Florida
Miami-Dade food truck permits: the Florida DBPR mobile food dispensing vehicle license
In Florida, the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) Division of Hotels and Restaurants licenses Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicles. Miami-Dade (District 1) licenses renew on October 1. State law limits what local governments can charge for food-truck licenses; you should still confirm location, property, and Certificate of Use rules with Miami-Dade County and the city where you park.
Last checked 2026-11-09 (America/New_York).
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 |
|---|---|---|
| DBPR application fee (new or change of ownership) Paid in addition to the license fee when applying for a new license or a change of ownership. |
$50 | Application myfloridalicense.com Food Service Fees |
| Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicle, hot dog cart, or temporary commercial kitchen — full-year license Full-year fee applies if you apply during the renewal period (about two months before expiration) or more than six months before the next renewal. District 1 (Miami-Dade / Monroe) annual renewal date is October 1. The published fee includes the $10 Hospitality Education Program fee. |
$347 | Staggered annual license; Miami-Dade renews October 1 myfloridalicense.com Food Service Fees |
| Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicle — half-year license If you apply six months or less before the next renewal period, you may pay the half-year fee. The $10 HEP fee is not prorated (it is already built into the published amounts). |
$178.50 | Half-year myfloridalicense.com Food Service Fees |
The path, in order
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1. Apply for the DBPR Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicle license
Use the Division of Hotels and Restaurants application for a mobile public food service establishment. Pay the $50 application fee plus the $347 full-year (or $178.50 half-year) license fee according to when you apply relative to the October 1 District 1 renewal date. DBPR lists plan review at $0. Read the official MFDV guide and application packet before you submit.
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2. Understand what the state license does — and does not — cover
Florida Statute 509.102 addresses mobile food dispensing vehicles and limits certain local license, registration, permit, and fee requirements. It does not mean you can ignore all local rules about where and when you may operate. Confirm current location, parking, property-owner permission, and any Certificate of Use or zoning requirements with Miami-Dade County and the municipality (City of Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, and others each have their own rules). We are not quoting unverified county or city CU or site fees here.
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3. Arrange a commissary or servicing arrangement if your operation needs one
Confirm water, wastewater, and food-prep support requirements in the DBPR MFDV guide and with the division. We listed only kitchens we could verify with a published address and website; use the suggest-a-kitchen form if you have a Miami-Dade commissary to add.
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4. Confirm fire and propane rules with the local fire authority
Propane, hood, and suppression requirements are enforced locally. Check with Miami-Dade Fire Rescue or the municipal fire department where the vehicle is stored and operated. Fees are not quoted here.
Fire, propane, and commissary notes
DBPR Customer Contact Center: 850.487.1395; dhr.info@myfloridalicense.com; 2601 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1011.
The official fee page notes that the expiration date does not change regardless of when you apply, and that licenses in different districts expire on different dates.
- Miami-Dade Certificate of Use or zoning fees for mobile operations.
- City of Miami or other municipal location, parking, or vending-site fees.
- Local fire / propane inspection fees.
Nearby commissaries and shared kitchens
We have not yet listed a kitchen in Miami with a public address and website we could verify. Use the suggest a kitchen form if you know a good one, and check the official sources below.
Official sources
- DBPR Hotels and Restaurants — Food Service Fees
- DBPR Guide to Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicles
- Florida Statute 509.102
This page is not affiliated with Miami or the agencies above. It is a practical summary by Thirty and Beyond, LLC. Confirm current rules before you spend money or start construction.