9 permits · verified 2026-09-06
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Gaithersburg?
In short
A food truck in Gaithersburg, MD has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 4 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Gaithersburg Planning & Code Administration charges $250 a year for the mobile food vendor license. 2 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-06 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Gaithersburg
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Food Vendor License | City of Gaithersburg Planning & Code Administration | $250 a year | annual | 2026-09-06 |
| Food Service Facility License | Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection | $100–$525 a year, set by the county health department — there is no state fee | 1 year from issue unless local law says otherwise | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Service Manageronly if it applies to you | Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection | No fee | no state period; three to five years where a county requires a card | 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 Gaithersburg
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trader's License | Clerk of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County | $15 a year, flat | annual | 2026-09-06 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
MD registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trader's License | Comptroller of Maryland, State License Bureau | Varies — formula on the MD page | 1 May to 30 April, whenever it is bought | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales and Use Tax License | Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration Division | No fee | no expiry — effective until surrendered or revoked | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division | $100 one-time filing | perpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division | $120 one-time minimum — $100 filing plus a $20 organization and capitalization fee | perpetual, but a $300 annual report is due every 15 April | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division | $300 a year | annual — due 15 April, extendable to 15 June | 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 Gaithersburg?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a food truck in Gaithersburg, MD, 5 apply to every business of this type and 4 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 5 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $265.00. That is a floor, not a total. 2 of the 9 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:
Food Service Facility License: $100–$525 a year, set by the county health department — there is no state fee
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Gaithersburg permits page and the MD state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Gaithersburg?
Permits for a food truck in Gaithersburg, MD come from 6 separate offices: City of Gaithersburg Planning & Code Administration, Clerk of the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Comptroller of Maryland, State License Bureau, Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration Division, Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection, Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter Division. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Gaithersburg Planning & Code AdministrationIssues 1 permit on this page: Mobile Food Vendor License31 South Summit Avenue, Gaithersburg, MD 20877 · (301) 258-6330www.gaithersburgmd.gov/government/departments/planning-code-administration
- Clerk of the Circuit Court for Montgomery CountyIssues 1 permit on this page: Trader's Licensewww.montgomerycountymd.gov/cct/business-license.html
- Comptroller of Maryland, State License BureauIssues 1 permit on this page: Trader's LicenseState License Bureau, 80 Calvert Street, Room 314, Annapolis, MD 21404-1751 · (410) 260-6240jportal.mdcourts.gov/license
- Comptroller of Maryland, Revenue Administration DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax LicensePO Box 549, Annapolis, MD 21411-0001 · (410) 260-7980www.marylandtaxes.gov
- Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food ProtectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Service Facility License, Certified Food Service Manager6 St Paul Street, Suite 1301, Baltimore, MD 21202 · (410) 767-8400health.maryland.gov/phpa/OEHFP/OFPCHS/pages/home.aspx
- Maryland State Department of Assessments and Taxation, Corporate Charter DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report700 East Pratt Street, Suite 2700, Baltimore, MD 21202-6377 · (410) 767-1340egov.maryland.gov/businessexpress
What does a food truck need in Gaithersburg that other businesses do not?
1 of the 3 permits particular to a food truck here applies to no other business type we cover in Gaithersburg: Mobile Food Vendor License.
Mobile Food Vendor License
A city business license, separate from Montgomery County DHHS's own mobile/itinerant food plan-review fee ($55). The same fee schedule prices no distinct Fire Marshal fee specific to mobile food units.
Shared with other businesses in Gaithersburg
- Food Service Facility License — Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection, $100–$525 a year, set by the county health department — there is no state fee, 1 year from issue unless local law says otherwise. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Certified Food Service Manager — Maryland Department of Health, Office of Food Protection, No fee, no state period; three to five years where a county requires a card. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Gaithersburg, MD; what each one involves is set out on the Gaithersburg permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MD and are covered on the MD state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Gaithersburg?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Vendor License. A coffee shop needs Sign Permit, Food Service Facility License, Fire System Registration and Permits and Certified Food Service Manager License, 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 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 2 | 1 | 4 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
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 Gaithersburg permits page and the MD state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Gaithersburg — FY 2027 Schedule of FeesCity of Gaithersburg · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-06
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.