10 permits · verified 2026-09-14
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Burlington?
In short
A food truck in Burlington, VT 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. Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division charges $155 one-time filing for the articles of organization (llc). 2 of the 10 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 Burlington
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peddler License (the food truck license) | City of Burlington Clerk/Treasurer's Office | A general peddler license is $100.00 per year or $15.00 per month, and a vehicle license endorsement — which a food truck needs — is an additional $300.00 per year or $30.00 per month or any part of a month. A Central Peddling District license is $300.00 per year, $200.00 for six months or $60.00 per month or any part of a month. University Place is $100.00 per year plus the $300.00 vehicle endorsement. A peddler selling food must also lodge a $100.00 deposit with the city clerk to ensure the peddling area is kept clean. A background check consent form carries a $45.00 fee per person. Applications submitted after June 1 carry a $30.00 late fee, and a refused application is refunded less a $5.00 processing fee. | annual, issued from June 1 with renewals due by May 15; licenses expire May 31 | 2026-09-14 |
| Food Establishment License | Vermont Department of Health, Food and Lodging Program | $105–$1,000 a year for a restaurant, banded steeply by seating from 1–25 seats up to 600 or more | 1 year from the date of the opening inspection, not prorated | 2026-09-04 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | Vermont Department of Health, Food and Lodging Program | No fee | not applicable — a CFPM credential is one of three optional paths, not a flat requirement | 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 Burlington
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — Burlington Position (24 V.S.A. § 2291)only if it applies to you | City of Burlington Clerk/Treasurer's Office | No fee | not applicable | 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.
VT 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 | Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $155 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $155 one-time filing | perpetual, but an annual report is due every year | 2026-09-04 |
| LLC Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $45 a year | annual — due within 3 months after the entity's own fiscal year end, roughly March 31 for a calendar-year filer | 2026-09-04 |
| Sales Tax Permit | Vermont Department of Taxes | No fee | no expiration — no renewal required | 2026-09-04 |
| Corporation Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division | $60 a year | annual — due within two and a half months after the entity's own fiscal year end, roughly March 15 for a calendar-year filer | 2026-09-04 |
| General Business License — Vermont Secretary of State Fee Scheduleonly if it applies to you | Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division | No fee | not applicable | 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 Burlington?
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 Burlington, VT, 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.
2 of the 10 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:
Peddler License (the food truck license): A general peddler license is $100.00 per year or $15.00 per month, and a vehicle license endorsement — which a food truck needs — is an additional $300.00 per year or $30.00 per month or any part of a month. A Central Peddling District license is $300.00 per year, $200.00 for six months or $60.00 per month or any part of a month. University Place is $100.00 per year plus the $300.00 vehicle endorsement. A peddler selling food must also lodge a $100.00 deposit with the city clerk to ensure the peddling area is kept clean. A background check consent form carries a $45.00 fee per person. Applications submitted after June 1 carry a $30.00 late fee, and a refused application is refunded less a $5.00 processing fee.
Food Establishment License: $105–$1,000 a year for a restaurant, banded steeply by seating from 1–25 seats up to 600 or more
Which offices issue these permits in Burlington?
Permits for a food truck in Burlington, VT come from 4 separate offices: City of Burlington Clerk/Treasurer's Office, Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations Division, Vermont Department of Health, Food and Lodging Program, Vermont Department of Taxes. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- City of Burlington Clerk/Treasurer's OfficeIssues 2 permits on this page: General Business License — Burlington Position (24 V.S.A. § 2291), Peddler License (the food truck license)149 Church Street, Burlington, VT 05401 · (802) 865-7000www.burlingtonvt.gov/1064/Business-Licenses
- Vermont Secretary of State, Corporations DivisionIssues 5 permits on this page, including Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation, LLC Annual Report128 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633 · (802) 828-2386sos.vermont.gov/business-services
- Vermont Department of Health, Food and Lodging ProgramIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment License, Certified Food Protection Manager280 State Drive, Waterbury, VT 05671 · (802) 863-7221www.healthvermont.gov/environment/food-lodging-program/retail-food-service-establishments
- Vermont Department of TaxesIssues 1 permit on this page: Sales Tax Permit133 State Street, Montpelier, VT 05633tax.vermont.gov/business/sales-and-use-tax
What does a food truck need in Burlington 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 Burlington: Peddler License (the food truck license).
