Food Truck Permits in Alabama
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. In Alabama you need a food permit from the county health department before you run a food truck, and your plans must be reviewed first. Every truck must work from a permitted commissary (a base kitchen) and go back to it every day. Today you also need approval from each county you sell in. SB197, a bill the Legislature passed in 2026, says that from January 1, 2027, a truck with a valid health inspection certificate and a valid fire inspection certificate needs no further local health or fire inspections.[1][2][5]
At a glance
| Permit needed | Yes. A food permit from the county health department, after plan review and an inspection[1] |
|---|---|
| Truck categories | Category 1: prepackaged food only. Category 2: heat, hold and serve fully cooked food. Category 3: cook and prepare, including raw meat, fish or eggs. Category 4: Category 3 plus special processes that need a variance or HACCP plan[2] |
| Works statewide | Not yet. Today each county must approve your truck before you sell there. From January 1, 2027, SB197 exempts a truck with a valid health and fire inspection certificate from further local health and fire inspections[1][5] |
| Permit fee | Set by your county health department. Ask them before you apply[4] |
| Permit lasts | One year. It runs out when annual business licenses do, and you can renew up to 150 days early[1] |
| Commissary | Required. Your truck goes back to a permitted commissary every day it operates[2] |
| Training | Category 3 and 4 trucks need someone with a food protection manager certificate (or proof of attending an accredited course) on board during all hours you are open[2][1] |
| Fire safety | Some cities ask for one now (Birmingham wants a fire inspection certificate). SB197 sets up a statewide fire inspection, valid six months, from 2027[9][5] |
| Sales tax | Register with the Alabama Department of Revenue for a sales tax license, and check local sales taxes where you sell[6][7] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Work out your truck's category
Your menu decides your category, and your category decides what equipment the truck needs. Category 1 sells only intact, prepackaged food and drinks. Category 2 can serve unpackaged food and ice and heat, hold and serve fully cooked food. Category 3 can cook and prepare food, including raw meat, fish or eggs. Category 4 adds special processes that need a variance or a HACCP plan (a written food safety plan) approved by the health department. Your truck can't do more than its commissary is set up for, and any menu change needs the county's approval.[2]
Line up a permitted commissary
A commissary is a permitted kitchen or other fixed food business that serves as your base. It needs, at a minimum, staff toilets, a handwashing sink, a dishwashing sink and a servicing area where you fill water and dump wastewater. You keep your food and supplies there when you aren't selling, and you throw out opened or unpackaged food that needs temperature control for safety at the end of each day. Another food truck can't be your commissary. Some counties ask for a signed commissary form: Jefferson County wants a Commissary Permission Voucher with your plan review.[1][2][8]
Build the truck to the state rules
A food truck must be self-contained, with its own drinking water tank and wastewater tank (unless it handles only prepackaged food), stay on wheels and be easy to move. Where you prepare food or handle unpackaged food, you need a handwashing sink with soap, towels and hot and cold water through a mixing faucet, and the water heater must be on the truck. Gloves don't replace a hand sink. The wastewater tank must be at least 15% bigger than the fresh water tank. You may hook up to water and sewer where a site has them, but both tanks must stay on the truck. Other equipment, like a three-compartment sink, depends on your category; the ADPH checklist has a table of what each category needs.[1][2]
Send your plans to the county health department
Before you can operate, the county reviews your plans. You give them a drawing of the truck showing the water and wastewater tanks, sinks and food storage, and a plan of operations with your menu and how you will keep food at safe temperatures, wash hands and service the truck at the commissary. The plan must say if you will stay at one spot for more than two hours, sell more than two hours' drive from the commissary, or sell in another county. If you stay two hours or more at a spot, you need a toilet you can use in a permanent building (not a private home) within about 200 feet.[8][1]
Get a food protection manager certificate
If your truck is Category 3 or 4, at least one person with a food protection manager certification must be working on it during all hours you are open. The certificate must come from an accredited program and have been issued within the five years before you apply. The state rule also accepts completing an accredited course, without the certificate, within the 12 months before you apply. Your county health department can tell you where to take the course.[2][1]
Put your commissary's details on the truck
Paint or fix the commissary's business name, address and phone number, as shown on its food permit, on at least two sides of the truck. The name must be at least 3 inches high and the address and phone number at least 1 inch high, in a color that stands out. Once you have the permit, post it and your latest inspection score where customers can see them.[1][2]
Pass the inspection and get your county food permit
Apply in writing on the county's form. The health department inspects the truck before it issues the permit, and it must issue the permit or tell you why not within 28 calendar days of your application. The permit can't be transferred to another person or truck. It expires each year when state, county and city business licenses expire (or on a date the county sets), and you can apply to renew up to 150 days before then. The fee is set locally.[1][4]
Get approval for every other county you sell in
Under the current state rule, each county's health officer must approve your truck before you sell in that county. Approval in one county doesn't cover any other. Both you and your commissary's permit holder are responsible for getting it. From January 1, 2027, SB197 says a truck with a valid health inspection certificate (from the county where its commissary is) and a valid fire inspection certificate is exempt from further local health and fire inspections. A county health department or fire official can still inspect your truck at any time while it's open, and shut it down on the spot for a serious health or life safety violation. Ask your county how it will handle out-of-county trucks after that date.[1][5]
