foodservicenerd
What you need to open

What You Need to Open a Food truck / trailer

The licenses & permits, equipment, space and timeline to open a food truck / trailer — a practical checklist you can act on.
Planning checklist, not legal or code advice — your local authority (AHJ) sets the final requirements.

Reviewed monthly · last reviewed 2026-08-10. Fees and rules vary by area — confirm current requirements with your local authority.

Get this tailored to you. Use the opening planner to enter your size and ZIP and get your exact local permit office, fees and a scaled equipment list, or read how to open a food truck / trailer for the full step-by-step.

Licenses & permits

The typical set for a food truck / trailer — about 12. Some depend on your build-out, staffing and whether you serve alcohol. Fees and steps vary by city and county.

Foundational

  • Employer Identification Number (EIN) — Free federal tax ID from the IRS; needed to hire staff, open a business bank account and file taxes.
  • Business entity / registration — Register your LLC, corporation, or sole-proprietor DBA with your state so the business legally exists.
  • General business license — The basic license to operate, issued by your city or county.
  • Sales-tax permit / seller's permit — Register to collect and remit sales tax; it also lets you buy inventory wholesale for resale.

Food safety

  • Food service establishment permit — The core health-department permit to run a food business; issued after your inspection passes.
  • Food handler cards & manager certification — Food-handler training for staff plus at least one Certified Food Protection Manager (e.g. ServSafe Manager).
  • Pre-opening health inspection — An on-site inspection that must pass before your operating permit is issued.

Type-specific

  • Mobile food vendor permit — A health permit specific to mobile units, plus any city vending or route permits.
  • Commissary agreement — A licensed base kitchen for prep, potable water and waste disposal; a signed letter is usually required for trucks and caterers.
  • Fire suppression & LP-gas permit (mobile) — Fire, propane and generator safety approval for the truck or trailer.
  • Vehicle registration / commercial plates — Register the truck or trailer; commercial plates and commercial auto insurance may apply.

Legal & insurance

  • General liability & property insurance — Protects the business; landlords and lenders usually require a certificate of insurance (COI). Add liquor liability if you serve alcohol.
Look up your county’s actual permit office and fees on the requirements pages (enter your ZIP), and see the permits & licenses guide.

Equipment

The core equipment for this concept (8 essentials, plus recommended items). Categories only — no brands or prices.

Cooking line

  • Flat-top griddle Essential
    Breakfast, burgers, high-volume flat cooking.
  • Deep fryer Recommended
    Anything battered or fried; sized by peak baskets.

Refrigeration & cold

  • Undercounter refrigeration Essential
    Cold at the line where space is tight.
  • Refrigerated prep table Recommended
    Cold rail + work surface for assembly.

Warewashing & sanitation

  • 3-compartment sink Essential
    Wash / rinse / sanitize — required in nearly every kitchen.
  • Hand sink(s) Essential
    Dedicated hand-washing; count grows with stations.

Food prep

  • Stainless work tables Recommended
    Prep and staging; 304 near water, 430 for dry.

Ventilation & safety

  • Commercial water heater Essential
    Sized to peak simultaneous demand; goes into plan review.
  • Type I exhaust hood + suppression Essential
    Required over grease/smoke; the largest single build line.
  • Class K + ABC extinguishers Essential
    Class K wherever there's hot oil; annual cert.

Beverage & front

  • POS + payment Essential
    Offline queueing is the spec that matters.
Build a tailored, scaled list with the equipment configurator, and confirm each item is NSF listed and whether your cook line needs a Type I hood.

Space & sizing

A truck or trailer is sized to your menu, power, water and payload — roughly 8–12 ft for coffee or a simple menu, 14–18 ft for a modest cook line, and 20–30 ft for a full high-volume menu. A licensed commissary is usually required for prep, water and waste.

Model it with the kitchen & seating planner.

Timeline

Estimated time to open: typically 3–6 months (a custom build can push longer). Typical phases and durations:

See the full sequence and long-pole items in the opening timeline.

Cost & staffing

Two more planning steps once you know what you need:

Frequently asked

What do you need to open a food truck / trailer?
At a high level: the licenses and permits your jurisdiction requires (typically around 12 for this business), the right commercial equipment for your menu, enough space laid out to code, and the time and budget to build it out. This page lists the permits and equipment; use the opening planner to tailor it to your size and location, and see <a href="../../guides/how-to-start-a-food-truck/">how to open a food truck / trailer</a> for the step-by-step.
How much does it cost to open a food truck / trailer?
It varies widely by size, location and whether you take over an existing space or build from a raw shell. Use the cost-to-open calculator to get an itemized budget with a low-to-high range on every line, adjusted for your region and linked to your county's real permit fees.
Are these the exact requirements for my area?
No — permits, fees and code details are set locally and change. Treat this as a planning checklist, enter your ZIP in the opening planner to pull your county's actual permit office and fees, and confirm everything with your local building, fire and health departments.