10 permits · verified 2026-09-14
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Bismarck?
In short
A food truck in Bismarck, ND 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. North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division charges $100 one-time filing, domestic for the articles of incorporation. 2 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-14 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Bismarck
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Food Unit License | Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health, Environmental Health Division | Priced by risk level on the City's own 2026 schedule: Mobile Food I at risk level 1 is $85.00 and Mobile Food II at risk level 2 is $165.00, each per license year. A separate City vendor permit of $50.00 per year applies only where the operator wants to use the City's designated vending areas, and is issued by Engineering rather than by public health. | annual; the City's designated vending areas are usable May 1 through October 31 each year | 2026-09-14 |
| Food Handler or Manager Certification — North Dakota Food Code positiononly if it applies to you | North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging Division | No fee | not applicable statewide | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Establishment License | North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging Division | $130 plus 50 cents per seat for a restaurant, capped at $310; a limited restaurant is a flat $130; a mobile food unit is $130; a temporary stand is $50 per event, capped at $250 a year. | annual | 2026-09-04 |
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 Bismarck
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — City of Bismarck positiononly if it applies to you | City of Bismarck Administration Department (City Auditor as License Officer) | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-14 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
ND registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $100 one-time filing, domestic | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Corporation Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $25 a year; late fees escalate to $45 within 90 days and $85 after | annual — domestic corporations due before August 2, foreign corporations before May 16 | 2026-09-04 |
| LLC Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $50 a year; a late filing adds a further $50 | annual — due before November 16 every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | $135 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Sales Tax Permit | North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner | No fee | no expiration — no periodic renewal is required at all | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — State of North Dakota positiononly if it applies to you | North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
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 Bismarck?
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 Bismarck, ND, 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.
2 of the 10 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 Unit License: Priced by risk level on the City's own 2026 schedule: Mobile Food I at risk level 1 is $85.00 and Mobile Food II at risk level 2 is $165.00, each per license year. A separate City vendor permit of $50.00 per year applies only where the operator wants to use the City's designated vending areas, and is issued by Engineering rather than by public health.
Food Establishment License: $130 plus 50 cents per seat for a restaurant, capped at $310; a limited restaurant is a flat $130; a mobile food unit is $130; a temporary stand is $50 per event, capped at $250 a year.
Which offices issue these permits in Bismarck?
Permits for a food truck in Bismarck, ND come from 5 separate offices: Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health, Environmental Health Division, City of Bismarck Administration Department (City Auditor as License Officer), North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services Division, North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging Division, North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health, Environmental Health DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Mobile Food Unit License407 S 26th Street, Bismarck, ND 58504 · (701) 355-3400www.bismarcknd.gov/503/Environmental-Health
- City of Bismarck Administration Department (City Auditor as License Officer)Issues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — City of Bismarck position221 N. Fifth Street, 4th Floor, Bismarck, ND 58506 · (701) 355-1300www.bismarcknd.gov/2347/New-Business-Licenses-and-Permits
- North Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Articles of Incorporation, Corporation Annual Report, LLC Annual Report600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept 108, Bismarck, ND 58505 · (701) 328-2900www.sos.nd.gov/business
- North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Handler or Manager Certification — North Dakota Food Code position, Food Establishment License600 East Boulevard Ave, Bismarck, ND 58505 · (701) 328-2310www.hhs.nd.gov/health/food-and-lodging/food-and-beverage-establishments
- North Dakota Office of State Tax CommissionerIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax Permit600 E Boulevard Ave, Dept. 127, Bismarck, ND 58505 · (701) 328-7088www.tax.nd.gov/business/sales-and-use-tax
What does a food truck need in Bismarck that other businesses do not?
1 of the 3 permits particular to a food truck here applies to no other business type we cover in Bismarck: Mobile Food Unit License.
Mobile Food Unit License
Two distinct obligations, and only the first is universal. Every mobile food operator needs the Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health license, priced at $85.00 or $165.00 by risk level. A truck licensed elsewhere in North Dakota still needs it: the state's own mobile food unit guidance records that reciprocity is statewide 'EXCEPT for Fargo Cass Public Health, Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health, and tribal jurisdictions.' The second obligation applies only to operators wanting the City's designated vending spots — Title 10 §10-05.1-02(2)(g) requires a mobile vendor license through Engineering, supported by a public health inspection letter and insurance of $250,000 per individual and $1,000,000 per occurrence, with the designated areas available May 1 through October 31. Operating on private property needs only the health license. One labelling caveat is disclosed: the matching 2026 fee line reads 'Vendor Permits 50.00/year' without naming mobile vending, so the mapping to this permit is inferred from the issuing department rather than stated on the schedule, and the $50.00 is recorded here in the note rather than folded into the license fee above.
Shared with other businesses in Bismarck
- Food Handler or Manager Certification — North Dakota Food Code position — North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging Division, No fee, not applicable statewide. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Food Establishment License — North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging Division, $130 plus 50 cents per seat for a restaurant, capped at $310; a limited restaurant is a flat $130; a mobile food unit is $130; a temporary stand is $50 per event, capped at $250 a year., 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 Bismarck, ND; what each one involves is set out on the Bismarck permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across ND and are covered on the ND state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Bismarck?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Unit License. A coffee shop needs Sign Permit (priced on the building permit valuation table), Food Establishment License and Fire Permit and Inspection, 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 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Veterinary clinics | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
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 Bismarck permits page and the ND state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Bismarck Fees and Charges, 2026 — the consolidated schedule carrying the Environmental Health food, mobile food, temporary food, body art and tanning fees, the fire permit and inspection fees, the mechanical contractor license fees and the alcoholic beverage license classesCity of Bismarck · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- Areas of Licensing Jurisdiction — North Dakota HHS's own statement that food licensing and inspection is delegated to eight local health units by Memorandum of Understanding, with Fargo Cass Public Health named for the City of FargoNorth Dakota Health and Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- Food Establishments — Bismarck-Burleigh Public Health's own current page stating that the Environmental Health Division licenses and inspects all food establishments in Bismarck and that operating without a license is unlawfulBismarck-Burleigh Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.