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13 permits · verified 2026-09-12

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

In short

A food truck in Billings, MT has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 9 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division charges $35 one-time filing for the articles of incorporation. 7 of the 13 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-12 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.

Permits particular to a food truck in Billings

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Mobile Food Establishment Plan Review FeeRiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health Services$250.00 for a small mobile food establishment (2 or fewer employees), $350.00 for a large one (3 or more employees), or $150.00 for a minor remodel or change of ownership.one-time, prior to construction/remodeling — not stated as a recurring fee2026-09-12
Temporary Food Service Plan Review & Permitonly if it applies to youRiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health ServicesA $50.00 Plan Review Application fee (once, and again only if the menu or operator changes significantly), plus a $25.00 Permit fee per event.valid for a specific event and/or location only, and is non-transferable2026-09-12
HACCP Plan Review / Variance Request Feeonly if it applies to youRiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health Services$150.00 for a HACCP Plan Review, plus a further $125.00 if a Variance Request from the standard Food Code is also sought.one-time, per plan submitted — RiverStone Health states at least 30 days for review2026-09-12
Temporary Use Permitonly if it applies to youCity/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department$289.00 for the initial review, plus $191.00 for an annual renewal, plus a separate $1,650.00 bond for a Group 3 use only (FY26 rates, effective July 1, 2025).annual renewal after the initial review2026-09-12
Retail Food Establishment License (administered locally by RiverStone Health)RiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health ServicesNo feeannual — every Montana food license expires December 31 (Montana state license)2026-09-12
Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to youMontana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety SectionNo feeset by the accrediting programme2026-09-04
Retail Food Establishment LicenseMontana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety Section$150–$275 a year, banded by peak employee countannual — renew before 31 December2026-09-04

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 Billings

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
City of Billings Business LicenseCity of Billings, Department of Finance (Business License Division)Varies — formula on the Billings pageannual — one year from the month the license is obtained2026-09-12

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

MT 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 youMontana Secretary of State, Business Services Division$35 one-time filingperpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-04
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youMontana Secretary of State, Business Services Division$35 one-time filingperpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-04
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youMontana Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionVaries — formula on the MT pageannual — due between 1 January and 15 April2026-09-04
Sales Tax Registration — Montana Department of Revenue Positiononly if it applies to youMontana Department of Revenue, Business Tax UnitNo feenot applicable2026-09-04
General Business License — Montana Secretary of State Guidanceonly if it applies to youMontana Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionNo feenot applicable2026-09-04

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 Billings?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a food truck in Billings, MT, 4 apply to every business of this type and 9 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.

7 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 4 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Mobile Food Establishment Plan Review Fee: $250.00 for a small mobile food establishment (2 or fewer employees), $350.00 for a large one (3 or more employees), or $150.00 for a minor remodel or change of ownership.

Temporary Food Service Plan Review & Permit: A $50.00 Plan Review Application fee (once, and again only if the menu or operator changes significantly), plus a $25.00 Permit fee per event.

HACCP Plan Review / Variance Request Fee: $150.00 for a HACCP Plan Review, plus a further $125.00 if a Variance Request from the standard Food Code is also sought.

Temporary Use Permit: $289.00 for the initial review, plus $191.00 for an annual renewal, plus a separate $1,650.00 bond for a Group 3 use only (FY26 rates, effective July 1, 2025).

Retail Food Establishment License: $150–$275 a year, banded by peak employee count

The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Billings permits page and the MT state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Billings?

Permits for a food truck in Billings, MT come from 6 separate offices: City of Billings, Department of Finance (Business License Division), RiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health Services, City/County Planning Division, City of Billings Planning & Community Services Department, Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety Section, Montana Secretary of State, Business Services Division, Montana Department of Revenue, Business Tax Unit. 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 Billings that other businesses do not?

2 of the 7 permits particular to a food truck here apply to no other business type we cover in Billings: Mobile Food Establishment Plan Review Fee and Temporary Use Permit.

Mobile Food Establishment Plan Review Fee

A genuine, additional local fee paid to RiverStone Health before construction or remodeling of a food truck, cart, or other mobile unit begins — separate from, and paid earlier than, the State of Montana's own Retail Food Establishment License fee collected at the pre-opening inspection (recorded separately below). Non-refundable per RiverStone Health's own current application.

