11 permits · verified 2026-10-10
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Ingham County?
In short
A food truck in Ingham County, MI has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Ingham County Health Department, Environmental Health charges $100 per event, single location, up to 14 consecutive days (includes the $9 State of Michigan fee) for the temporary food license. 5 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-10 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Ingham County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Special Transitory Food Unit (STFU) License — Plan Review and New Owner Evaluation | Ingham County Health Department, Environmental Health | STFU full plan review $640; new owner/evaluation $575 (Resolution #25-334, Health Department rates effective October 1, 2025). For the annual STFU license fee and the per-inspection fee, contact ICHD Environmental Health at 517-887-4312. | annual license; the county fee schedule states that two inspections are required each licensure year | 2026-10-10 |
| Temporary Food License | Ingham County Health Department, Environmental Health | $100 per event, single location, up to 14 consecutive days (includes the $9 State of Michigan fee) | per event; issued for a single location for a maximum of 14 consecutive days | 2026-10-10 |
| Mobile Food Establishment License and Plan Review | Ingham County Health Department, Environmental Health | Mobile license/renewal $465 a year (includes the $30 State of Michigan fee); full plan review $640; new owner/evaluation $530 (Resolution #25-334, Health Department rates effective October 1, 2025). | annual | 2026-10-10 |
| Food Service Establishment License | Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | $338–$1,333 a year, set by the local health department; the state's embedded share is $30 | annual — expires 30 April | 2026-09-03 |
| Retail Food Establishment Licenseonly if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | $73–$471 a year, by establishment type | annual — the license year runs 1 May to 30 April | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Safety Manageronly if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | No fee | certificates are typically valid five years, set by the certifying provider | 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.
MI registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau | $50 one-time filing, non-refundable | no expiry, but an annual statement is due every 15 February | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau | $60 one-time minimum — a $10 fee plus an organization fee from $50, banded by authorised shares | no expiry, but an annual report is due every 15 May | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — Michigan state positiononly if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development | No fee | not applicable at state level | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax License | Michigan Department of Treasury | No fee | issued yearly, valid January to December | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Report or Annual Statementonly if it applies to you | Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau | Varies — formula on the MI page | annual — 15 February for an LLC, 15 May for a corporation | 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 Ingham County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a food truck in Ingham County, MI, 5 apply to every business of this type and 6 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, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $100.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 11 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:
Special Transitory Food Unit (STFU) License — Plan Review and New Owner Evaluation: STFU full plan review $640; new owner/evaluation $575 (Resolution #25-334, Health Department rates effective October 1, 2025). For the annual STFU license fee and the per-inspection fee, contact ICHD Environmental Health at 517-887-4312.
Mobile Food Establishment License and Plan Review: Mobile license/renewal $465 a year (includes the $30 State of Michigan fee); full plan review $640; new owner/evaluation $530 (Resolution #25-334, Health Department rates effective October 1, 2025).
Food Service Establishment License: $338–$1,333 a year, set by the local health department; the state's embedded share is $30
Retail Food Establishment License: $73–$471 a year, by establishment type
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Ingham County permits page and the MI state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Ingham County?
Permits for a food truck in Ingham County, MI come from 4 separate offices: Ingham County Health Department, Environmental Health, Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing Bureau, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, Michigan Department of Treasury. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Ingham County Health Department, Environmental HealthIssues 3 permits on this page: Special Transitory Food Unit (STFU) License — Plan Review and New Owner Evaluation, Temporary Food License, Mobile Food Establishment License and Plan Review5303 S. Cedar St., Lansing, MI 48911 · 517-887-4312health.ingham.org/health/environmental_health/permits_licensing.php
- Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Corporations, Securities and Commercial Licensing BureauIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report or Annual Statement2407 North Grand River Avenue, Lansing, MI 48906 · (517) 241-6470www.michigan.gov/lara/bureau-list/cscl/corps
- Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentIssues 4 permits on this page: General Business License — Michigan state position, Food Service Establishment License, Retail Food Establishment License, Certified Food Safety ManagerDeborah A. Stabenow Building, 6th Floor, 525 West Allegan Street, PO Box 30017, Lansing, MI 48909 · (800) 292-3939www.michigan.gov/mdard/licensing/food/food-establishment-license
- Michigan Department of TreasuryIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax LicensePO Box 30778, Lansing, MI 48909 · (517) 636-6925mto.treasury.michigan.gov
What does a food truck need in Ingham County that other businesses do not?
