10 permits · verified 2026-08-22
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Houston?
In short
A food truck in Houston, TX has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 6 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Houston Health Department charges $33.56 replacement certificate for the food service manager's certification. 3 of the 10 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-08-22 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Houston
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Service Manager's Certification | Houston Health Department | $33.56 replacement certificate | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-08-22 |
| Temporary Food Dealer Permitonly if it applies to you | Houston Health Department | $80.56–$805.68 per day, or for a 10+ day event | up to 21 consecutive days, tied to a single event | 2026-08-22 |
| Street Vendor Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs | $181.28 per permit | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-08-22 |
| Food Handler Certification | Houston Health Department | $13.42 per person | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-08-22 |
| Fire Permit — LP Gas on a Mobile Food Unitonly if it applies to you | Houston Fire Department | $201.41 per permit | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-08-22 |
| Food Vendor's Permit — Streets and Sidewalksonly if it applies to you | Houston Public Works | $40.27–$134.28 30 days, or full term | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-08-22 |
| Mobile Food Vendor Permit (State) | Texas Department of State Health Services | $309–$876 application fee, by food-handling type | one year from the pre-licensing inspection | 2026-08-20 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
TX registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Certificate of Formationonly if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $300 one-time filing | no expiry | 2026-08-20 |
| Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)only if it applies to you | Texas Secretary of State | $25 one-time filing | up to ten years, renewable | 2026-08-21 |
| Texas Sales and Use Tax Permit | Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts | No fee — there is no fee for this permit | no expiry while actively engaged in business | 2026-08-21 |
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 Houston?
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 Houston, TX, 4 apply to every business of this type and 6 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 4 that always apply, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $46.98. 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 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Temporary Food Dealer Permit: $80.56–$805.68 per day, or for a 10+ day event
Food Vendor's Permit — Streets and Sidewalks: $40.27–$134.28 30 days, or full term
Mobile Food Vendor Permit (State): $309–$876 application fee, by food-handling type
Which offices issue these permits in Houston?
Permits for a food truck in Houston, TX come from 7 separate offices: Houston Health Department, City of Houston Administration and Regulatory Affairs, Houston Fire Department, Houston Public Works, Texas Secretary of State, Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Texas Department of State Health Services. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Houston Health DepartmentIssues 3 permits on this page: Food Service Manager's Certification, Temporary Food Dealer Permit, Food Handler Certification8000 North Stadium Drive, Houston, TX 77054 · (832) 393-5100www.houstontx.gov/health
- City of Houston Administration and Regulatory AffairsIssues 1 permit on this page: Street Vendor PermitHouston Permitting Center, 1002 Washington Avenue, Houston, TX 77002 · (832) 394-8803www.houstontx.gov/ara
- Houston Fire DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Fire Permit — LP Gas on a Mobile Food Unit500 Jefferson Street, Suite 1700, Houston, TX 77002 · (832) 394-6700www.houstontx.gov/fire
- Houston Public WorksIssues 1 permit on this page: Food Vendor's Permit — Streets and Sidewalks(832) 395-2500www.houstonpermittingcenter.org
- Texas Secretary of StateIssues 2 permits on this page: Certificate of Formation, Assumed Name Certificate (DBA)www.sos.state.tx.us
- Texas Comptroller of Public AccountsIssues 1 permit on this page: Texas Sales and Use Tax Permitcomptroller.texas.gov/taxes/permit
- Texas Department of State Health ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Mobile Food Vendor Permit (State)www.dshs.texas.gov
What does a food truck need in Houston that other businesses do not?
2 of the 7 permits particular to a food truck here apply to no other business type we cover in Houston: Fire Permit — LP Gas on a Mobile Food Unit and Mobile Food Vendor Permit (State).
Food Service Manager's Certification
Sec. 20-53(a) makes it unlawful to operate a food establishment unless the person in charge holds a valid, current food service manager's certification, and Sec. 20-53(b) extends the same rule to any food preparation area. Narrow exceptions exist for premises not preparing food at the time, retail food stores selling only unbroken sealed packages, and restricted bars or warehouses. The City-Wide Fee Schedule publishes only the $33.56 replacement-certificate fee; the certification fee itself is not listed there.
Street Vendor Permit
$181.28. Distinct from the Public Works food vendor's permit for streets and sidewalks and from the Health Department medallion — a unit trading on the street can need more than one of them.
Fire Permit — LP Gas on a Mobile Food Unit
$201.41 where liquefied petroleum gas is used on a mobile food unit. The same code section charges $402.84 for LP gas used for anything else, so the mobile food unit rate is a concession — check the permit is issued under the right one.
Food Vendor's Permit — Streets and Sidewalks
$134.28 for the permit, or $40.27 for 30 days. The fee schedule cross-references the Health Department, so this sits on top of the food permit rather than replacing it.
Mobile Food Vendor Permit (State)
Since 1 July 2026 one DSHS permit covers every Texas jurisdiction, replacing separate permits from each local health department. Three tiers by food handling: Type I (no time/temperature controlled foods) $309 with no pre-licensing inspection fee; Type II (limited TCS handling) $618 plus a $400 pre-licensing inspection; Type III (full preparation) $876 plus a $500 pre-licensing inspection. The license expires one year from the successfully completed pre-licensing inspection, not from the application date. Temporary food dealer permits could not be issued to mobile vendors in Texas after 30 June 2026.
Shared with other businesses in Houston
- Temporary Food Dealer Permit — Houston Health Department, $80.56–$805.68 per day, or for a 10+ day event, up to 21 consecutive days, tied to a single event. Also required for restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Food Handler Certification — Houston Health Department, $13.42 per person, not stated in the published fee schedule. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The 3 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across TX and are covered on the TX state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Houston?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 4 of these permits. A food truck also needs Street Vendor Permit, Fire Permit — LP Gas on a Mobile Food Unit and Mobile Food Vendor Permit (State). A restaurant needs Pre-Operational Inspection, Food Service Establishment Grease Interceptor Fee, Biological Pretreatment Service Permit and Registration and 9 more, which a food truck does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a food truck | Only a food truck needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 16 | 4 | 3 | 12 |
| Coffee shops | 7 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Retail stores | 8 | 2 | 5 | 6 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 1 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Fitness studios | 4 | 0 | 7 | 4 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 7 | 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. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Houston permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City-Wide Fee ScheduleCity of Houston, Finance Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-22
- City of Houston SB 577 Ordinance Submission — Chapter 20 provisionsCity of Houston (via Texas DSHS Local Ordinance and Fee Schedule Registry) · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-22
- Mobile Food Vendors - Texas DSHSTexas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-08-22
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.