position110 Alaihi St., Suite 101, Kahului, HI 96732 · (808) 270-7363www.mauicounty.gov/1328/Motor-Vehicle-Licensing
- County of Maui, Department of Environmental Management, Wastewater Reclamation DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Truck/Trailer Wastewater Discharge License2200 Main St., One Main Plaza Bldg., Suite 610, Wailuku, HI 96793 · (808) 270-7417www.mauicounty.gov/1025/Wastewater-Sewer-Services-and-Informatio
- Hawaii Department of Health, Food Safety BranchIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Handler Certification, Food Establishment Permit591 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 586-8000health.hawaii.gov/san
- Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: General Business License — Hawaii position, Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report335 Merchant Street, Room 201, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 586-2727cca.hawaii.gov/breg
- Hawaii Department of TaxationIssues 1 permit on this page: General Excise Tax License830 Punchbowl Street, Honolulu, HI 96813 · (808) 587-4242tax.hawaii.gov/geninfo/licensing
What does a food truck need in Maui County that other businesses do not?
2 of the 4 permits particular to a food truck here apply to no other business type we cover in Maui County: Vendor's License (Mobile Food Vendor / County Rights-of-Way) and Food Truck/Trailer Wastewater Discharge License.
Vendor's License (Mobile Food Vendor / County Rights-of-Way)
Required specifically for vending in a County right-of-way — the County's own current 'Other Licenses and Permits' page states 'It is unlawful for any person to conduct a business as a vendor in certain locations and areas within the County of Maui' and prices the license at $25, and the County's own current food-truck FAQ and its companion Food Truck FAQs guide (published July 23, 2026) both independently confirm that 'Vending in County rights-of-way requires a vendor's license from the Department of Finance's Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing.' The current fiscal year's Appendix B fee ordinance does not itemize a 'Vendor's License' by that name — its Business Licenses & Permits schedule names Peddling Merchandise and the other trades listed in the general-business-license record — so confirm the current fee with the Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing. Vending on private property with the owner's permission is a separate, zoning-based pathway (requiring only excess parking beyond what the existing use requires, in a Business, Hotel, or Light-Industrial district) that does not require this license. A food truck also separately needs the State of Hawaii Mobile Food Establishment (MFE) permit, recorded at the state layer, and — if it discharges wastewater processed at a County facility — the Food Truck/Trailer Wastewater Discharge License recorded below.
Food Truck/Trailer Wastewater Discharge License
Required of 'All Food Truck or Trailer establishments who discharge wastewater that is processed at the County of Maui's Wastewater Treatment facilities,' confirmed directly from the Wastewater Reclamation Division's own current product page and independently corroborated by the current Appendix B fee ordinance's own Sewer Fund schedule, which prices an identical Class I-IV pretreatment permit at $120 every two years and a general Wastewater Discharge application fee at $10. A pre-treatment inspection is required before initial issuance and again before each renewal. This is a genuinely Maui-County-specific requirement, with no equivalent in either Honolulu or Hawaii County. It is separate from, not a substitute for, the Vendor's License recorded above and the State Mobile Food Establishment permit recorded at the state layer.
Food Handler Certification
No fee — the health department runs its own food handler classes at no charge at all, a genuine alternative to paying a private provider. At least one certified employee must be present at every permitted food establishment during operating hours, valid for three years once earned. A certified food protection manager credential satisfies this requirement as well and exempts its holder from needing the separate card.
Food Establishment Permit
The health department administers this through four island districts rather than one central office — Oahu, Maui covering Molokai and Lanai, Hawaii Island split between Hilo and Kona offices, and Kauai — each with its own application, though the fee schedule itself is set statewide by rule rather than varying district to district. A restaurant under a thousand square feet pays $300 a year in the top risk category; larger than that, $400. Catering is priced separately at $400, and a special event of up to five days is a flat $50. A food establishment serving the homeless is exempt from the fee outright. Plan review for a new establishment adds $200 or $300 depending on size, and renewing late costs a further twenty per cent of the annual fee on top.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Maui County, HI; what each one involves is set out on the Maui County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across HI and are covered on the HI state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Maui County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A food truck also needs Vendor's License (Mobile Food Vendor / County Rights-of-Way) and Food Truck/Trailer Wastewater Discharge License. A coffee shop needs Sign Permit and Fire Protection Permit (Automatic Suppression Systems, incl. Commercial Kitchen Hood Suppression), 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 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 6 | 0 | 4 | 6 |
| Childcare centres | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Contractors and trades | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Fitness studios | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
| Veterinary clinics | 5 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Maui County permits page and the HI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Other Licenses and Permits — the County's own current page naming the Bicycle Tour Business License ($500/year), Ocean Recreational Activities Business Permit, Taxicab Business License, and Vendor's License ($25, 'It is unlawful for any person to conduct a business as a vendor in certain locations and areas within the County of Maui')County of Maui, Department of Finance · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-11
- FAQ: Where can I set up my food truck? — the County's own current FAQ confirming a vendor's license from the Department of Finance's Division of Motor Vehicles and Licensing is required for vending in County rights-of-wayCounty of Maui · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-11
- Food Truck FAQs — Maui County (published July 23, 2026) — the Department of Planning's own current comprehensive guide covering vending location rules, the Agricultural District Commercial Agricultural Structure registration and Special Use Permit triggers, the vendor's license, the State MFE permit, and the Food Truck/Trailer Wastewater Discharge LicenseCounty of Maui, Department of Planning · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-11
- WW - Discharge License - Food Truck/Trailer — the Wastewater Reclamation Division's own current product page stating the $10 application fee, $120 new-issuance and renewal fees, two-year term, and Maui County Code Chapter 14.21A citationCounty of Maui, Department of Environmental Management · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-11
- County of Maui Revenues - Fees, Rates, Assessments and Taxes, Appendix B, Fiscal Year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 — the currently-effective annual fee ordinance, itemizing every business license, building/electrical/plumbing permit fee, Department of Planning fee, and Fire Department fee cited for Maui CountyCounty of Maui · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-11
- Hawaii Department of Health — food safety education, the free food handler class and its three-year termHawaii Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Hawaii Administrative Rules title 11, chapter 50 — food establishment permit feesHawaii Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.