2 of the 6 permits particular to a food truck here apply to no other business type we cover in Ingham County: Special Transitory Food Unit (STFU) License — Plan Review and New Owner Evaluation and Mobile Food Establishment License and Plan Review.
Special Transitory Food Unit (STFU) License — Plan Review and New Owner Evaluation
The Ingham County Health Department's fee schedule defines a special transitory food unit (STFU) as a transitory food unit that is capable of traveling around the State of Michigan. An STFU licensed by the department pays $640 for the full plan review and $575 for a new owner evaluation. The figure is from Ingham County Board of Commissioners Resolution #25-334 (adopted June 24, 2025), which set the Health Department's current rates effective October 1, 2025 with no end date; the Health Department's live Permits & Licensing page links its 2025-2026 Food and Facilities Fee Schedule, which lists the same amounts. The schedule states that two inspections are required each licensure year. The department's Permits & Licensing page links the STFU/Mobile plan review application, a Notification of Intent to Operate and an STFU Environmental Health Inspection Request Form. For the annual STFU license fee and the per-inspection fee, contact ICHD Environmental Health at 517-887-4312.
Temporary Food License
A food operation with preparation at a temporary event in Ingham County needs a Temporary Food License from the Ingham County Health Department. The department's fee schedule describes it as a license issued for a single location for a maximum of 14 consecutive days, at $100. The figure is from Ingham County Board of Commissioners Resolution #25-334 (adopted June 24, 2025), which set the Health Department's current rates effective October 1, 2025 with no end date; the Health Department's live Permits & Licensing page links its 2025-2026 Food and Facilities Fee Schedule, which lists the same amounts. The schedule's footnote states that the fees include the State of Michigan fee of $9.00 for temporary licenses. The department's Permits & Licensing page links an online Temporary Food Establishment License Application and a Temporary Food Service Establishment Information Document.
Mobile Food Establishment License and Plan Review
The Ingham County Health Department's fee schedule defines a mobile license as one for a transitory food unit that must report to a commissary daily. A food truck licensed this way pays $465 a year for the license, $640 for the full plan review and $530 for a new owner evaluation. The figure is from Ingham County Board of Commissioners Resolution #25-334 (adopted June 24, 2025), which set the Health Department's current rates effective October 1, 2025 with no end date; the Health Department's live Permits & Licensing page links its 2025-2026 Food and Facilities Fee Schedule, which lists the same amounts. The schedule's footnote states that the $465 license fee includes the State of Michigan fee of $30.00. The department's Permits & Licensing page links the STFU/Mobile plan review application, worksheet and manual, and a Mobile Food Establishment Commissary Agreement form. A unit that travels around the state without returning to a commissary is licensed instead as a special transitory food unit, recorded separately.
Retail Food Establishment License
This is the state license that does exist, and it is not the restaurant one. A retail food establishment, a limited wholesale processor or a food warehouse pays $186; an extended retail food establishment — a shop serving unpackaged food with seating — pays $471; a mobile food establishment or its commissary pays $192; a temporary establishment $73; a transitory food unit $159 plus a first-year $197 plan review and a $90 inspection. Widely republished figures of $135 are out of date. One oddity is recorded rather than explained: every published amount runs exactly $3 above the figure in the statute, and while the law permits a convenience fee, no source confirms that is what the $3 is. Licenses do not transfer to a new owner or a new location.
Shared with other businesses in Ingham County
- Food Service Establishment License — Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, $338–$1,333 a year, set by the local health department; the state's embedded share is $30, annual — expires 30 April. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Certified Food Safety Manager — Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, No fee, certificates are typically valid five years, set by the certifying provider. 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 MI and are covered on the MI state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Ingham County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A food truck also needs Special Transitory Food Unit (STFU) License — Plan Review and New Owner Evaluation and Mobile Food Establishment License and Plan Review. A coffee shop needs Fixed Food Service Establishment License (Category 1, 2 or 3), 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 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 6 | 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 Ingham County permits page and the MI state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Resolution #25-334 updating various fees for Human Services Committee departments (adopted June 24, 2025; Health Department rates effective October 1, 2025)Ingham County Board of Commissioners · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- 2025-2026 ICHD Environmental Health Food and Facilities Fee ScheduleIngham County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Environmental Health — Permits & Licensing (fee tables and application links)Ingham County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-10
- Michigan MDARD — food establishment license fees and scheduleMichigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development · 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.