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10 permits · verified 2026-09-08

What permits do you need to open a food truck in St Paul?

In short

A food truck in St Paul, MN 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. Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools, and Lodging Services, Metro District Office charges $75 annual license; a Food Cart license is $150; plan review for a new mobile unit is $700, or $750 for a new food cart for the mobile food unit license. 1 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a food truck in St Paul

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Mobile Food Unit LicenseMinnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools, and Lodging Services, Metro District Office$75 annual license; a Food Cart license is $150; plan review for a new mobile unit is $700, or $750 for a new food cartannual2026-09-08
Mobile Food Unit — Fire Department Permit Position (Saint Paul)only if it applies to youCity of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and InspectionsNo feenot applicable2026-09-08
Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to youMinnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services$45 certification or renewal, plus a $5 technology fee3 years2026-09-03
Food and Beverage Establishment LicenseMinnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services$300 base plus a category fee of $185 low risk, $430 medium or $670 high, plus a $50 statewide hospitality fee and a $5 technology fee — or a delegated county's own scheduleannual2026-09-03

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 St Paul

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
General Business License — City of Saint Paul positiononly if it applies to youCity of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and InspectionsNo feenot applicable2026-09-08

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

MN registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division$135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in personperpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December2026-09-03
General Business License — Minnesota state positiononly if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feeset by the city2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division$135 one-time filing by post; $155 online or in personperpetual, subject to a free annual renewal every December2026-09-03
Annual Renewalonly if it applies to youOffice of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feeannual — due by 31 December every year after the year of formation2026-09-03
Sales and Use Tax AccountMinnesota Department of Revenue, Business RegistrationNo feevalid until cancelled or revoked2026-09-03

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 St Paul?

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 St Paul, MN, 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 $75.00. 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 5 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Food and Beverage Establishment License: $300 base plus a category fee of $185 low risk, $430 medium or $670 high, plus a $50 statewide hospitality fee and a $5 technology fee — or a delegated county's own schedule

Which offices issue these permits in St Paul?

Permits for a food truck in St Paul, MN come from 5 separate offices: Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools, and Lodging Services, Metro District Office, City of Saint Paul, Department of Safety and Inspections, Office of the Minnesota Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services, Minnesota Department of Revenue, Business Registration. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.

What does a food truck need in St Paul 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 St Paul: Mobile Food Unit License and Mobile Food Unit — Fire Department Permit Position (Saint Paul).

Mobile Food Unit License

Also requires a DSI zoning review (on private property), a Public Works right-of-way permit (on streets/sidewalks), and a Parks and Recreation permit (in a park) — but no separate St. Paul Fire Department fee, per the city's own vendor guidance.

Mobile Food Unit — Fire Department Permit Position (Saint Paul)

No separate fee applies from the St. Paul Fire Department for mobile food units, per the City's Pop Up Vendor handout: for food trucks it lists only a Minnesota Department of Health and/or Department of Agriculture food license, a DSI Zoning review for private property, a Public Works right-of-way permit, and (for park operation) a Parks and Recreation permit.

Shared with other businesses in St Paul

  • Certified Food Protection Manager — Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services, $45 certification or renewal, plus a $5 technology fee, 3 years. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Food and Beverage Establishment License — Minnesota Department of Health, Food, Pools and Lodging Services, $300 base plus a category fee of $185 low risk, $430 medium or $670 high, plus a $50 statewide hospitality fee and a $5 technology fee — or a delegated county's own schedule, annual. 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 St Paul, MN; what each one involves is set out on the St Paul permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MN and are covered on the MN state page.

How does a food truck compare with other businesses in St Paul?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Unit License and Mobile Food Unit — Fire Department Permit Position (Saint Paul). A coffee shop needs Food and Beverage Establishment License and Business Sign Permit, which a food truck does not.

Permits particular to each business type in St Paul, MN, compared with a food truck
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a food truckOnly a food truck needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops4222
Restaurants4222
Auto repair shops3043
Childcare centres2042
Contractors and trades4044
Fitness studios1041
Retail stores1041
Salons and barbers4044
Veterinary clinics2042

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. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the St Paul permits page and the MN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Minnesota Department of Health — FPLS Plan Review and License Fees, effective July 1, 2025Minnesota Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
  2. City of Saint Paul — Pop-Up Vendor HandoutCity of Saint Paul, DSI · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.