20 permits · verified 2026-09-30
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Salt Lake County?
In short
A food truck in Salt Lake County, UT has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 15 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services charges $150 a year (12-month license term) for the general business license — home-based, with on-site visitors or customers. 7 of the 20 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-30 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Salt Lake County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seasonal Business Licenseonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | $120 flat, for a season of 60 days or fewer per year | up to 60 days per year | 2026-09-30 |
| Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Feeonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | Off-Premise Beer Retailer $250.00; Recreational On-Premise Beer Retailer $350.00; Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Limited Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Beer-Only Restaurant $350.00; On-Premise Beer Tavern $350.00; Resort $500.00; Club Liquor $600.00; Banquet and Catering $500.00; Single Event $150.00; Wholesale Beer $300.00; Manufacturing $350.00 — per the FY2027 Fee Schedule for Salt Lake County, adopted and effective September 22, 2026. | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-30 |
| Mobile Food / Food Cart Permit | Salt Lake County Health Department | $230–$500 a year, per unit, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026: Food Truck Tier 1 $350.00, Tier 2 $500.00; Food Cart Risk 1 $230.00, Risk 2 $275.00, Risk 3 $385.00 | annual | 2026-09-30 |
| HACCP Food Process Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | Salt Lake County Health Department | $640 flat, one-time review fee | one-time, per process | 2026-09-30 |
| Simple Land Use Permitonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | $175 flat, per permit | not stated in the published fee schedule | 2026-09-30 |
| Temporary Food Establishment Permitonly if it applies to you | Salt Lake County Health Department | Low Risk: 1-day $70.00, 3-day $90.00, 14-day $330.00, seasonal $330.00. High Risk: 1-day $115.00, 3-day $145.00, 14-day $445.00, seasonal $455.00. A late application or late notification fee of $50.00 applies under either risk tier. Per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026. | per event | 2026-09-30 |
| Food Handler Card | Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division | Food handler permit fee of no more than $15, uniform statewide, paid to the local health department under rule R392-103; the approved training provider may also charge its own reasonable training fee, and may collect both at once | 3 years, valid statewide (rule R392-103) | 2026-09-04 |
| Food Service Establishment Permit (local, not state) | Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division | No fee | set locally | 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 Salt Lake County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — Home-Based, With On-Site Visitors or Customersonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | $150 a year (12-month license term) | 12 months | 2026-09-30 |
| Building Permitonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | Varies — formula on the Salt Lake County page | one-time, per permit | 2026-09-30 |
| Plan Check Feeonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | Varies — formula on the Salt Lake County page | one-time, per project | 2026-09-30 |
| Site Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | Varies — formula on the Salt Lake County page | one-time, per application | 2026-09-30 |
| General Business License — Commercial Location | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | $150 a year (12-month license term) | 12 months | 2026-09-30 |
| General Business License — Home-Based, No On-Site Visitors or Customersonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | No fee | 12 months | 2026-09-30 |
| General Business License — Per-Employee Feeonly if it applies to you | Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services | $6 per employee, billed alongside the base license fee | coincides with the 12-month business-license term | 2026-09-30 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
UT registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and Use Tax License | Utah State Tax Commission | No fee | ongoing — no fixed expiration, with a filing frequency the state assigns and can revisit | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $59 one-time filing | perpetual, but a renewal is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Certificate of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $59 one-time filing | perpetual, but a renewal is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Utah State Position (Entity Registration)only if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | No fee | set by the city or county | 2026-09-04 |
| Annual Renewalonly if it applies to you | Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code | $18 a year; a late renewal adds $10 | annual — due in the calendar month tied to the entity's own formation anniversary | 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 Salt Lake County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 20 records listed for a food truck in Salt Lake County, UT, 5 apply to every business of this type and 15 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 5 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $150.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 20 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:
Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Fee: Off-Premise Beer Retailer $250.00; Recreational On-Premise Beer Retailer $350.00; Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Limited Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Beer-Only Restaurant $350.00; On-Premise Beer Tavern $350.00; Resort $500.00; Club Liquor $600.00; Banquet and Catering $500.00; Single Event $150.00; Wholesale Beer $300.00; Manufacturing $350.00 — per the FY2027 Fee Schedule for Salt Lake County, adopted and effective September 22, 2026.
Mobile Food / Food Cart Permit: $230–$500 a year, per unit, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026: Food Truck Tier 1 $350.00, Tier 2 $500.00; Food Cart Risk 1 $230.00, Risk 2 $275.00, Risk 3 $385.00
Temporary Food Establishment Permit: Low Risk: 1-day $70.00, 3-day $90.00, 14-day $330.00, seasonal $330.00. High Risk: 1-day $115.00, 3-day $145.00, 14-day $445.00, seasonal $455.00. A late application or late notification fee of $50.00 applies under either risk tier. Per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026.
Food Handler Card: Food handler permit fee of no more than $15, uniform statewide, paid to the local health department under rule R392-103; the approved training provider may also charge its own reasonable training fee, and may collect both at once
The other 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Salt Lake County permits page and the UT state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Salt Lake County?
