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11 permits · verified 2026-09-12

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

In short

A food truck in Nashua, NH has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. City of Nashua, Division of Public Health & Community Services, Environmental Health Department charges $50 per temporary event or farmers' market vendor appearance; an additional $25.00 expedite fee applies to any application received less than two weeks before the event for the temporary food service license. 3 of the 11 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 Nashua

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Mobile Food Service License (Environmental Health Department)City of Nashua, Division of Public Health & Community Services, Environmental Health DepartmentA $125.00 one-time plan review fee (the fee schedule's own 'New food service establishment categorized as ... D-1' plan review line), plus a $200.00 annual Mobile Food Service License fee under the same D-1 category shared with small restaurants, private schools, and child-care facilities. A signed commissary-kitchen agreement is required, and a Fire Marshal inspection (recorded separately below) is coordinated as part of the same application.annual — valid for one year from the date of issuance2026-09-12
Vendor's License (Hawker/Peddler — Food Truck)City of Nashua, Office of the City Clerk$10.00 per day for a license period of less than one week, or $25.00 for one week, or $100.00 for the year — per Nashua Revised Ordinances § 231-11.G and the City Clerk's own current Vendor License Application worksheet, which match exactly.annual — all annual licenses expire December 31 of each year regardless of issuance date (§ 231-11.H); or daily/weekly at the applicant's election2026-09-12
Temporary Food Service LicenseCity of Nashua, Division of Public Health & Community Services, Environmental Health Department$50 per temporary event or farmers' market vendor appearance; an additional $25.00 expedite fee applies to any application received less than two weeks before the eventone-time, per temporary event2026-09-12
Food Truck/Trailer Fire InspectionNashua Fire Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office$30 annual, permit valid for 1 yearannual — permit valid for one year2026-09-12
Certified Food Protection ManagerNew Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Food Protection SectionNo feeset by the accrediting organisation, not stated by the state2026-09-04
Food Service Establishment LicenseNew Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Food Protection Section$100–$875 a year, banded by seating and categoryannual — a new business first holds a 90-day provisional license before the final one-year license issues2026-09-04

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

NH 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
Annual Reportonly if it applies to youNew Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporation Division$100 a year; a late fee of $50 is added after 1 Aprilannual — due 1 April every year2026-09-04
Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to youNew Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporation Division$100 one-time filing; a $2 handling charge applies to any electronic filingperpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-04
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youNew Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporation Division$100 one-time filing; a $2 handling charge applies to any electronic filingperpetual, but an annual report is due every year2026-09-04
Business Profits Tax and Business Enterprise Taxonly if it applies to youNew Hampshire Department of Revenue AdministrationNo feethe filing thresholds are adjusted for inflation every two years2026-09-04
General Business License and Sales Tax — New Hampshire Revenue Department Positiononly if it applies to youNew Hampshire Department of Revenue AdministrationNo 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 Nashua?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a food truck in Nashua, NH, 6 apply to every business of this type and 5 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 6 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $80.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 11 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 Service License (Environmental Health Department): A $125.00 one-time plan review fee (the fee schedule's own 'New food service establishment categorized as ... D-1' plan review line), plus a $200.00 annual Mobile Food Service License fee under the same D-1 category shared with small restaurants, private schools, and child-care facilities. A signed commissary-kitchen agreement is required, and a Fire Marshal inspection (recorded separately below) is coordinated as part of the same application.

Vendor's License (Hawker/Peddler — Food Truck): $10.00 per day for a license period of less than one week, or $25.00 for one week, or $100.00 for the year — per Nashua Revised Ordinances § 231-11.G and the City Clerk's own current Vendor License Application worksheet, which match exactly.

Food Service Establishment License: $100–$875 a year, banded by seating and category

Which offices issue these permits in Nashua?

Permits for a food truck in Nashua, NH come from 6 separate offices: City of Nashua, Division of Public Health & Community Services, Environmental Health Department, City of Nashua, Office of the City Clerk, Nashua Fire Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office, New Hampshire Secretary of State, Corporation Division, New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Food Protection Section, New Hampshire Department of Revenue Administration. 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 Nashua that other businesses do not?

3 of the 6 permits particular to a food truck here apply to no other business type we cover in Nashua: Mobile Food Service License (Environmental Health Department), Vendor's License (Hawker/Peddler — Food Truck) and Food Truck/Trailer Fire Inspection.

