12 permits · verified 2026-10-05
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Onondaga County?
In short
A food truck in Onondaga County, NY has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection Section charges $192 per unit; the local law lists 'Push Cart Food Vendor $192.00' (Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2) for the push cart food vendor permit. Verified 2026-10-05 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Onondaga County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Push Cart Food Vendor Permit | Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection Section | $192 per unit; the local law lists 'Push Cart Food Vendor $192.00' (Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2) | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-05 |
| Temporary Food Service Establishment Permitonly if it applies to you | Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection Section | $130 per unit (Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2); late fee $30 for temporary permits | per event; the county application form states a maximum of 14 days at one location | 2026-10-05 |
| Mobile Food Vendor Permit | Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection Section | $192 per unit (Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2) | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-10-05 |
| Vendor Commissary Permitonly if it applies to you | Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection Section | $223 per vendor commissary permit (Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2) | annual; the Commissary Agreement expires January 31 each year | 2026-10-05 |
| Special Promotional Food Permitonly if it applies to you | Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection Section | $62 per special promotional food permit, as listed in Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2 ('Special Promotions $62.00') | per promotional event; applications are due 10 days before operation, per the county food protection page | 2026-10-05 |
| Food Service Establishment Permit | New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection | No fee | set by the permit-issuing official, not to exceed two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Food Worker Training — Local Option under 10 NYCRR 14-1.73 (New York)only if it applies to you | New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection | No fee | set by the permit-issuing official where one is imposed | 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.
NY registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code | $125 one-time filing | no expiry, but a biennial statement is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales Tax Certificate of Authorityonly if it applies to you | New York State Department of Taxation and Finance | No fee — no fee — issued without charge by statute | a specified term of not less than three years, renewable at the Department's discretion | 2026-09-03 |
| Biennial Statementonly if it applies to you | New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code | $9 per filing, every two years | biennial | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code | $200 one-time filing | no expiry, but a biennial statement is due every two years | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Publication (LLC) | New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code | $50 state filing fee only | one-time, due within 120 days of formation | 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.
Which offices issue these permits in Onondaga County?
Permits for a food truck in Onondaga County, NY come from 4 separate offices: Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection Section, New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial Code, New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection, New York State Department of Taxation and Finance. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Onondaga County Health Department, Division of Environmental Health, Food Protection SectionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Push Cart Food Vendor Permit, Temporary Food Service Establishment Permit, Mobile Food Vendor Permit421 Montgomery Street, John H. Mulroy Civic Center, Syracuse, NY 13202 · (315) 435-6607onondaga.gov/health-env/food-protection
- New York State Department of State, Division of Corporations, State Records and Uniform Commercial CodeIssues 4 permits on this page: Certificate of Incorporation, Biennial Statement, Articles of Organization (LLC), Certificate of Publication (LLC)www.businessexpress.ny.gov
- New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food ProtectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Service Establishment Permit, Food Worker Training — Local Option under 10 NYCRR 14-1.73 (New York)www.health.ny.gov/environmental/indoors/food_safety/regs.htm
- New York State Department of Taxation and FinanceIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax Certificate of Authoritywww.tax.ny.gov/bus/st/register.htm
What does a food truck need in Onondaga County that other businesses do not?
3 of the 7 permits particular to a food truck here apply to no other business type we cover in Onondaga County: Push Cart Food Vendor Permit, Mobile Food Vendor Permit and Vendor Commissary Permit.
Push Cart Food Vendor Permit
A push cart food vendor operating in Onondaga County needs a push cart food vendor permit from the county Health Department's Food Protection Section. The fee is $192 per unit, listed as 'Push Cart Food Vendor $192.00' in Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2 (adopted February 3, 2026; effective January 1, 2026 under its §5). The county's mobile food service or push cart application form, which carries a 2021 revision date, sets out the application procedure for push carts and is cited for procedure only. The permit term is not stated in the published fee schedule; contact the Food Protection Section at (315) 435-6607 for renewal timing.
