What does a food truck permit cost in Austin?

Austin has more than one fee. See the official fee table on this page, last checked 2026-11-09. We only quote amounts published on official sources.

Is FoodTruck Ready an official Austin office?

No. This is a plain-English guide by Thirty and Beyond, LLC. Confirm every fee and rule with the official agencies linked on this page.

Texas

Austin food truck permits after July 1, 2026: the statewide DSHS license, plus local fire rules

As of July 1, 2026, Texas mobile food vendors must hold a statewide Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Mobile Food Vendor license. Austin no longer issues the old local health permit. You may still need an Austin Fire permit if you use propane or grease-laden cooking equipment.

Last checked 2026-11-09 (America/New_York).

Statewide license as of July 1, 2026

House Bill 2844 (passed May 26, 2025) moved mobile food vendor licensing to DSHS. Previously, vendors needed licenses from each local health department they worked in. Beginning July 1, 2026, all mobile food vendors must be licensed with DSHS to operate a food vending vehicle in Texas. Until that date, vendors had to keep following their then-current local licensing jurisdiction. The license expires one year from the date of a successful pre-licensing inspection.

Build your permit checklist

Answer three questions. We’ll give you an ordered list with official fees, source links, and boxes you can tick (saved in this browser).

City

What will the truck sell?

Prepackaged only
Fully wrapped or bottled food, no cooking on board. Cooking on board
You prepare, cook, assemble, or hold food on the vehicle.

Propane, a generator, a hood, or fire suppression?

No — no propane, generator, hood, or suppression system Yes — I’ll have at least one of those

Is a fire-suppression system installed? (Chicago adds a plan-review fee if so.)

No / not sure Yes, a suppression system is installed

Official fees we could verify

Amounts below come from the linked official pages or PDFs. If a figure could not be confirmed, we say so and do not invent one.

Item	Amount	Term and source
DSHS MFV Type I — application fee No TCS (time/temperature control for safety) foods, or otherwise a low public-health risk. Examples: prepackaged ice cream or prepackaged non-TCS snacks.	$309	One year from successful pre-licensing inspection DSHS Mobile Food Vendors
DSHS MFV Type II — application fee Prepackaged TCS food with limited handling, or TCS food prepared to order and served immediately (examples: coffee trucks, snow cones, hot dogs).	$618	One year from successful pre-licensing inspection DSHS Mobile Food Vendors
DSHS MFV Type II — pre-licensing inspection fee Due at application, with the Type II application fee.	$400	One-time at initial application DSHS Mobile Food Vendors
DSHS MFV Type III — application fee Prepare, cook, hold, and serve food from the vehicle (examples: burger, BBQ, or taco trucks). Processes may include hot/cold holding, thawing, cooking, cooling, or reheating.	$876	One year from successful pre-licensing inspection DSHS Mobile Food Vendors
DSHS MFV Type III — pre-licensing inspection fee Due at application, with the Type III application fee.	$500	One-time at initial application DSHS Mobile Food Vendors
Austin Fire MFV fire inspection / annual permit Required for mobile food vendors operating in Austin that have propane, or any appliance (including electric) that produces grease-laden vapors. Not required for units with no propane and no cooking equipment (for example, ice cream or coffee only). Also applies to temporary and permanent vendors.	$222	Annual, issued after a passing inspection austintexas.gov Austin Fire

The path, in order

1. Identify your DSHS license type (I, II, or III)

Type I is low-risk / no TCS food. Type II covers limited TCS handling or made-to-order TCS food. Type III covers full cook-and-hold service. Application fees include a Texas Online fee. Both the application fee and any pre-licensing inspection fee are due when you apply.

Official source
2. Apply through DSHS Online Licensing Services

Apply for the statewide MFV license with DSHS. After DSHS processes the application, you are contacted to schedule a pre-licensing inspection. New vendors without an existing Texas local license may not operate until that inspection is successfully completed. If you already held a local health department MFU/MFV license in Texas and submitted proof plus payment, DSHS has described a transition path that lets you keep operating with your application summary and payment receipt on the vehicle until the pre-licensing inspection is done — confirm current transition rules on the DSHS page.

Official source
3. Pass the DSHS pre-licensing inspection

The license is granted after a successful pre-licensing inspection and expires one year from that inspection date. Type II and Type III also have published routine and complaint/compliance inspection fees that may apply later ($400 / $400 for Type II; $500 / $500 for Type III; Type I has a $300 complaint/compliance fee and no routine inspection fee listed).

Official source
4. Get an Austin Fire permit if you use propane or grease-laden cooking

Apply with the online MFV permit application (you need an AB+C portal ID for billing). Austin Fire processes the application, invoices a $222 inspection fee, and performs the inspection. A failed, late, or missed appointment requires paying a new fee to reschedule. Vendors outside the City of Austin but in Travis County must go through the Travis County Fire Marshal, not AFD. Email AFDMobileVending@austintexas.gov if you need help determining jurisdiction.

Official source
5. Check leftover local rules (location, zoning, events)

The statewide DSHS license replaces local health-department food-vendor licenses. It does not automatically waive city fire, right-of-way, parking, event, or zoning rules. Confirm current Austin location and event requirements with the City. We are not quoting unverified local vending or site fees here.

Official source
6. Arrange a commissary or servicing area if your operation needs one

Confirm with DSHS and your license type what central preparation or servicing-area paperwork you need. Several Austin kitchens publish CPF or servicing-area contracts; always confirm they can support your DSHS file.

Official source

Fire, propane, and commissary notes

For new Austin Fire permits after May 1, 2022, AFD lists a 2A10BC extinguisher, a propane system report from a licensed LPG plumber when applicable, a Class 1 hood automatic fire suppression system with a current semi-annual tag, a Class K extinguisher, an explosive-gas detector, and a one-time electrical inspection report on the AFD form completed by a master electrician. Renewals of permits issued before May 1, 2022 follow a different, shorter list. Read the official AFD page for the checklist that applies to you.

DSHS contact published on the MFV page: MobileFoodVendor@dshs.texas.gov or 512-406-2644.

Not quoted here — confirm with the office

Any remaining City of Austin health, site, restroom, or right-of-way fees after the DSHS transition — confirm with the City; not quoted here.
Travis County Fire Marshal fees for vendors outside Austin city limits.

Nearby commissaries and shared kitchens

Map pins use OpenStreetMap. Listings are not a complete official directory.

Capital Kitchens

1606 W Stassney Ln #1, Austin, TX 78745

capital-kitchens.com

Describes itself as an authorized servicing area and central preparation facility for mobile vendors. Confirm current capacity and any post-July 2026 DSHS paperwork with the kitchen.