8 permits · verified 2026-10-14
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Scott County Ia?
In short
A food truck in Scott County Ia, IA has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing charges $150 a year for gross sales under $100,000, rising to $300 and then $400 as sales climb for the food establishment license. 2 of the 8 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-14 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Scott County Ia
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Establishment License and Inspection (Scott County Health Department, countywide) | Scott County Health Department | License fees are set statewide by Iowa Code §137F.6 (see the Iowa state record) and are paid to the Scott County Health Department as the licensing authority for Scott County. | as set by Iowa Code chapter 137F (see the Iowa state record) | 2026-10-14 |
| Food Establishment License | Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing | $150 a year for gross sales under $100,000, rising to $300 and then $400 as sales climb | annual | 2026-09-04 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing | No fee | not stated in Iowa's own rule text | 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.
IA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $50 one-time filing | perpetual, but a biennial report is due every two years | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $50 one-time filing | perpetual, but a biennial report is due every two years | 2026-09-04 |
| Sales Tax Permit | Iowa Department of Revenue | No fee | no expiration — stays effective until cancelled or revoked | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Iowa positiononly if it applies to you | Iowa Economic Development Authority, Business License Information Center | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| Biennial Reportonly if it applies to you | Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division | Varies — formula on the IA page | an LLC files between 1 January and 1 April of every odd year; a corporation files in the same window of every even year | 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 Scott County Ia?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a food truck in Scott County Ia, IA, 3 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.
Of the 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $150.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 8 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 License and Inspection (Scott County Health Department, countywide): License fees are set statewide by Iowa Code §137F.6 (see the Iowa state record) and are paid to the Scott County Health Department as the licensing authority for Scott County.
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Scott County Ia permits page and the IA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Scott County Ia?
Permits for a food truck in Scott County Ia, IA come from 5 separate offices: Scott County Health Department, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Iowa Department of Revenue, Iowa Economic Development Authority, Business License Information Center. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Scott County Health DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Establishment License and Inspection (Scott County Health Department, countywide)600 W. 4th St., Davenport, IA 52801 · 563-326-8618www.scottcountyiowa.gov/health/food/licensing
- Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and LicensingIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment License, Certified Food Protection Manager6200 Park Avenue, Suite 100, Des Moines, IA 50321 · (515) 281-3425dial.iowa.gov
- Iowa Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Biennial Report321 East 12th Street, Des Moines, IA 50319 · (515) 281-5204sos.iowa.gov/business
- Iowa Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax Permit1305 East Walnut Street, Des Moines, IA 50319 · (515) 281-3114revenue.iowa.gov/permits-licensing/business-permit-registration
- Iowa Economic Development Authority, Business License Information CenterIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — Iowa position1963 Bell Avenue, Suite 200, Des Moines, IA 50315 · (515) 348-6200opportunityiowa.gov/business/small-business-entrepreneurs/small-business-resources/business-license-information-center
What does a food truck need in Scott County Ia that other businesses do not?
Food Establishment License and Inspection (Scott County Health Department, countywide)
DIAL's Food Inspection Jurisdictions page states that DIAL licenses and inspects food establishments directly in 68 counties and "contracts with 10 local health departments to manage licensing and inspection for these business in the other 31 counties"; its entry for the Scott County Health Department reads "Serves Scott County." Iowa Code §137F.3 allows such an agreement with a municipal corporation. The county's Licensing page states that "The Scott County Health Department is where to go for licensing the following food establishments in Scott County", covering food service and retail food establishments, mobile food units and pushcarts, farmers markets, home food processing establishments, cottage foods, mass gatherings, vending and temporary food service, while food processing plants are licensed by DIAL. The county's Mobile / Pushcart page defines a mobile food unit as a readily movable food establishment that operates up to three consecutive days at one location or returns to a home base each day. This applies in every city in the county, Davenport and Bettendorf included. License fees are the statewide amounts in Iowa Code §137F.6, shown on the Iowa state record. The county's Licensing page announces that DIAL is changing its database for food and lodging licensing and inspections beginning 20 October 2026, so the state licensing system changes on 20 October 2026; the Health Department gives current application and renewal instructions. Scott County Health Department: 563-326-8618 or health@scottcountyiowa.gov.
Shared with other businesses in Scott County Ia
- Food Establishment License — Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, $150 a year for gross sales under $100,000, rising to $300 and then $400 as sales climb, annual. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing, No fee, not stated in Iowa's own rule text. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across IA and are covered on the IA state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Scott County Ia?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 of these permits. A coffee shop needs Retail Alcohol License — Board of Supervisors Approval (outside city limits, Scott County), 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 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 3 | 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 Scott County Ia permits page and the IA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Iowa Code section 137F.6 — the food establishment license fee schedule, banded by gross salesIowa Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing — the ten local health departments with delegated food inspection authorityIowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- Food Licensing pageScott County, Iowa, Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Mobile / Pushcart pageScott County, Iowa, Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
- Iowa Code §137F.3, Authority to enforce — agreements with municipal corporations (Iowa Code 2026)Iowa Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-14
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.