17 permits · verified 2026-10-21
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Buncombe County?
In short
A food truck in Buncombe County, NC has 7 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 10 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division charges $200 per application, non-refundable (Buncombe County FY27 Fee Schedule, 'Mobile Food Unit Plan Review') for the mobile food unit or pushcart plan review. 6 of the 17 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-21 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Buncombe County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Food Unit or Pushcart Plan Review | Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division | $200 per application, non-refundable (Buncombe County FY27 Fee Schedule, 'Mobile Food Unit Plan Review') | one-time, per mobile food unit or pushcart application | 2026-10-21 |
| Shared Use Kitchen / Commissary Review and Permitonly if it applies to you | Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division | $150 per application (Buncombe County FY27 Fee Schedule, 'Shared Use Kitchen/Commissaries for Kitchens') | per application | 2026-10-21 |
| Temporary Food Establishment Permit (food vendor at a temporary event) | Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division | $75 per permit; set by G.S. 130A-248(d2) and collected by Buncombe County Environmental Health (listed in the FY27 Fee Schedule) | per event; a TFE operates 'for a period of time not to exceed 30 days at one event/location' (Starting a Food Business Guide) | 2026-10-21 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Environmental Health Section | No fee | not stated in North Carolina law — the certifying programme sets its own | 2026-09-03 |
| Food Establishment Permit | North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Environmental Health Section | $120 a year, statewide | the permit does not expire; the fee is reassessed annually | 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 Buncombe County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Plan Review | Buncombe County Permits and Inspections | Varies — formula on the Buncombe County page | one-time, per project | 2026-10-21 |
| Commercial Building and Trade Permit (building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing) | Buncombe County Permits and Inspections | Varies — formula on the Buncombe County page | per permit, for the project | 2026-10-21 |
| On-site Wastewater (Septic) Permits — Commercialonly if it applies to you | Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division | Varies — formula on the Buncombe County page | per application, per site | 2026-10-21 |
| Private Well Permitonly if it applies to you | Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division | $350 per application (Buncombe County FY27 Fee Schedule, 'Well Permit Fee') | per application, per well | 2026-10-21 |
| Certificate of Zoning Compliance / Site Plan Review (zoning permit) | Buncombe County Planning and Development | Varies — formula on the Buncombe County page | one-time, per project | 2026-10-21 |
| Home Occupation / Change of Use Permitonly if it applies to you | Buncombe County Planning and Development | $125 flat fee (Buncombe County FY27 Fee Schedule, 'Change of Use Fee') | one-time, per home occupation or change of use | 2026-10-21 |
| Special Use Permit or Variance (commercial, Board of Adjustment)only if it applies to you | Buncombe County Planning and Development | Varies — formula on the Buncombe County page | one-time, per case | 2026-10-21 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
NC registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Registration (sales and use tax) | North Carolina Department of Revenue | No fee | no renewal — but see the dormancy rule | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due every 15 April | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division | Varies — formula on the NC page | annual — 15 April for an LLC | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — North Carolina Secretary of State Positiononly if it applies to you | North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division | No fee | not applicable | 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 Buncombe County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 17 records listed for a food truck in Buncombe County, NC, 7 apply to every business of this type and 10 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 7 that always apply, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $395.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 17 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 3 have no fee published at all.
The other 6 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Buncombe County permits page and the NC state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Buncombe County?
Permits for a food truck in Buncombe County, NC come from 6 separate offices: Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division, Buncombe County Permits and Inspections, Buncombe County Planning and Development, North Carolina Department of Revenue, North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration Division, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Environmental Health Section. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Mobile Food Unit or Pushcart Plan Review, Shared Use Kitchen / Commissary Review and Permit, Temporary Food Establishment Permit (food vendor at a temporary event)35 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801 · 828-250-5016www.buncombenc.gov/456/Environmental-Health
- Buncombe County Permits and InspectionsIssues 2 permits on this page: Commercial Building Plan Review, Commercial Building and Trade Permit (building, electrical, mechanical, plumbing)35 Woodfin St., Asheville, NC 28801 · 828-250-5384www.buncombenc.gov/424/Permits-Inspections
- Buncombe County Planning and DevelopmentIssues 3 permits on this page: Certificate of Zoning Compliance / Site Plan Review (zoning permit), Home Occupation / Change of Use Permit, Special Use Permit or Variance (commercial, Board of Adjustment)35 Woodfin Street, Asheville, NC 28801 · 828-250-4830www.buncombenc.gov/345/Zoning
- North Carolina Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Certificate of Registration (sales and use tax)PO Box 25000, Raleigh, NC 27640-0640 · (877) 252-3052www.ncdor.gov/taxes-forms/sales-and-use-tax/sales-and-use-tax-registration
- North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State, Business Registration DivisionIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Annual Report, Articles of Incorporation, General Business License — North Carolina Secretary of State Position2 South Salisbury Street, Raleigh, NC 27601-2903 · (919) 814-5400www.sosnc.gov/divisions/business_registration
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Environmental Health SectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Certified Food Protection Manager, Food Establishment Permit1632 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, NC 27699-1632 · (919) 707-5854www.dph.ncdhhs.gov/programs/environmental-health
What does a food truck need in Buncombe County that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in Buncombe County
- Mobile Food Unit or Pushcart Plan Review — Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division, $200 per application, non-refundable (Buncombe County FY27 Fee Schedule, 'Mobile Food Unit Plan Review'), one-time, per mobile food unit or pushcart application. Also required for coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Shared Use Kitchen / Commissary Review and Permit — Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division, $150 per application (Buncombe County FY27 Fee Schedule, 'Shared Use Kitchen/Commissaries for Kitchens'), per application. Also required for restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Temporary Food Establishment Permit (food vendor at a temporary event) — Buncombe County Health and Human Services — Environmental Health Services Division, $75 per permit; set by G.S. 130A-248(d2) and collected by Buncombe County Environmental Health (listed in the FY27 Fee Schedule), per event; a TFE operates 'for a period of time not to exceed 30 days at one event/location' (Starting a Food Business Guide). Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, No fee, not stated in North Carolina law — the certifying programme sets its own. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Establishment Permit — North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Public Health, Environmental Health Section, $120 a year, statewide, the permit does not expire; the fee is reassessed annually. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 7 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Buncombe County, NC; what each one involves is set out on the Buncombe County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NC and are covered on the NC state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Buncombe County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A food truck also needs Shared Use Kitchen / Commissary Review and Permit. A coffee shop needs Food Service Plan Review (new, existing or renovated establishment) and Off-Premise or Illuminated Sign Permit, 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 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 6 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 0 | 5 | 4 |
| Veterinary clinics | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
Sources
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 Buncombe County permits page and the NC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.