Permits for a food truck in Salt Lake County, UT come from 5 separate offices: Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services, Salt Lake County Health Department, Utah State Tax Commission, Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division, Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development ServicesIssues 10 permits on this page, including General Business License — Home-Based, With On-Site Visitors or Customers, Seasonal Business License, Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Fee860 W. Levoy Dr., Suite 300, Taylorsville, UT 84123 · (385) 910-5600 (Main); (385) 468-6700 (business license and planning questions)msd.utah.gov/439/Starting-a-Business
- Salt Lake County Health DepartmentIssues 3 permits on this page: Mobile Food / Food Cart Permit, HACCP Food Process Plan Review, Temporary Food Establishment Permitwww.saltlakecounty.gov/health
- Utah State Tax CommissionIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales and Use Tax License210 North 1950 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84134 · (801) 297-2200tax.utah.gov
- Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Handler Card, Food Service Establishment Permit (local, not state)4315 South 2700 West, Taylorsville, UT 84129 · (385) 332-1499ag.utah.gov/regulatory-services/retail-food-regulatory-program
- Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial CodeIssues 4 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Organization (LLC), General Business License — Utah State Position (Entity Registration), Annual Renewal160 East 300 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84111 · (801) 530-4849corporations.utah.gov
What does a food truck need in Salt Lake County that other businesses do not?
Mobile Food / Food Cart Permit
A food truck or food cart operating anywhere in Salt Lake County needs its own annual permit from SLCoHD: a Food Truck Permit is $350.00 at Tier 1 or $500.00 at Tier 2, and a Food Cart Permit is $230.00 at Risk 1, $275.00 at Risk 2, or $385.00 at Risk 3, per the SLCoHD fee schedule published September 1, 2026. SLCoHD's coverage is county-wide — all 23 incorporated municipalities plus the unincorporated area — so this permit reaches a unit based anywhere in the county. A one-off event instead uses the Temporary Food Establishment Permit listed separately here, and a separate mobile plan review, also on this fee schedule, is billed before a new unit's first permit.
Temporary Food Establishment Permit
A restaurant or food truck serving food at a fair, festival, or other one-off event anywhere in Salt Lake County needs this permit rather than the annual Food Establishment or Mobile Food permits listed elsewhere here. The SLCoHD fee schedule, published September 1, 2026, prices it by risk tier and duration: Low Risk runs $70.00 for one day up to $330.00 for 14 days or a season, and High Risk runs $115.00 up to $455.00 across the same durations, with a $50.00 late fee for a late application or notification under either tier. SLCoHD's coverage is county-wide — all 23 incorporated municipalities plus the unincorporated area.
Food Service Establishment Permit (local, not state)
No state fee, because a food establishment engaged primarily in service for immediate consumption is placed by the state agriculture department's own published guidance under the jurisdiction of the local health department where it operates, not under the state's own retail food registration. Utah has thirteen local health department jurisdictions, each setting its own fee under a shared statewide minimum sanitation standard. Confirm the figure with the specific local health department rather than assuming a statewide number, because none exists.
Shared with other businesses in Salt Lake County
- Seasonal Business License — Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services, $120 flat, for a season of 60 days or fewer per year, up to 60 days per year. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Alcohol License/Permit — Local Consent Fee — Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services, Off-Premise Beer Retailer $250.00; Recreational On-Premise Beer Retailer $350.00; Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Limited Restaurant Liquor $500.00; Beer-Only Restaurant $350.00; On-Premise Beer Tavern $350.00; Resort $500.00; Club Liquor $600.00; Banquet and Catering $500.00; Single Event $150.00; Wholesale Beer $300.00; Manufacturing $350.00 — per the FY2027 Fee Schedule for Salt Lake County, adopted and effective September 22, 2026., 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.
- HACCP Food Process Plan Review — Salt Lake County Health Department, $640 flat, one-time review fee, one-time, per process. Also required for restaurants; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Simple Land Use Permit — Greater Salt Lake Municipal Services District, Planning & Development Services, $175 flat, per permit, not stated in the published fee schedule. Also required for childcare centres and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the retail stores page.
- Food Handler Card — Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, Regulatory Services Division, Food handler permit fee of no more than $15, uniform statewide, paid to the local health department under rule R392-103; the approved training provider may also charge its own reasonable training fee, and may collect both at once, 3 years, valid statewide (rule R392-103). Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 7 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Salt Lake County, UT; what each one involves is set out on the Salt Lake County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across UT and are covered on the UT state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Salt Lake County?
The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 6 of these permits. A food truck also needs Mobile Food / Food Cart Permit and Simple Land Use Permit. A restaurant needs Food Establishment Permit and Microenterprise Home Kitchen Permit, which a food truck does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a food truck | Only a food truck needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants | 8 | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Coffee shops | 6 | 5 | 3 | 1 |
| Retail stores | 6 | 3 | 5 | 3 |
| Childcare centres | 3 | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| Auto repair shops | 3 | 0 | 8 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 4 | 0 | 8 | 4 |
| Fitness studios | 2 | 0 | 8 | 2 |
| Salons and barbers | 7 | 0 | 8 | 7 |
| Veterinary clinics | 3 | 0 | 8 | 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 retail stores page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Salt Lake County permits page and the UT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Salt Lake County Health Department Fee Schedule, published September 1, 2026Salt Lake County Health Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-30
- Utah Department of Agriculture and Food — retail food regulatory program, splitting jurisdiction between the state and local health departmentsUtah Department of Agriculture and Food · 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.