Peddler License (the food truck license)
Among the ten industries this site tracks, this is the one license Burlington issues, and it exists because 24 V.S.A. § 2291(9) specifically authorises it. The cost for a food truck is the general license plus the vehicle endorsement — $400.00 for a year — plus the refundable $100.00 cleanliness deposit and $45.00 per person for background checks. Two practical constraints matter more than the fee. First, location: the Central Peddling District and University Place are currently closed to new applicants, so a new operator is limited to general peddling locations. Second, the Church Street Marketplace is governed separately under §23-15 and requires its own certificate. The ordinance leaves the fee to the Church Street Marketplace Commission — 'The fee, method of application, and design requirement for stands or carts shall also be determined annually by the commission' — and fixes only a $50.00 deposit for annual and seasonal certificates. For the May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027 term, the Marketplace's own Terms and Conditions of Marketplace Peddling set the annual cart fee at $2,400.00 for a food cart on the City Hall block, $1,800.00 for a food cart between College and Cherry Streets, $1,500.00 for a retail cart south of Cherry Street, $1,200.00 for any cart north of Cherry Street and $750.00 for an artisan cart, due in full on June 1; its Program Overview states that the Commission 'makes the final decision on fees,' and each cart occupies a ten-square-foot space on the Marketplace bricks under a one-year license applied for afresh each year. The City's own Vendor Opportunities page lists the programme and links to these terms, though its one-line summary gives the range as '$740 to $2,400' where both the 2025-26 and 2026-27 terms print $750.00 as the lowest rate. Insurance of at least $100,000 public liability and $25,000 property damage is required. A food truck separately holds the Vermont Department of Health mobile unit license at $260.00, listed in the state food license record for Burlington.
Shared with other businesses in Burlington
- Food Establishment License — Vermont Department of Health, Food and Lodging Program, $105–$1,000 a year for a restaurant, banded steeply by seating from 1–25 seats up to 600 or more, 1 year from the date of the opening inspection, not prorated. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — Vermont Department of Health, Food and Lodging Program, No fee, not applicable — a CFPM credential is one of three optional paths, not a flat requirement. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Burlington, VT; what each one involves is set out on the Burlington permits page. The 6 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across VT and are covered on the VT state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in Burlington?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A food truck also needs Peddler License (the food truck license). A coffee shop needs Entertainment Permit (live music at a licensed premises), Food Service Establishment License — Vermont Department of Health (Burlington) and Sign Permit, 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 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 5 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 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 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| 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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page and restaurants page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Burlington permits page and the VT state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Code of Ordinances, City of Burlington, current through Ord. 7-15-26 — Chapter 8 §8-28 (building permit fee and minimum), Chapter 12 §12-26 (electrical), Chapter 19 §§19-2 and 19-18 (licenses and entertainment permits), Chapter 13 §13-22 (fire re-inspection fees), Chapter 23 §23-6 (peddler license fees) and Chapter 25 §25-12 (plumbing)City of Burlington, codified by General Code · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- 24 V.S.A. ch. 61, § 2291 (Enumeration of powers) — the statute limiting Vermont municipalities to licensing itinerant vendors and peddlers under subsection (9) and circuses, shows and paid entertainments under subsection (11)Vermont General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- Peddler Licenses — the City's own current page, giving the $45.00 per person background check fee, the insurance minimums, the University Place rate, the May 31 expiry and the closure of the Central Peddling District and University Place to new applicantsCity of Burlington Clerk/Treasurer's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-14
- Terms and Conditions of Marketplace Peddling, Cart Vendor Program 2026-2027 — section 1 (Fees): Food Carts (City Hall Block) $2,400, Food Carts (Between College St & Cherry St) $1,800, Retail Carts (south of Cherry St) $1,500, All Carts north of Cherry St $1,200, Artisan Carts $750, 'due in full on June 1st'City of Burlington, Church Street Marketplace Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- 2026 Cart Vendor Program Overview — the one-year term May 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027, the Church Street Marketplace Commission's role ('The Commission makes the final decision on fees, placement, and vendor acceptance'), the ten-square-foot vending space and the annual applicationCity of Burlington, Church Street Marketplace Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- Vendor Opportunities — the Community & Economic Development Office's own page, listing the Church Street Marketplace Cart Vendor Program (period May 1 - April 30) and linking to the Marketplace's own cart vendor terms and conditionsCity of Burlington, Community & Economic Development Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.