11 permits · verified 2026-10-10
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Burlington County?
In short
A food truck in Burlington County, NJ has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Section charges $100 per application, non-refundable (Mobile/Temporary application updated 6/2026; county fee memo effective January 1, 2021) for the mobile / temporary retail food establishment approval (food trucks, carts, tabletop and tent set-ups). 4 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-10 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Burlington County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile / Temporary Retail Food Establishment Approval (Food Trucks, Carts, Tabletop and Tent Set-Ups) | Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Section | $100 per application, non-refundable (Mobile/Temporary application updated 6/2026; county fee memo effective January 1, 2021) | approval expires December 31 of the current calendar year | 2026-10-10 |
| Retail Food Establishment License | New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program | $80–$1,000 a year, set by the local board of health across more than a hundred jurisdictions | annual, usually the calendar year | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program | No fee | set by the certifying programme, not by New Jersey | 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 Burlington County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Septic System and Potable Well Permits (Plan Review and Inspection)only if it applies to you | Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Section | Varies — formula on the Burlington County page | per application | 2026-10-10 |
| County Planning Board Site Plan Review (County Roads and Drainage)only if it applies to you | Burlington County Planning Board | Varies — formula on the Burlington County page | one-time, per application | 2026-10-10 |
| County Road Occupancy, Road Opening and Driveway Access Permitonly if it applies to you | Burlington County Department of Public Works, Engineering Division | Varies — formula on the Burlington County page | per permit | 2026-10-10 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
NJ registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | $75 a year; $30 for a nonprofit | annual — due the last day of the entity's anniversary month | 2026-09-03 |
| General Business License — New Jersey Business Action Center Positiononly if it applies to you | New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | No fee | set by the municipality | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due each anniversary month | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but an annual report is due each anniversary month | 2026-09-03 |
| Business Registration (Form NJ-REG) | New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services | No fee | one-time registration — no renewal | 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 Burlington County?
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 Burlington County, NJ, 3 apply to every business of this type and 8 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. 4 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:
Retail Food Establishment License: $80–$1,000 a year, set by the local board of health across more than a hundred jurisdictions
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Burlington County permits page and the NJ state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Burlington County?
Permits for a food truck in Burlington County, NJ come from 5 separate offices: Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Section, Burlington County Planning Board, Burlington County Department of Public Works, Engineering Division, New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise Services, New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Burlington County Health Department, Environmental SectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Septic System and Potable Well Permits (Plan Review and Inspection), Mobile / Temporary Retail Food Establishment Approval (Food Trucks, Carts, Tabletop and Tent Set-Ups)Raphael Meadow Health Center, 15 Pioneer Boulevard, Westampton, NJ 08060 (mail: P.O. Box 6000, Mount Holly, NJ 08060) · 609-265-5516www.burlingtoncountynj.gov/384/Environmental-Health
- Burlington County Planning BoardIssues 1 permit on this page: County Planning Board Site Plan Review (County Roads and Drainage)1900 Briggs Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 (mail: P.O. Box 6000, Mount Holly, NJ 08060) · 856-642-3800www.burlingtoncountynj.gov/240/Planning-Board
- Burlington County Department of Public Works, Engineering DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: County Road Occupancy, Road Opening and Driveway Access Permit1900 Briggs Road, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054 (mail: P.O. Box 6000, Mount Holly, NJ 08060) · 856-642-3700www.burlingtoncountynj.gov/320/Engineering
- New Jersey Department of the Treasury, Division of Revenue and Enterprise ServicesIssues 5 permits on this page, including Annual Report, General Business License — New Jersey Business Action Center Position, Certificate of Incorporation33 West State Street, 5th Floor, Trenton, NJ 08608-1214 · (609) 292-9292www.nj.gov/treasury/revenue
- New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection ProgramIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment License, Certified Food Protection ManagerPO Box 369, Trenton, NJ 08625-0369 · (609) 826-4935www.nj.gov/health/ceohs/phfpp/retailfood
What does a food truck need in Burlington County that other businesses do not?
Certified Food Protection Manager
No state fee — the Department of Health says it offers no food protection manager courses or programmes, and an accredited certifier charges what it charges. The state rule requires it only at Risk Type 3 establishments, which covers full-service restaurants, diners, commissaries and caterers; risk types 1 and 2 need only a knowledgeable person in charge. Many local health departments extend it to risk type 4 as a license condition, so check the town as well as the state. The manager need not be on the premises at all times but a person in charge must be. New Jersey requires no food handler card — the phrase does not appear in the retail food code — though individual municipalities do impose one.
Shared with other businesses in Burlington County
- Mobile / Temporary Retail Food Establishment Approval (Food Trucks, Carts, Tabletop and Tent Set-Ups) — Burlington County Health Department, Environmental Section, $100 per application, non-refundable (Mobile/Temporary application updated 6/2026; county fee memo effective January 1, 2021), approval expires December 31 of the current calendar year. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Retail Food Establishment License — New Jersey Department of Health, Public Health and Food Protection Program, $80–$1,000 a year, set by the local board of health across more than a hundred jurisdictions, annual, usually the calendar year. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Burlington County, NJ; what each one involves is set out on the Burlington County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NJ and are covered on the NJ state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Burlington County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 of these permits. A coffee shop needs Retail Food Establishment Plan Review (New or Alteration) and Scale Certification for Food Sold by the Pound, 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 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
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 Burlington County permits page and the NJ state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- New Jersey Administrative Code title 8, chapter 24 — sanitation in retail food establishments, including the food protection manager ruleNew Jersey Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.