Do I need a separate permit from my city to run a food truck in Florida?

Under section 509.102 of the Florida Statutes, local governments cannot require a separate license, registration or permit beyond the state license, and cannot charge a fee beyond the state fee. They can still regulate in other ways, so ask your city or county about parking, zoning and fire rules.

Can I prep food at home?

No. The division says you may not conduct food operations in a private residence. Storage and prep must happen in an approved, licensed food service establishment.

Can I work a festival or a temporary event?

The division says the license covers catering and a one to three day temporary event without additional temporary event fees. Event organizers can have their own rules.

Who do I call if I am unsure?

The division lists 850.487.1395 for questions about the license and the opening inspection.

How to Start a Food Truck in Florida

How to start a food truck in Florida: the DBPR account, plan review, license application, opening inspection and local fire checks, in order.

To open a food truck in Florida, you license the vehicle with the state's Division of Hotels and Restaurants (part of DBPR), pass an opening inspection, and then meet your local fire department's rules. Cities and counties cannot ask for a second food truck license on top of the state one. This guide walks through the order, so you do not pay for the same step twice.

Rules and forms change. This guide reflects the official pages we read in November 2026. Check each linked page before you pay or build.

Rules change; confirm with your local office.

The short version

Decide whether you are buying a truck that is already licensed or building a new one.
Create a DBPR online account.
Find out if you need a plan review.
Submit the license application (with the plan review, if you need one) and pay the fee.
Schedule and pass the opening inspection.
Check with the fire department where you will operate.
Start serving only after you pass.

Step 1: Buy a licensed truck or build a new one

This choice decides how much paperwork you do. Florida's Division of Hotels and Restaurants says you do not need a plan review if you buy a vehicle the division has already licensed and you make no changes to it.

You do need a plan review if the vehicle was never licensed by the division, if it has been closed for more than 18 months, or if it has been remodeled.

If you are shopping for a truck, ask the seller whether the division has licensed it before. Ask before you pay for a build.

Step 2: Create your DBPR online account

The division's mobile food dispensing vehicle (MFDV) guide starts with an online account. Steps 1 to 3 of the process can be done online, and the guide calls the combined license and plan review application the fastest way to apply and get open.

Start at the division's mobile food dispensing vehicle guide.

Step 3: Plan review, if you need one

If your truck needs a plan review, the application asks for:

a labeled equipment plan,
a sample menu,
a side photo of the vehicle showing the wheels and the open service window, and
the location where you will fill water and empty wastewater (a commissary or a water and sewer facility).

The plan review checks your layout before the inspector sees the truck. Plan approval alone does not license you. You still apply for the license and pay the fee.

Step 4: Apply for the license and pay the fee

Fees depend on the application date and the county, and you pay them when you apply. The division's guide points to a separate fee page. We did not copy a dollar amount here because it changes. Check the fee page the guide links to before you budget.

Step 5: Pass the opening inspection

Every new licensee must pass a sanitation and safety inspection before opening. After your plan review is approved and you have submitted the application and fees, you schedule the opening inspection through the inspector contact in your approved plan packet, or by calling the division at 850.487.1395.

Do not call to schedule until you are absolutely ready. The division's checklist (dated July 9, 2025) says a ready truck gets inspected and licensed faster. When the inspector arrives, have these items in place:

your division-approved, stamped drawing and specification worksheet,
a working three-compartment sink with drainboards or equivalent shelving,
hot and cold holding units that work, each with a thermometer, plus a stem thermometer scaled 0 to 220°F,
at least one portable fire extinguisher,
fresh water and wastewater tanks with proper plumbing, with the wastewater tank at least 15% larger by volume than the fresh water tank,
power for the truck (electrical, LP gas or a portable generator),
soap, paper towels and a handwashing sign at the hand sink, with hot and cold water at all sinks,
a covered trash container,
a consumer advisory if you serve raw or undercooked animal foods (and an oyster warning sign if you serve raw or undercooked shellfish),
condiments in self-service dispensers or prepackaged,
working lights with light shields,
smooth, non-absorbent, easy-to-clean floors, walls and ceilings, with weather stripping around outer openings.

The checklist also says to tell your plan reviewer right away if you change the approved plans during construction, and that no bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food is allowed without an approved Alternative Operating Procedure.

Do not serve the public before you pass. The division's guide says food operations cannot take place in a private residence, so prep and storage happen in an approved, licensed establishment.

Step 6: Check the fire rules where you will operate

This is the step many new owners miss. Florida law says a city or county cannot require a separate license, registration or permit, or charge a fee, beyond the state food truck license. It also says that does not limit other local rules. In practice, fire departments apply their own inspection checklists. We cover what those checklists look like in our guide to Florida food truck fire safety inspections.

Call the fire prevention office for each county or city where you plan to park. Ask for their food truck checklist and how to schedule an inspection.

What this guide does not cover

Business entity setup, taxes, insurance, and commissary choices are separate topics. For commissaries, see Do you need a commissary for your Florida food truck?.

Ready to get found?

Once the truck is licensed, customers still need to find you. Create a free page with your menu, photos and stops in about three minutes. Create my free page. See where owners sell in Florida.

Sources

Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants: Mobile food dispensing vehicle guide. Read November 9, 2026.
Florida Legislature: Section 509.102, Florida Statutes. Read November 9, 2026.
DBPR: Mobile food dispensing vehicle opening and licensing inspection checklist (form HR 5024-027, July 9, 2025). Read November 9, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a separate permit from my city to run a food truck in Florida?: Under section 509.102 of the Florida Statutes, local governments cannot require a separate license, registration or permit beyond the state license, and cannot charge a fee beyond the state fee. They can still regulate in other ways, so ask your city or county about parking, zoning and fire rules.
Can I prep food at home?: No. The division says you may not conduct food operations in a private residence. Storage and prep must happen in an approved, licensed food service establishment.
Can I work a festival or a temporary event?: The division says the license covers catering and a one to three day temporary event without additional temporary event fees. Event organizers can have their own rules.
Who do I call if I am unsure?: The division lists 850.487.1395 for questions about the license and the opening inspection.