Mobile food · United States
Food Truck Startup Costs and Permits: Plates Before the Truck
Write the menu and ask the health department which permit applies. The truck comes after that.
- 12,487mobile-food establishments, Census 2023
- 38,438employees at those establishments
- 80.6%have fewer than 5 employees (10,062 ÷ 12,487)
- $37/mogeneral liability in the Insureon sample
Decision summary
- Two different sources, two different phrases. Do not blend them. A Keyword Planner series published for a food-truck “how to start” query peaks at 1,600 U.S. searches in August and 720 in December (August 2025–July 2026). Seasonality table. Fox021 lists “how to start a food truck business” at 1,300 on 10 October 2026. That page.
- Census County Business Patterns 2023, U.S. total, legal form
-, NAICS 722330 (mobile food services): 12,487 establishments and 38,438 employees. Read from cbp23us.zip on November 6, 2026. Employer locations only. - Permit fees below are four official pages. Use the city where the truck will park.
0. Before you shop for a truck
- Write the menu and the kind of stop (lunch lot, event, private catering). They are not the same kitchen.
- Ask the health department which mobile license applies and whether a commissary is required.
- Ask the fire authority about propane, hoods, and suppression.
- Get a written truck price that includes tax, title, and the repairs it needs to pass inspection.
What was counted
| Figure | Value | Label |
|---|---|---|
| How-to-start query, August peak | 1,600 searches | Keyword Planner series, Aug 2025–Jul 2026 |
| Same series, December | 720 searches | Seasonal, not a five-year trend |
| Fox021 phrase, 10 Oct 2026 | 1,300 searches | Different phrase. Not averaged with the row above. |
| NAICS 722330 establishments | 12,487 | CBP 2023, lfo “-”, retrieved 2026-11-06 |
| NAICS 722330 employees | 38,438 | Same row |
| Establishments with fewer than 5 employees | 10,062 (80.6%) | 10,062 ÷ 12,487, rounded to one decimal. |
A Google Trends request on November 6, 2026 returned HTTP 429, so this page does not state a five-year direction.
Food truck startup costs and permits
The truck price is still a quote you have to get in writing. The costs below are the permit fees and the insurance sample that were on a public page on November 6, 2026.
Each row is one jurisdiction’s document, retrieved November 6, 2026. Do not add them together and do not paste one city’s fee into another city.
| Jurisdiction | What the page lists |
|---|---|
| Chicago | Mobile Food Dispenser $700. Mobile Food Preparer $1,000. Fire Safety Permit $100. Fire Suppression System Review $150. City page. |
| New York City | DOHMH mobile food vending permit: full-term (2 year) processing $200, non-processing $75. Seasonal (Apr. 1–Oct. 31) processing $35, non-processing $15. A separate frozen-dessert permit is $25 a year. Card payments add a 2% service fee. Checklist PDF. |
| Austin | FY 2025–26 fee-schedule amendment, Public Health. Application $158. Unrestricted permit $239 per unit per year. Restricted permit $212 per unit per year. Those three lines match in the proposed and amended columns. Fee schedule PDF. |
| Los Angeles County | Public Health mobile food facility application: low risk $325, moderate risk $598, high risk $761. Los Angeles County, not the City of Los Angeles. Application PDF. |
Insureon’s food-truck cost page, updated September 18, 2026 and read November 6, 2026, lists general liability at $37 a month, or $440 a year, at $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. The page calls the figure both an average and the median of policies its customers bought. It is not your quote. Do not add it on top of the business-owner’s policy listed on the same page. Insureon food-truck costs.
Menu price and plate break-even
Type the plate price and a food-cost percent. Break-even stays hidden when food cost uses up the plate.
1. First month of service
Count plates, food cost, and fuel for the selling days you actually work. The planner’s “expected plates” is an example until those days are on a calendar. If food cost uses up the plate, the planner leaves break-even blank.
10. More than one stop
A second stop is worth it when the first stop’s contribution survives commissary, fuel, and a missed event. A second truck is a different decision. The section number is an outline label, not a fleet size.
Insurance
Insureon’s food-truck page, updated September 18, 2026, shows general liability at $37 a month ($440 a year) for a $1 million / $2 million policy, as the median of policies its customers bought. A business-owner’s policy is listed separately on that page. Get a quote that matches your city and whether you serve alcohol.
First 90 days
- Days 1–14: write the menu and the kind of stop. A lunch lot, an event, and a private catering job are different kitchens.
- Days 15–45: ask the health department which mobile license applies and whether a commissary is required. Ask the fire authority about propane, hoods, and suppression.
- Days 46–90: get a written truck price that includes tax, title, and the repairs needed to pass inspection. Run the plate planner with your food percent before you sign.
When to stop
Stop shopping for a truck when the plate’s food cost uses up the price, or when the city’s permit and commissary still have no written fee. The planner leaves break-even blank when the plate does not contribute.
Questions people ask
How much does it cost to start a food truck?
This page does not print a national truck price, because no truck listing with a written repair estimate was opened. What was opened: permit fees from Chicago, New York City, Austin, and Los Angeles County, plus an Insureon general-liability sample of $37 a month. Price the truck, the commissary, and your city’s health permit as separate lines.
What do Chicago food-truck licenses cost?
Chicago’s business licensing page lists a Mobile Food Dispenser at $700, a Mobile Food Preparer at $1,000, a Fire Safety Permit at $100, and a Fire Suppression System Review at $150. Retrieved November 6, 2026.
What does a New York City mobile food vending permit cost?
The health department checklist lists a full-term (2 year) processing permit at $200 and a non-processing permit at $75. Seasonal permits are $35 and $15. A separate frozen-dessert permit is $25 a year. Card payments add a 2% service fee.
What does Austin charge for a mobile food vendor?
Austin’s FY 2025–26 fee-schedule amendment lists an application fee of $158, an unrestricted permit of $239 per unit per year, and a restricted permit of $212 per unit per year. Those three lines match in the proposed and amended columns.
What does Los Angeles County charge for a mobile food facility?
The county public-health application lists low risk at $325, moderate risk at $598, and high risk at $761. That is Los Angeles County, not the City of Los Angeles.
Is there one national food-truck permit?
No. Health, fire, and parking rules are local. The four fee rows on this page are four documents. Do not add them together or paste one city’s fee into another city.
How much is food-truck general liability?
Insureon’s food-truck page, updated September 18, 2026, shows a customer median of $37 a month ($440 a year) at $1 million per occurrence and $2 million aggregate. The same page lists a business-owner’s policy separately. Do not stack the liability sample on top of a package that already includes it.
How many food trucks are there?
Census County Business Patterns 2023, NAICS 722330, counts 12,487 mobile-food establishments and 38,438 employees. 10,062 of those establishments have fewer than 5 employees, which is 10,062 ÷ 12,487, or 80.6%. That is payroll locations, not trucks parked on a street.
What if food cost uses up the plate?
The planner leaves break-even blank when food cost consumes the plate. Lower the food percent, raise the plate price, or change the menu before you shop for a truck.
What should the first 90 days cover?
Write the menu, ask the health department which mobile license applies and whether a commissary is required, ask the fire authority about propane and suppression, then get a written truck price that includes tax, title, and inspection repairs.
Still open
- A written truck price, with tax, title, and the repairs needed to pass inspection, still has to come from the seller.
- The tool prices food as a percent of the plate. Type your own labor cost beside it.
- Commissary rent and a city business-license fee sit outside the permit table above.