10 permits · verified 2026-10-08
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Shelby County Tn?
In short
A food truck in Shelby County Tn, TN 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. Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program charges $30 per event permit (eating/drinking, sampling, or alcohol products); state-set fee for the temporary food service establishment (event) permit. 3 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-08 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Shelby County Tn
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Food Service Establishment (Event) Permitonly if it applies to you | Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program | $30 per event permit (eating/drinking, sampling, or alcohol products); state-set fee | per event | 2026-10-08 |
| Mobile Food Preparation Vehicle Permit | Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program | $360 a year per vehicle — combined: $150 county local permit (Shelby County Code § 8-682(b)) plus $210 state permit | annual | 2026-10-08 |
| Food Service Establishment Permit | Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program | $30–$360 a year — $210 up to fifty seats, $360 above; $30 for a temporary establishment | annual | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program | No fee | not applicable — Tennessee issues no certificate | 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 Shelby County Tn
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County Business Tax License (Standard or Minimal Activity)only if it applies to you | Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division | $15 county license per location (county-only); for a Memphis location the Clerk also collects a $15 Memphis city license fee, $30 in total ($15 county + $15 city) | continuing; renewed at no fee once the annual state business tax return is filed and paid | 2026-10-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
TN 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 | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations | Varies — formula on the TN page | no expiry, but an annual report on the same per-member scale is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| For-Profit Corporation Charteronly if it applies to you | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations | $100 one-time filing | no expiry, but a $20 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Standard or Minimal Activity Business Licenseonly if it applies to you | Tennessee Department of Revenue | $15 per jurisdiction per location — charged again by the city if it has enacted the tax | annual for a standard license, renewed free when the tax return is filed | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations | Varies — formula on the TN page | annual — due the first day of the fourth month after the fiscal year ends | 2026-09-03 |
| Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration | Tennessee Department of Revenue | No fee | no expiry stated | 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 Shelby County Tn?
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 Shelby County Tn, TN, 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.
Of the 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $360.00. That is a floor, not a total. 3 of the 10 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Food Service Establishment Permit: $30–$360 a year — $210 up to fifty seats, $360 above; $30 for a temporary establishment
The other 2 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Shelby County Tn permits page and the TN state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Shelby County Tn?
Permits for a food truck in Shelby County Tn, TN come from 5 separate offices: Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program, Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax Division, Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable Organizations, Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program, Tennessee Department of Revenue. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety ProgramIssues 2 permits on this page: Temporary Food Service Establishment (Event) Permit, Mobile Food Preparation Vehicle Permit1826 Sycamore View Road, Memphis, TN 38134 · 901-222-9158www.shelbytnhealth.com/186/Environmental-Health-Food-Safety-Program
- Shelby County Clerk, Business Tax DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: County Business Tax License (Standard or Minimal Activity)150 Washington Ave, 2nd Floor, Memphis, TN 38103 (East branch: 1075 Mullins Station Rd, West Wing, Memphis, TN 38134) · (901) 222-3059www.shelbycountytn.gov/559/Business-Tax-Division
- Tennessee Secretary of State, Division of Business and Charitable OrganizationsIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), For-Profit Corporation Charter, Annual Report312 Rosa L. Parks Avenue, 6th Floor, Nashville, TN 37243-1102 · (615) 741-2286tncab.tnsos.gov
- Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health ProgramIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Service Establishment Permit, Certified Food Protection Manager710 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243 · (615) 741-7206www.tn.gov/health/eh.html
- Tennessee Department of RevenueIssues 2 permits on this page: Standard or Minimal Activity Business License, Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration500 Deaderick Street, Nashville, TN 37242 · (800) 342-1003www.tn.gov/revenue/taxes/business-tax/registration-and-licensing.html
What does a food truck need in Shelby County Tn that other businesses do not?
1 of the 4 permits particular to a food truck here applies to no other business type we cover in Shelby County Tn: Mobile Food Preparation Vehicle Permit.
Mobile Food Preparation Vehicle Permit
The Shelby County Health Department's current Mobile Unit Inspection Requirements sheet states: 'Local permit $150.00, State permit $210.00 total = ($360.00 annual permits fee).' The $150 local permit is set by Shelby County Code § 8-682(b) (Ord. No. 411, 2012), which requires 'a $150.00 application fee for each mobile food preparation vehicle' and allows annual renewal 'upon payment of a $150.00 renewal fee'. The $210 state permit equals the 0–50 seat food service fee in Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-01-.09(1)(a). The same sheet says any cooking generally requires two inspections a year, and prepackaged goods one. The Health Department's Mobile Food Units page lists the application documents: plans and menu, a business license or Department of Revenue registration, a lease, a wastewater disposal agreement, a floor plan and a notarized commissary agreement. The county code also sets parking and distance rules for vehicles on county streets.
Shared with other businesses in Shelby County Tn
- Temporary Food Service Establishment (Event) Permit — Shelby County Health Department, Environmental Health & Food Safety Program, $30 per event permit (eating/drinking, sampling, or alcohol products); state-set fee, per event. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Food Service Establishment Permit — Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program, $30–$360 a year — $210 up to fifty seats, $360 above; $30 for a temporary establishment, annual. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — Tennessee Department of Health, Environmental Health Program, No fee, not applicable — Tennessee issues no certificate. 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 Shelby County Tn, TN; what each one involves is set out on the Shelby County Tn permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TN and are covered on the TN state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Shelby County Tn?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Preparation Vehicle Permit. A coffee shop needs Food Service Establishment Permit (including child-care food service), 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 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 4 | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 4 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
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 Shelby County Tn permits page and the TN state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Mobile Unit Inspection Requirements (local permit $150, state permit $210)Shelby County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Shelby County Code, Chapter 8, Article XVI — Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles (§ 8-682)Shelby County Board of Commissioners (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Mobile Food UnitsShelby County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-08
- Tennessee Comp. R. & Regs. 1200-23-01 — food service establishments, including the permit fee schedule effective 14 June 2026Tennessee 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.