9 permits · verified 2026-09-14
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Sioux Falls?
In short
A food truck in Sioux Falls, SD has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services charges $150 filed online; paper filing costs $165 for the articles of organization (llc). 2 of the 9 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 Sioux Falls
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Food Vending Permit | City of Sioux Falls Licensing Office, City Attorney's Office | A mobile food vending permit is $75.00 for the calendar year under §117.123. A peddler license is a separate $35.00 non-refundable application fee, and sidewalk or furniture-zone vending under §117.063 is $35.00 for the calendar year. The truck must also hold a valid food service license and operating permit on the §110.029 schedule. | the permit remains in effect until December 31 of the year of issuance | 2026-09-14 |
| Food Service Manager Certification | South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Health Protection | No fee | set by the accredited training provider rather than state regulation | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Establishment License | South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Health Protection | $140–$275 a year, banded by seating capacity; a new establishment adds a $100 initial fee on top | annual — every license expires December 31 regardless of issue date, with a discounted half-year fee for openings after July 1 | 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 Sioux Falls
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — City of Sioux Falls position (enumerated licenses only)only if it applies to you | City of Sioux Falls Licensing Office, City Attorney's Office | No fee | not applicable to a general license; under §110.011 all licenses take effect when issued and terminate on December 31 of the year for which issued unless otherwise provided | 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.
SD registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services | $150 filed online; paper filing costs $165 | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services | $150 filed online; paper filing costs $165 | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services | $55 a year filed online; paper filing costs $70 | annual — due the first day of the entity's anniversary month of formation | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — State of South Dakota positiononly if it applies to you | South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services | No fee | not applicable | 2026-09-04 |
| Sales Tax License | South Dakota Department of Revenue | No fee | no stated expiration | 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 Sioux Falls?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a food truck in Sioux Falls, SD, 4 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.
2 of the 9 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 Vending Permit: A mobile food vending permit is $75.00 for the calendar year under §117.123. A peddler license is a separate $35.00 non-refundable application fee, and sidewalk or furniture-zone vending under §117.063 is $35.00 for the calendar year. The truck must also hold a valid food service license and operating permit on the §110.029 schedule.
Food Establishment License: $140–$275 a year, banded by seating capacity; a new establishment adds a $100 initial fee on top
Which offices issue these permits in Sioux Falls?
Permits for a food truck in Sioux Falls, SD come from 4 separate offices: City of Sioux Falls Licensing Office, City Attorney's Office, South Dakota Secretary of State, Business Services, South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Health Protection, South Dakota Department of Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Sioux Falls Licensing Office, City Attorney's OfficeIssues 2 permits on this page: General Business License — City of Sioux Falls position (enumerated licenses only), Mobile Food Vending PermitCity Hall, 224 W. Ninth Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57104 · (605) 367-8082www.siouxfalls.gov/business-permits/permits-licenses-inspections/licensing
- South Dakota Secretary of State, Business ServicesIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, Annual Report, General Business License — State of South Dakota position500 E Capitol Ave, Pierre, SD 57501 · (605) 773-4845sdsos.gov/business-services/default.aspx
- South Dakota Department of Health, Office of Health ProtectionIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Service Manager Certification, Food Establishment License600 East Capitol Ave, Pierre, SD 57501 · (605) 773-4945doh.sd.gov/topics/food-lodging-safety/licensure-and-codes/food-service
- South Dakota Department of RevenueIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax License445 East Capitol Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501 · 1-800-829-9188dor.sd.gov
What does a food truck need in Sioux Falls 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 Sioux Falls: Mobile Food Vending Permit.
Mobile Food Vending Permit
Three obligations stack and §117.133(b) sets out two of them explicitly: the equipment 'be inspected upon application for a permit and shall be required to obtain a valid food service license and operating permit,' and each mobile vending truck must 'be inspected at a minimum of twice per year by the Sioux Falls Health Department.' So a truck holds both the $75.00 vending permit and a food service license on the size-banded schedule, and submits to inspection twice a year rather than once. Insurance is specified on the City's own page: 'A Certificate of Insurance ($1M per occurrence / $2M aggregate) that lists the City of Sioux Falls as an Additional Insured.' A Fire Marshal inspection is required where the truck uses propane, electricity or grease. The whole permit expires December 31 regardless of when issued, so a truck licensed in November pays the full $75.00 for two months.
Food Service Manager Certification
No fee, because South Dakota does not itself administer or price this certification — every food establishment must have at least one staff member who has completed an 8-hour food service training and certification program, but the training is delivered and priced entirely by approved third-party providers rather than by the state.
Food Establishment License
A restaurant with no dedicated seating pays $140 a year; 1 to 50 seats, $170; 51 to 100 seats, $230; more than 100 seats, $275. A mobile food unit or limited-menu establishment pays a flat $88. Every fee is halved for an establishment opening after July 1, since every license still expires that December 31 regardless of when it started. Yearly inspections are already included in the license fee rather than billed separately.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Sioux Falls, SD; what each one involves is set out on the Sioux Falls permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across SD and are covered on the SD state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Sioux Falls?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Vending Permit. A coffee shop needs Sign Permit and Food Service Establishment License, 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 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 4 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| 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 that apply to every type of business are listed on the Sioux Falls permits page and the SD state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Code of Ordinances, City of Sioux Falls, current through local ordinance 54-26 (7-14-2026) — §§110.026 to 110.037 (the complete licence fee schedule, including §110.028 contractor licences, §110.029 food and health licences, §110.031 temporary event fee, §110.033 annual fire licences, §110.034 one-time fire permits and §110.035 fire inspections for other licences), §110.011 (calendar-year expiry), §111.002 and §111.009 (alcohol), §112.015 (food establishment licence required), §92.172 and §92.180 (family day care home registration and exemptions), §117.123 and §117.133 (mobile food vending), §150.017 and §150.002 (building permit tables), §155.030 (sign permit) and §§160.740 to 160.758 (certificates of occupancy and zoning fees)City of Sioux Falls, codified by American Legal Publishing · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- Peddler and Mobile Food licensing — the City's own current page giving the $75.00 annual mobile food vending fee, the December 31 expiry, the $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 aggregate insurance requirement naming the City as additional insured, and the Fire Marshal inspection stepCity of Sioux Falls · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- South Dakota Department of Health — food service manager training requirementSouth Dakota Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-04
- South Dakota Department of Health — food license application, fee table by seating capacitySouth Dakota Department of Health · 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.