FoodTruck Ready

Michigan

Lansing food truck permits: Ingham County mobile or TFU/STFU license, MDARD rules, and East Lansing’s city license

In Michigan, food trucks are licensed as food service establishments by the local health department — not by MDARD directly. For Greater Lansing that is Ingham County Health Department. You will choose a Mobile Food Establishment license (return to a commissary at least every 24 hours) or a Transitory Food Unit license, still often called STFU (a self-contained unit that can travel the state). The City of Lansing does not publish a standalone “food truck” license on its business-license list; East Lansing does, at $225 plus a $50 safety inspection.

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

Two state license types, issued locally

MDARD sets the types and the Food Law; local health departments issue the food service licenses and collect the state fee as part of their invoice. A Mobile Food Establishment must return to a licensed commissary kitchen every 24 hours and is for units that cannot handle all prep, storage, and dishwashing on board. A Transitory Food Unit (previously Special Transitory Food Unit, or STFU) is a permanently licensed but non-fixed operation; Ingham County describes it as a unit capable of traveling around the State of Michigan. Before serving in another local health department’s jurisdiction, a TFU/STFU license holder must notify that department in writing of the location, dates, and hours.

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).

What will the truck sell?
Propane, a generator, a hood, or fire suppression?
Is a fire-suppression system installed? (Chicago adds a plan-review fee if so.)

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.

ItemAmountTerm and source
Ingham County Mobile Food Establishment license / renewal
For a transitory food unit that must report to a commissary daily. The published amount includes the State of Michigan fee of $30.00 for mobile licenses.
 $465 Food license year is tied to the statewide cycle (applications and late fees refer to April 30). Confirm exact expiration with ICHD.
2026–2027 ICHD Food and Facilities Fee Schedule (effective until September 30, 2027)
Ingham County Mobile Food Establishment — full plan review
Plan review for a new or substantially changed mobile unit.
 $640 Plan review
2026–2027 ICHD Food and Facilities Fee Schedule
Ingham County Mobile Food Establishment — new owner / evaluation
When ownership changes. Licenses are not transferable.
 $530 New owner evaluation
2026–2027 ICHD Food and Facilities Fee Schedule
Ingham County Special Transitory Food Unit (STFU) / Transitory Food Unit license / renewal
For a transitory food unit capable of traveling around the State of Michigan. The published amount includes the State of Michigan fee of $44.00 for STFU licenses.
 $152 Licensure year (see ICHD); two routine inspections are required each year to be eligible to renew
2026–2027 ICHD Food and Facilities Fee Schedule
Ingham County STFU / TFU — full plan review
Plan review for a new or substantially changed transitory food unit.
 $640 Plan review
2026–2027 ICHD Food and Facilities Fee Schedule
Ingham County STFU / TFU — new owner / evaluation
When ownership changes.
 $575 New owner evaluation
2026–2027 ICHD Food and Facilities Fee Schedule
Ingham County STFU inspection (each)
Two inspections are required each licensure year. The STFU inspection request form states that the $90 fee must be received not less than ten business days before the requested inspection date, and that you should contact the health department first to confirm staff availability.
 $90 Per inspection (two required per year)
2026–2027 ICHD Food and Facilities Fee Schedule
Ingham County temporary food license
A food operation at a single location for a maximum of 14 consecutive days. $250 if the application is received less than 5 days before the event.
 $100 Up to 14 consecutive days at one location
2026–2027 ICHD Food and Facilities Fee Schedule
East Lansing safety inspection fee
Required for the City of East Lansing Mobile Food Vending Annual License. Paid when the application is submitted. Inspections are conducted at Patriarche Park, 960 Alton Road, East Lansing, MI 48823, by the Fire Marshal and Building Department / Electrical Inspector.
 $50 Paid at application; an annual safety inspection is also required to renew
East Lansing Mobile Food Vending Annual License application (PDF)
East Lansing Mobile Food Vending Annual License
Required to operate regularly in East Lansing from a mobile unit on which food is prepared on site, unless you are operating only under a Special Event Food Vending Permit or at a private event. The health-department license must be in place first. Paid upon satisfactory completion of the safety inspection. Fees are paid by check. There is no proration; fees are nonrefundable once the license is issued.
 $225 Annual; renewed by scheduling and passing an annual safety inspection
East Lansing Mobile Food Vending Annual License application (PDF)

The path, in order

  1. 1. Decide whether you need a Mobile Food Establishment or a Transitory Food Unit (STFU) license

    Talk with Ingham County Environmental Health before you buy or build. If the unit cannot handle all food preparation, storage, and dishwashing, you will be a Mobile Food Establishment and must return to a licensed commissary at least every 24 hours, with a signed Mobile Commissary Agreement. If the unit is built to operate without a daily commissary report, ICHD may license it as an STFU / Transitory Food Unit ($152 plus two $90 inspections each year, rather than the $465 mobile license). Do not self-certify the type — the health department decides based on the unit and menu.

    Official source

  2. 2. Complete ICHD plan review ($640 full plan review)

    Use the STFU/Mobile Plan Review Application, worksheet, SOP, and manual linked from the ICHD Permits & Licensing page. MDARD also publishes a transitory-food-unit and mobile plan-review reference manual. Do not begin operating, and do not treat construction as approved, until ICHD says so. A plan-review resubmission after previous plans is listed at $645 on the 2026–2027 schedule.

