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9 permits · verified 2026-09-12

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

In short

A food truck in Great Falls, MT has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR) charges $100 one-time, at new Business License application; $35.00 at each annual renewal for the mobile food vendor business license. 3 of the 9 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 Great Falls

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Mobile Food Vendor (Food Truck) Health PermitCascade City-County Health Department (CCHD), Environmental Health DivisionA Plan Review base fee tiered by Risk Category — $180.00 (Risk 1), $270.00 (Risk 2), $360.00 (Risk 3), or $450.00 (Risk 4) — each covering one onsite walk-through, the pre-opening inspection, and one endorsement; additional endorsements are $60.00 each, and review time beyond the tier's allotted base time is billed at $60.00/hour. An application filed less than 30 days before the intended opening date is charged a further $240.00 Expedited Review Fee. A separate state Retail Food Establishment License fee of $150.00 or $225.00 (by peak employee count, per 50-50-205 MCA) is collected at the pre-opening inspection, paid directly to Montana DPHHS by check or cash order.annual — the state license expires December 31 each year, per the Montana state layer2026-09-12
Mobile Food Vendor Business LicenseGreat Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR)$100 one-time, at new Business License application; $35.00 at each annual renewalannual2026-09-12
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.

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 Great Falls?

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 Great Falls, MT, 3 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 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $100.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 9 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:

Mobile Food Vendor (Food Truck) Health Permit: A Plan Review base fee tiered by Risk Category — $180.00 (Risk 1), $270.00 (Risk 2), $360.00 (Risk 3), or $450.00 (Risk 4) — each covering one onsite walk-through, the pre-opening inspection, and one endorsement; additional endorsements are $60.00 each, and review time beyond the tier's allotted base time is billed at $60.00/hour. An application filed less than 30 days before the intended opening date is charged a further $240.00 Expedited Review Fee. A separate state Retail Food Establishment License fee of $150.00 or $225.00 (by peak employee count, per 50-50-205 MCA) is collected at the pre-opening inspection, paid directly to Montana DPHHS by check or cash order.

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

The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Great Falls permits page and the MT state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Great Falls?

Permits for a food truck in Great Falls, MT come from 5 separate offices: Cascade City-County Health Department (CCHD), Environmental Health Division, Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR), 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 Great Falls 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 Great Falls: Mobile Food Vendor (Food Truck) Health Permit and Mobile Food Vendor Business License.

Mobile Food Vendor (Food Truck) Health Permit

A mobile retail food establishment must be reviewed and licensed separately from any fixed/permanent establishment even under common ownership, per CCHD's own Endorsement FAQ; a licensed fixed kitchen may instead serve as the mobile unit's commissary. This is CCHD's own health/sanitation permit, distinct from the City of Great Falls' own Mobile Food Vendor Business License recorded separately above.

Mobile Food Vendor Business License

A Mobile Food Vendor holds this Business License in place of the square-footage-tiered version recorded above for a fixed premises, per Resolution 10569's own separate 'Mobile Food Vendor' line. This is a City of Great Falls business-operating credential, distinct from the Cascade City-County Health Department's own Mobile Food Vendor Health Permit recorded separately below.

Shared with other businesses in Great Falls

  • 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 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 Great Falls?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Vendor (Food Truck) Health Permit and Mobile Food Vendor Business License. A coffee shop needs Food Service Establishment Plan Review & License, which a food truck does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Great Falls, MT, compared with a food truck
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a food truckOnly a food truck needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops3221
Restaurants3221
Auto repair shops2042
Childcare centres2042
Contractors and trades4044
Fitness studios1041
Retail stores1041
Salons and barbers2042
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 and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Great Falls permits page and the MT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Mobile Retail Food Plan Review Application, including the Mobile Retail Establishment Fee Schedule (as of 2/10/2026)Cascade City-County Health Department (CCHD), Environmental Health Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  2. Resolution No. 10569 — Great Falls Fire Rescue (GFFR) Fee Schedule (adopted April 15, 2025)City of Great Falls, Montana, City Commission · 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.