8 permits · verified 2026-10-09
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Irving?
In short
A food truck in Irving, TX has 3 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Texas Secretary of State charges $300 one-time filing for the certificate of formation. 5 of the 8 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-09 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Irving
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Food Establishment Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Irving Health Inspections | Until 31 October 2026: $50 origination fee plus $5.00 per day per booth operating fee (section 18-2). From 1 November 2026: $52 per booth (Resolution RES-2026-242) | per event; from 1 November 2026, valid for up to two weeks per event | 2026-10-09 |
| Certified Food Protection Manager Registration | City of Irving Health Inspections | Section 18-2 as amended in 2024 and the City's FY2026-27 Schedule of Fees list no food manager registration fee; the Environmental Health division states any amount payable. | not stated in the ordinance | 2026-08-25 |
| Pushcart Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Irving Health Inspections | Section 18-2 as amended in 2024 and the City's FY2026-27 Schedule of Fees list no pushcart fee; the Environmental Health division states any amount payable. | not stated in the ordinance | 2026-08-25 |
| Seasonal Sales and Temporary Event Permitonly if it applies to you | City of Irving Inspections Department | $150–$780 per permit, by type | 6 months for a council-approved temporary use permit | 2026-10-09 |
| 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 Irving?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 8 records listed for a food truck in Irving, TX, 3 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.
Of the 3 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $0.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 8 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 Establishment Permit: Until 31 October 2026: $50 origination fee plus $5.00 per day per booth operating fee (section 18-2). From 1 November 2026: $52 per booth (Resolution RES-2026-242)
Certified Food Protection Manager Registration: Section 18-2 as amended in 2024 and the City's FY2026-27 Schedule of Fees list no food manager registration fee; the Environmental Health division states any amount payable.
Pushcart Permit: Section 18-2 as amended in 2024 and the City's FY2026-27 Schedule of Fees list no pushcart fee; the Environmental Health division states any amount payable.
Seasonal Sales and Temporary Event Permit: $150–$780 per permit, by type
Mobile Food Vendor Permit (State): $309–$876 application fee, by food-handling type
Which offices issue these permits in Irving?
Permits for a food truck in Irving, TX come from 5 separate offices: City of Irving Health Inspections, City of Irving Inspections Department, 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.
- City of Irving Health InspectionsIssues 3 permits on this page: Temporary Food Establishment Permit, Certified Food Protection Manager Registration, Pushcart Permit825 W Irving Boulevard, Irving, TX 75060irvingtx.gov/permits-inspections
- City of Irving Inspections DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Seasonal Sales and Temporary Event Permit825 W Irving Boulevard, Irving, TX 75060irvingtx.gov/permits-inspections
- 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 Irving that other businesses do not?
1 of the 5 permits particular to a food truck here applies to no other business type we cover in Irving: Mobile Food Vendor Permit (State).
Temporary Food Establishment Permit
Until 31 October 2026, section 18-2 as amended by Ordinance 2024-10885 charges a $50 origination fee plus $5 a day for each booth, so a three-day two-booth event costs $80, and a late application adds $50. From 1 November 2026 the charge is $52 per booth: the City's FY2026-27 Schedule of Fees (Exhibit A) states it as $52 per booth per event, valid for up to two weeks per event, while the City's Rates + Fees web page states it as $52 per booth per day. Ask Irving Health Inspections which applies before budgeting a multi-day event.
Pushcart Permit
Irving's 2016 food ordinance (Ordinance 2016-9884) priced a pushcart permit at $100 and defined a pushcart as a non-self-propelled unit serving only pre-packaged non-TCS food. Section 18-2 as amended by Ordinance 2024-10885 lists no pushcart fee, and the City's FY2026-27 Schedule of Fees, effective 1 November 2026 for health fees, lists none either. Ask Irving Health Inspections how a pushcart is permitted and priced.
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 Irving
- Certified Food Protection Manager Registration — City of Irving Health Inspections, Section 18-2 as amended in 2024 and the City's FY2026-27 Schedule of Fees list no food manager registration fee; the Environmental Health division states any amount payable., not stated in the ordinance. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Seasonal Sales and Temporary Event Permit — City of Irving Inspections Department, $150–$780 per permit, by type, 6 months for a council-approved temporary use permit. Also required for retail stores, restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops 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 Irving?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 4 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food Vendor Permit (State). A restaurant needs Contractor Registration, Food Establishment Permit, Food Establishment Plan Review and 2 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 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 5 |
| Coffee shops | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| Retail stores | 10 | 4 | 1 | 6 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 5 | 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 retail stores page and coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Irving permits page and the TX state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- City of Irving Code chapter 18 (Food and Food Establishments), section 18-2 as amended by Ordinance 2024-10885 (21 March 2024) — filed with Texas DSHS 14 September 2026City of Irving, filed with Texas Department of State Health Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- City of Irving Code of Civil and Criminal Ordinances chapter 18, Food and Food Establishments (eCode360; section 18-2 as amended by Ordinance 2026-11312)City of Irving (published by eCode360) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- City of Irving Ordinance No. 2026-11312, amending chapters 11, 13 and 18 to move fees to the Consolidated Fee Schedule (passed 11 August 2026; effective 1 November 2026)City of Irving · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- City of Irving Schedule of Fees, FY26-27 Amendments (Exhibit A) — Inspections section; Health Inspections fees adopted by RES-2026-242, effective 1 November 2026City of Irving · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- City of Irving, Rates + Fees (Consolidated Fee Schedule web page)City of Irving · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-09
- 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.