Food Truck Permits in Arkansas
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. If you sell food that needs temperature control from a truck or trailer, you need a retail food permit from the Arkansas Department of Health (ADH). First you send plans of the truck for review and pay a plan review fee of $50 to $500. Then you pass a pre-opening inspection and pay a $35 permit fee, which is billed again every year. You also need a $50 sales tax permit from the state, and each city where you sell can add its own business license, fire inspection and local food tax.[2][5][9][11]
At a glance
| Permit needed | Yes. An Arkansas Department of Health retail food permit ("Food Mobile" on the application) if you sell food that needs temperature control[2][5] |
|---|---|
| State health fees | Plan review: 1% of what the truck build costs, at least $50 and at most $500. Permit: $35, billed again every year. You pay both in the first year[2] |
| Permit lasts | One year, then ADH bills you to renew. It can't be moved to a new owner[4][2] |
| Commissary | Trucks and trailers need an approved servicing area where they dump wastewater, with a signed agreement. Pushcarts must use a permitted commissary every day[6][1] |
| Training | At least one supervisor must be a certified food protection manager, within 12 months of getting the permit. Trucks selling only prepackaged or low-risk food can be excused[1] |
| Fire safety | Set by each city. North Little Rock, for example, wants a fire inspection every year[11] |
| Sales tax permit | Yes, from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA). $50, paid online when you apply[9][10] |
| Agency | Arkansas Department of Health, Environmental Health, 501-661-2171, or the environmental health specialist at your county health unit[3][2] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Work out whether you are a truck or a pushcart
Arkansas calls a food truck or trailer a "mobile retail food establishment": a vehicle that can legally travel on roads, with its own fresh water and wastewater tanks fixed in place. A pushcart is a unit that is not self-propelled. A pushcart can only serve food that doesn't need temperature control ("non-TCS" food), or hot dogs, unless it works inside a fully enclosed building such as a mall or arena.[1]
Find a servicing area and get it in writing
You need a place to empty your wastewater (gray water), such as an RV park, campground, truck stop or restaurant, or a sewage transport vehicle that pumps it out. The owner signs ADH's Mobile Food Service Area Approval form, which also lists other help they give you, like filling water or washing equipment. Finding the site is your job, and you should check with the local city or county that you can dump there.[6][1]
Send plans of your truck to ADH for review
Before you build or convert the truck, send ADH a plan review packet: your menu, a drawing of the layout and equipment, wall, floor and ceiling finishes, written standard operating procedures, the size of your fresh water and gray water tanks, your service area agreement and where you will prep food. Add a Project Cost Estimate Worksheet. The fee is 1% of the build cost, at least $50 and at most $500. You can submit online through ADH's plan review portal, where you pay when you submit, or by mail.[2][7][1][8]
Mail the permit application and $35 at least 30 days before you open
Fill in the Retail Food Establishment Permit Application, tick "Mobile Unit / Push Cart" and "Food Mobile", and mail it with a $35 check or money order to ADH in Little Rock. Even if you send your plans online, the application and fee still go by mail. The $35 is billed again every year. Fees are not refundable.[5][8][2]
Pass the pre-opening inspection
Call the ADH environmental health specialist to book a pre-opening inspection. They check the truck is built the way your approved plans show. If it passes, ADH issues the permit. Display it on the truck where customers can see it.[5][1]
Get a certified food protection manager
At least one person who supervises food prep must pass an accredited food protection manager exam. A new business has 12 months from the date its permit is issued. ADH can excuse operations that only sell commercially prepackaged food, or only approved low-risk food that doesn't need temperature control.[1]
Register for sales tax with DFA
Apply for a sales tax permit from the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration through its online Arkansas Taxpayer Access Point (ATAP). The fee is $50, paid online when you submit. Your business address can't be a PO box, and any other taxes you owe must be paid first.[10][9]
Check each city where you plan to sell
Cities set their own food truck rules. Ask each city about a business license, a fire inspection, written permission from the property owner, and any local prepared food tax (often called an advertising and promotion, or A&P, tax). North Little Rock, for example, asks for all of these.[11]
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- North Little Rock: Under Ordinance No. 8736, a food truck needs a fire inspection from the North Little Rock Fire Department and a health inspection every year, written permission from the property owner for each location, the owner's driver's license, a city business license and an Advertising & Promotion tax permit. The city honours a business license from any other Arkansas city for a no-fee North Little Rock license. You may only sell at the location on the written approval, and permits run for the calendar year.[11]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Send plans of your truck to ADH for review | $50 to $500 (1% of the estimated build cost) |
| Mail the permit application and $35 at least 30 days before you open | $35 (per year) |
| Register for sales tax with DFA | $50 |
| Check each city where you plan to sell | Set by each city |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $135 to $585 |
Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Check each city where you plan to sell.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell prepackaged snacks from a truck without a health permit?
Yes, if they are prepackaged foods that don't need refrigeration, like chips, candy bars and canned or bottled drinks, sold unopened. Some cities and counties may still want a license.[2]
I'm buying a used food truck. Can I use the seller's permit?
No. Arkansas food permits don't transfer to a new owner. You need your own permit. Ask your county health unit whether you also need a new plan review.[2]
Can I prep food in someone else's licensed kitchen?
Yes, with a permission letter from the kitchen's owner, but you still need your own permit.[2]
I only sell at one festival. Do I need the full mobile permit?
Not necessarily. A temporary permit covers up to 14 days in a row at a single event, and costs $5 a day. Ask your county health unit how to apply.[2][4]
Can I sell from a truck the homemade food I make under the Food Freedom Act?
The Arkansas Food Freedom Act lets you sell homemade food that doesn't need temperature control directly to customers. Food that needs temperature control, from snow cones to chicken, must be made in a kitchen ADH has licensed and inspected.[2]
How often do I have to clean my truck's water tank?
Drain, sanitize and refill it with water from an approved source at least every 14 days, or more often if the maker says so, and keep a log.[1]
How often will the health department inspect my truck?
It depends on your menu: once a year for low-risk food, twice for food cooked and served within a few hours, and three times for food that is cooled and reheated for later.[2]
Sources
- Rules Pertaining to Retail Food Establishments (effective October 24, 2022), Arkansas State Board of Health / Arkansas Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Protection FAQ, Arkansas Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Protection Inspection Portal, Arkansas Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Protection Services Fee Schedule, Arkansas Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Retail Food Establishment Permit Application (EHP-99), Arkansas Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Service Area Approval / Pushcart Service Area/Commissary Approval, Arkansas Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Plan Review Guidelines for Food Establishments (EHP-PR1, 9/25), Arkansas Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Plan Review & Submission Portal, Arkansas Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Register for a Tax Account, Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Sales & Use Tax, Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Trucks Operating in North Little Rock (application packet), City of North Little Rock. Checked October 25, 2026.
Related
- Cottage Food Laws in Arkansas
- Food Truck Permits in Louisiana
- Food Truck Permits in Mississippi
- Food Truck Permits in Missouri
- Food Truck Permits in Oklahoma
- Food Truck Permits in Tennessee
- Food Truck Permits in Texas
- 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 Arkansas Department of Health (ADH), Environmental Health, Food Protection or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.