    Official source

  3. 3. If you are a Mobile Food Establishment, lock in a licensed commissary

    Complete the Mobile Commissary Agreement Form. The commissary must be properly licensed and able to provide the services you need. Allen Neighborhood Center’s Maker Kitchen and Rathbun Accelerator Kitchen at 1611 E Kalamazoo St are licensed shared-use kitchens — confirm with ICHD that they can serve as your commissary and sign the agreement. STFU / TFU units are not described by MDARD as having a daily commissary requirement, but you should still confirm any servicing, water, or wastewater arrangements with ICHD.

    Official source

  4. 4. Apply for the ICHD license and pay the published fee

    New and renewal food service license applications can be submitted online through the links on the ICHD Permits & Licensing page. Budget $465 for a Mobile license/renewal or $152 for an STFU license/renewal, plus plan review if this is a new unit. STFU operators must also pay $90 for each of the two required inspections per year and request inspections at least ten business days ahead. A late fee of $170 applies for a food service license effective the first business day following April 30.

    Official source

  5. 5. If you hold a TFU/STFU license, notify each health department before you serve there

    Before serving food in another local health department’s jurisdiction, file the Notification of Intent to Operate with that department, listing the location, dates, and hours. This is a state requirement described by MDARD, not optional paperwork.

    Official source

  6. 6. Ask the City of Lansing Clerk which city license, if any, you need

    The official City of Lansing Business Licenses page lists Auctioneer, Canvasser/Street Peddler, Ice Cream Peddler, Transient Merchant, and other categories — it does not list a dedicated “food truck” or “mobile food vending” license. We could not verify a published city food-truck fee on lansingmi.gov as of this check date, so we are not quoting one. Contact the City Clerk before you operate in Lansing streets, parks, or public property, and ask whether Transient Merchant, Street Peddler, Ice Cream Peddler, a parks or special-event permit, or another approval applies to your setup. Also ask Lansing Fire Department / Building Safety about propane, generator, and hood-suppression inspections; those fees are not published on the pages we checked.

    Official source

  7. 7. If you will vend in East Lansing, get the city’s annual license ($225 + $50 inspection)

    East Lansing requires a Mobile Food Vending Unit License to prepare and sell food from a portable unit on a regular basis (Ordinance 1534). You must already have the ICHD or other public-health license. Submit the city application, pay the $50 safety inspection fee, pass the Fire Marshal and electrical inspection at Patriarche Park, then pay the $225 license fee. The license covers the locations and hours in the approved application. A Special Event Food Vending Permit (city-sponsored or sanctioned events and neighborhood block parties) has no application fee, though some events may add their own requirements; an annual license holder does not need that special-event permit but still needs city authorization to appear at a special event. Private events on private property, where food is not offered for sale to the public, are treated separately. No alcohol may be sold from mobile units. Provide at least one 48-gallon trash receptacle and recycling, and no amplified music. Prepackaged-only vendors may be treated as Transient Food Merchants — confirm with the City Clerk rather than assuming the $225 license is the right path.

    Official source

  8. 8. Plan fire, propane, and electrical safety inspections

    East Lansing’s annual license includes a Fire Marshal and electrical inspection (current NEC) at Patriarche Park ($50 inspection fee). For operations in the City of Lansing or other townships, confirm inspection requirements with the fire authority that has jurisdiction — we are not inventing a Lansing Fire fee. If you use propane or a suppression system, have current tags and follow the inspector’s checklist.

    Official source

Fire, propane, and commissary notes

Ingham County Health Department: 5303 S. Cedar Street, Lansing, MI 48911; (517) 887-4311.

MDARD (for questions about license types and plan-review manuals, not for issuing the typical food-truck food service license): 525 W. Allegan Street, P.O. Box 30017, Lansing, MI 48909; 800-292-3939; MDARD-Info@Michigan.gov.

East Lansing program questions: business.support@cityofeastlansing.com.

If you primarily sell prepackaged grocery items from a vehicle rather than preparing food for immediate consumption, that may be an MDARD Food Establishment (retail) license instead of a local food service license. MDARD’s fee page lists a Mobile Food Establishment retail license at $192 for grocery-style sales that return to a commissary at least every 24 hours. Most cook-and-serve food trucks are food service, licensed by ICHD. Confirm with ICHD or MDARD if your model is unusual.

Other 2026–2027 ICHD food-program fees include a $170 food-service late fee after April 30, a $195 enforcement follow-up inspection, and $1,020 if construction or remodeling begins without approval.

Not quoted here — confirm with the office
  • City of Lansing license or permit fees that may apply to food trucks (Transient Merchant, Street Peddler, Ice Cream Peddler, parks, or special events) — not published as a food-truck fee on the official Business Licenses page we checked.
  • City of Lansing Fire Department / Building Safety inspection fees for propane, generators, or hood systems.
  • Township or City of East Lansing location-specific site fees beyond the published $225 + $50 annual license.
  • Whether a given shared kitchen, including Allen Neighborhood Center, will be accepted as your Mobile Food Establishment commissary — confirm with ICHD.

Nearby commissaries and shared kitchens

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

Allen Neighborhood Center — Maker Kitchen (powered by Lake Trust) and Rathbun Accelerator Kitchen

1611 E Kalamazoo St, Lansing, MI 48912

allenneighborhoodcenter.org

Licensed commercial shared-use incubator kitchens for food businesses. Confirm with Ingham County Health Department that the kitchen can serve as a licensed Mobile Food Establishment commissary and can sign the Mobile Commissary Agreement, if you need one.

Last checked 2026-11-09. Confirm availability and whether the kitchen can sign your official commissary paperwork.

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Official sources

This page is not affiliated with Lansing or the agencies above. It is a practical summary by Thirty and Beyond, LLC. Confirm current rules before you spend money or start construction.

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