Register for sales tax
Register your business with the Alabama Department of Revenue through the My Alabama Taxes website to get a sales tax license, which is mailed to you. The state collects many city and county sales taxes but not all of them, so check with each city and county where you sell whether you must register with them too.[6][7]
Get a business license and permits from each city
Cities and counties can still require their own business license and set their own rules, including after SB197 takes effect. When you apply for a business license, bring a copy of your commissary's food permit and your letter authorizing you to operate in that county. Some cities want a fire inspection too; Birmingham, for example, asks for a fire inspection certificate, your county health permit, liability insurance and a city business license.[5][2][9]
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- Birmingham: You need a City of Birmingham Mobile Food Vendor Permit from the Department of Transportation. The 2025 checklist asks for a fire inspection certificate from Birmingham Fire & Rescue Services, a copy of your Jefferson County Department of Health food permit, proof of general liability insurance, a copy of your driver's license or passport, and a signed conditions form. You also need a city business license, and its decal must be on the truck while you sell. On private property you need the owner's written permission. Generators may not be louder than 80 dBA.[9]
- Jefferson County: The Jefferson County Department of Health says the commissary must be a licensed commercial kitchen or approved facility in Jefferson County if you want a Jefferson County permit. Send a signed Commissary Permission Voucher with your plan review. A truck at a fair or festival that can't get back to its commissary each day needs a Temporary Food Service permit for that event.[8]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Pass the inspection and get your county food permit | Set by your county health department |
| Get a business license and permits from each city | Set by each city or county |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $0 |
Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Pass the inspection and get your county food permit; Get a business license and permits from each city.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate permit for every Alabama county?
For now you need approval from each county's health officer before you sell there; approval in one county doesn't cover another. SB197 says that from January 1, 2027, a truck with a valid health inspection certificate and a valid fire inspection certificate won't need further local health or fire inspections. Cities and counties can still ask for a business license.[1][5]
What will the statewide fire inspection check?
Under SB197 the State Fire Marshal sets one fire inspection process for food trucks. It checks the hood and its fire suppression system (serviced and tagged at least every six months), hood cleaning every six months, propane systems and a yearly propane pressure test by a gas fitter certified by the Alabama Liquefied Petroleum Gas Board, and electrical appliances. The certificate is good for six months, and changing your appliances or safety equipment may void it.[5]
What happens if I sell without the inspection certificates after 2027 starts?
Under SB197, from January 1, 2027, running a truck without a valid health inspection certificate and fire inspection certificate is a Class C misdemeanor. After a second violation, the truck can't operate for 30 days.[5]
Can I sell prepackaged snacks from a truck without a permit?
Possibly. ADPH says a truck that serves only intact, prepackaged foods and drinks, with no prep and no dispensed ice, may not need a permit. Check with the environmental office of your county health department.[2]
Do I need a restroom?
Yes, if you stay at one spot for two hours or more. Your plan of operations must show a toilet you can use in a permanent building that is not a private home, within about 200 feet of the truck.[1]
Can I cook outside the truck?
No. While you're open, all food must be stored, displayed and served from the truck. The one exception is a pull-behind trailer used only for cooking, if the health department approves it first.[1]
Can I change my menu after I'm permitted?
Only with the county's approval. Your truck's equipment was approved for your menu, and changing the menu without approval can get your truck closed.[2]
Sources
- Ala. Admin. Code ch. 420-3-22, Food Establishment Sanitation (rules .01, .02, .08, .09; revised 2/14/2025), Alabama Legislative Services Agency (Alabama Administrative Code). Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Unit Plan Review Checklist (7/16/26), Alabama Department of Public Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Division of Food, Milk and Lodging (FML), Alabama Department of Public Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food and Lodging, Alabama Department of Public Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- SB197 (2026 Regular Session), Enrolled: food trucks and mobile food vendors, statewide health and fire inspections, Alabama Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026. Enrolled bill text (passed Senate 2026-02-19, House 2026-04-02). The fetched copy does not show the governor's signature or an Act number; confirm it was signed before verifying.
- How do I obtain or register for a sales tax license?, Alabama Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Sales Tax, Alabama Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Units, Jefferson County Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Vendor Permit 2025: Application Packet, City of Birmingham, Department of Transportation. Checked October 25, 2026.
Related
- Cottage Food Laws in Alabama
- Food Truck Permits in Florida
- Food Truck Permits in Georgia
- Food Truck Permits in Mississippi
- Food Truck Permits in Tennessee
- Food Truck Permits by State
This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Before you apply or start selling, confirm the details with Your county health department (Alabama Department of Public Health, Food and Lodging Branch) or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.