Mobile Food Service License (Environmental Health Department)

This Environmental Health license, together with the City Clerk's Vendor's License and Nashua Fire Rescue's Food Truck/Trailer Inspection (both recorded in separate Nashua records), form the three separate fees a Nashua food truck operator pays across three separate departments. The Department's own annually updated list of approved mobile food vendors is maintained publicly.

Vendor's License (Hawker/Peddler — Food Truck)

A mobile food vendor applies under the 'Hawker or Peddler' category on the City Clerk's Vendor License Application. Section 231-11 requires a certificate of insurance naming the City as additional insured and states plainly that 'a separate food service license (in addition to the vendor's license) must be obtained from the Environmental Health Department' for any food or beverage sales — confirming a Nashua food truck genuinely stacks this City Clerk license on top of the Environmental Health Department's own Mobile Food Service License and Nashua Fire Rescue's Food Truck/Trailer Inspection, both recorded separately below.

Food Truck/Trailer Fire Inspection

The third Nashua fee a food truck operator pays, listed on the Fire Marshal's Office Fee Schedule (Ordinance O-22-023) at $30.00 for a permit valid one year, on top of the Environmental Health Department's Mobile Food Service License and the City Clerk's Vendor's License, both recorded in separate Nashua records. Coordinated as part of the Environmental Health Department's own Mobile Food Service Vendor application process.

Certified Food Protection Manager

No state fee — certification comes from a private provider accredited by the Conference for Food Protection, and there is no separate statewide food handler card requirement alongside it, only this manager-level credential. A new establishment has forty-five days from its initial licensing inspection to have a certified manager in place, with a further forty-five days of grace if needed, for ninety days total. Eighteen categories of establishment are exempt, including bed and breakfasts and bars with no food preparation. The penalty for non-compliance is a real fine, up to $250. A plain food handler course does not satisfy this requirement — the certification must specifically be manager-level, from one of the accredited programmes, with a proctored exam.

Shared with other businesses in Nashua

  • Temporary Food Service License — City of Nashua, Division of Public Health & Community Services, Environmental Health Department, $50 per temporary event or farmers' market vendor appearance; an additional $25.00 expedite fee applies to any application received less than two weeks before the event, one-time, per temporary event. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
  • Food Service Establishment License — New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, Food Protection Section, $100–$875 a year, banded by seating and category, annual — a new business first holds a 90-day provisional license before the final one-year license issues. 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 NH and are covered on the NH state page.

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

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Service License (Environmental Health Department), Vendor's License (Hawker/Peddler — Food Truck) and Food Truck/Trailer Fire Inspection. A coffee shop needs Sign Permit, Place of Assembly Permit and Food Service Establishment License (Environmental Health Department), which a food truck does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Nashua, NH, compared with a food truck
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a food truckOnly a food truck needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops6333
Restaurants6333
Auto repair shops4064
Childcare centres3063
Contractors and trades3063
Fitness studios3063
Retail stores2062
Salons and barbers3063
Veterinary clinics3063

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

  1. Mobile Food Service Vendors — the Environmental Health Department's own current page describing the $125.00 plan review fee, $200.00 annual license fee, commissary requirement, and coordinated Fire Marshal inspectionCity of Nashua, Division of Public Health & Community Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  2. Environmental Health Food Service Fees — License Fee Schedule (Categories A-1 through F-1), Temporary Food Service License Fees, Plan Review Fees, Inspection Fees, and Late Fees (NRO 170-4/170-11/170-12, updated 08/09/2022)City of Nashua, Division of Public Health & Community Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  3. Vendor License Application — the City Clerk's own current form, listing every vendor license category and the $10/day, $25/week, $100/year fee worksheetCity of Nashua, Office of the City Clerk · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  4. Nashua Revised Ordinances Chapter 231 (Peddling, Soliciting and Vending), Article II, § 231-11 (Vendor's License) — fee and December 31 annual expirationCity of Nashua, New Hampshire (Code of Ordinances, via eCode360) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
  5. Nashua Fire Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office Fee Schedule (Ordinance O-22-023) — life safety/plan review, sprinkler and alarm systems, Place of Assembly Permits, hazardous materials, and Food Truck/Trailer and child-care inspection feesNashua Fire Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-12
  6. New Hampshire DHHS — certified food protection manager FAQNew Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04

Related

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