Temporary Food Service Establishment Permit
A food or drink concession set up for a fair, festival or other temporary event in Onondaga County needs a temporary food service establishment permit from the county Health Department, charged per unit. The fee is $130 per unit under Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2 (adopted February 3, 2026; effective January 1, 2026 under its §5). The county's temporary permit application form, which carries a 2021 revision date, is cited for procedure and states that the permit is valid for a maximum of 14 days at one location. The late fee for temporary permits is $30 under the same §2 fee table, and the county food protection page sets the late window as applications submitted fewer than 10 days before operation. A vendor operating regularly at one location rather than at a single event needs a different permit.
Mobile Food Vendor Permit
A mobile food unit operated in Onondaga County needs a mobile food vendor permit from the county Health Department's Food Protection Section. The fee is $192 per unit under Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2 (adopted February 3, 2026; effective January 1, 2026 under its §5). The county's mobile food service or push cart application form, which carries a 2021 revision date, is cited for the application procedure only, and the amount comes from the local law. The permit term is not stated in the published fee schedule; contact the Food Protection Section at (315) 435-6607 for renewal timing.
Vendor Commissary Permit
A vendor commissary permit is priced at $223 under Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2 (adopted February 3, 2026; effective January 1, 2026 under its §5). The county's mobile food application form states that the commissary fee does not apply where the owner's commissary is already permitted by the county, and that exemption is the first thing to check before paying. The county's 2025 Commissary Agreement form describes the commissary as operated under a permit under NYS Sanitary Code Subpart 14-1, and states that the agreement expires January 31 each year.
Special Promotional Food Permit
A special promotional food permit covers food served at a promotional event in Onondaga County and is priced at $62 under Local Law No. 1 of 2026, §2 (adopted February 3, 2026; effective January 1, 2026 under its §5). The permit applies to promotional events, not to fixed or mobile operations; a vendor operating regularly needs the permit for its operating type. The county's promotional food permit application form, which carries a 2021 revision date, sets the procedure and is cited for procedure only. The county food protection page states that temporary and promotional applications are due 10 days before operation.
Food Worker Training — Local Option under 10 NYCRR 14-1.73 (New York)
Under 10 NYCRR section 14-1.73 there is no statewide food handler card in New York and the state charges no fee for one — the opposite of what most states do. The rule is permissive: the permit-issuing official MAY establish training programmes and require owners or operators to attend. That makes it a county question and, in New York City, a city one. A real state mandate does exist but is narrow and sits with a different agency — a retail food store that prepares food on the premises must show that someone in the store has completed an approved food safety programme, unless the store is owner-run with no more than two full-time employees or had under $3,000,000 in gross sales last year. Even there the state approves providers and sets no price.
Shared with other businesses in Onondaga County
- Food Service Establishment Permit — New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Community Environmental Health and Food Protection, No fee, set by the permit-issuing official, not to exceed two years. Also required for restaurants and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across NY and are covered on the NY state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Onondaga County?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 4 of these permits. A food truck also needs Push Cart Food Vendor Permit, Mobile Food Vendor Permit and Vendor Commissary Permit. A restaurant needs Food Service Establishment Permit (restaurants, bakeries and delicatessens), which a food truck does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a food truck | Only a food truck needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 5 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 6 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 3 | 0 | 7 | 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 restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Onondaga County permits page and the NY state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Onondaga County Local Law No. 1 of 2026, A Local Law relating to certain fees collected by the Onondaga County Health Department (with certification text)Onondaga County Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Mobile Food Service or Push Cart permit application (rev. 7/21)Onondaga County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Temporary Food Service Establishment permit application (rev. 06/21)Onondaga County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Food ProtectionOnondaga County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Commissary Agreement (2025)Onondaga County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- Special Promotional Food permit applicationOnondaga County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-05
- 10 NYCRR section 14-1.73 — personnel training, which the permit-issuing official MAY establish and requireNew York State 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.