Temporary Food Service Plan Review & Permit

Applies to a restaurant or food truck operator selling food at a festival, market, or similar special event lasting no more than 21 (single-event) or 45 (recurring) days per calendar year. RiverStone Health's own current application states this permit is required even for several categories exempt from paying it (private/religious/civic organizations operating more than 4 days a year, and Montana-licensed Retail/Wholesale Food establishments) — those categories still need the plan review, just not the fee — and that Montana Mobile Food Service license holders operating from their own mobile unit and catering-endorsed Retail Food license holders are exempt from this permit entirely.

HACCP Plan Review / Variance Request Fee

Applies conditionally, only to a restaurant or food truck using a specialized process the Food Code treats as higher-risk — curing, acidification (e.g. sushi rice), smoking, cook-chill, reduced oxygen packaging (vacuum), or sous vide — not to an ordinary menu using none of these methods.

Temporary Use Permit

The City and County's own current Temporary Use Permit application sets out three groups by how long the use stays in one place — Group 1 (under 73 hours in one place, at least 5 feet behind all property lines, not parked on the street): NO PERMIT REQUIRED; Group 2 (73 hours to 90 days in one place): permit required; Group 3 (more than 91 days in one place, and no wheels or axles, e.g. a kiosk): permit required. A typical food truck moving between sites and parking under 73 hours at any one location falls in Group 1 and needs no permit under this process at all; only a food truck or mobile vendor left standing at one specific site for 73 or more consecutive hours (Group 2), or a genuinely fixed, wheel-less installation (Group 3, which by its own terms excludes a wheeled vehicle), triggers this permit; it does not apply to every food-truck site placement. The application form itself states 'Fee: Call (406) 657-8247 for current fee' rather than printing a dollar figure, but the City's own separate, dated Planning Application Fee Schedule (Exhibit A) remains the stronger, itemized source for the actual dollar amounts recorded above; a Group 3 use also requires a City business license covering the address of the temporary use and, if installing a structure/kiosk, the $1,650.00 surety bond.

Shared with other businesses in Billings

  • Retail Food Establishment License (administered locally by RiverStone Health) — RiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department), Environmental Health Services, No fee, annual — every Montana food license expires December 31 (Montana state license). Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
  • Certified Food Protection Manager — Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety Section, No fee, set by the accrediting programme. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
  • Retail Food Establishment License — Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Environmental Health and Food Safety Section, $150–$275 a year, banded by peak employee count, annual — renew before 31 December. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.

The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Billings, MT; what each one involves is set out on the Billings permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across MT and are covered on the MT state page.

How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Billings?

The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 5 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Establishment Plan Review Fee and Temporary Use Permit. A restaurant needs Sign Permit, Food Establishment Plan Review Fee (Retail Food) and Special Review (functional Conditional Use Permit), which a food truck does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Billings, MT, compared with a food truck
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a food truckOnly a food truck needsOnly it needs
Restaurants8523
Coffee shops6343
Auto repair shops4074
Childcare centres3073
Contractors and trades4074
Fitness studios2072
Retail stores3073
Salons and barbers3073
Veterinary clinics3073

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 Billings permits page and the MT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Plan Review Application for Mobile Food Establishments (version 2023.01.01) — RiverStone Health's own current mobile-establishment Plan Review Fees ($250.00/$350.00/$150.00) and its own (stale, pre-2025) $85.00/$115.00 state license figureRiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  2. Temporary Food Service Plan Review Application (version 2023.01.01) — the $50.00 Plan Review Application fee and $25.00 per-event Permit fee, and the list of vendors exempt from a state license but not from this local permitRiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  3. Food Safety Resources and Training — RiverStone Health's own current page stating the $150.00 HACCP Plan Review fee and $125.00 Variance Request feeRiverStone Health (Yellowstone City-County Health Department) · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  4. EXHIBIT A FY 25 & 26 City of Billings Planning Application Fees (dated 7/12/2024) — the current Planning fee schedule for Signs, Zone Changes, Special Reviews, Variances, Zoning Clarifications, and Temporary Use PermitsCity of Billings, Montana, Planning & Community Services Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12

Related

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