Food Truck Permits in Iowa
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. In Iowa you need a mobile food unit license before you sell from a food truck, trailer or pushcart. It costs $250 a year, and you get it from the Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), or from the county health department that licenses food businesses for the state, in the county where you store and service the truck. Before the license is issued you need a plan review and a passed inspection. Most trucks also need at least one employee who is a certified food protection manager, and a newly licensed business has six months to get one. The license moves with the truck, but you still need a sales tax permit and any city vending and fire permits where you park.[2][3][6][7][4][9]
At a glance
| License needed | Yes. A mobile food unit license for each truck, trailer or pushcart[2][6] |
|---|---|
| State fee | $250 a year, the same for a new license and a renewal. Plan review is free[3][4][7] |
| Where you apply | The county where the truck is stored and serviced. DIAL handles 68 counties; 11 local health departments handle the other 31 for the state[6][9] |
| License lasts | One year from the date it is issued. It moves with the truck, so you don't need a new one to sell in another county[2][4] |
| Training | At least one employee must be a certified food protection manager. A newly licensed business has six months to comply[6][5] |
| Before you open | Plan review (floor plan, menu and equipment list) and a passed inspection. Apply at least 30 days ahead[6] |
| Sales tax permit | Yes, if you sell taxable food such as prepared food. It is free from the Iowa Department of Revenue[11][13][10] |
| Fire safety and parking | Set by each city. Check with the city clerk and fire department where you plan to sell[14] |
| Agency | DIAL Food Safety Bureau, food licensing 515-725-5342, plan review 515-350-7587[6] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Check that your setup counts as a mobile food unit
A mobile food unit is a self-contained truck or trailer (grills and smokers can sit outside it) that either stays at one spot for no more than three days in a row or goes back to its home base at the end of each day. A pushcart is a cart without its own engine, limited to food that doesn't need temperature control, food wrapped at a commissary and kept at the right temperature, or simple precooked items like hot dogs. If you only sell at a one-off event from a tent or stand, you need a temporary food license instead.[4][8]
Find out who licenses food in your home county
You license the truck in the county where you store and service it. DIAL licenses and inspects food businesses directly in 68 counties. In the other 31, a local health department does it for the state, for example Linn County Public Health, Johnson County Public Health, Scott County Health Department, Black Hawk County Health Department and Siouxland District Health Department (Woodbury and ten other counties). The City of Dubuque has its own health department for the city only. A truck based outside Iowa still needs an Iowa license.[6][9]
Get a sales tax permit from the Iowa Department of Revenue
Food trucks usually sell prepared food, which is taxable, so you need an Iowa sales and use tax permit. Register online through GovConnectIowa. The permit is free and stays valid until you cancel it, so you don't need a new one for each event. You can start collecting tax as soon as you have registered.[13][10]
Apply in SAFHER and send your plans for review
Apply online in DIAL's SAFHER system at least 30 days before you want to start selling. A mobile food unit license needs a plan review before it is approved, so upload your plans when you apply: your menu, a layout of the truck drawn to scale showing all cooking, holding and warewashing equipment and the handwashing sinks, equipment specifications, plumbing drawings showing water supply and waste connections, and the finishes for floors, walls and ceilings. Attach them in the Attachments section of the Facility Maintenance page. Plan review is free and usually takes 3 to 4 weeks.[4][7]
Pay the license fee
The mobile food unit license costs $250 a year. If you cancel before the license takes effect and before any inspection, you get the fee back minus $67.50; once an inspection has happened, none of it is refunded. Selling before you are licensed can cost a penalty of up to twice the annual fee.[3][4]
Get a certified food protection manager
At least one employee must be a certified food protection manager, which means passing an accredited food safety manager exam. The manager doesn't have to be on the truck every hour you're open, as long as they supervise the food work and the person in charge on each shift knows the food safety rules. A newly licensed truck has six months to meet this. Trucks that don't prepare food and serve only drinks, ice, prepackaged snacks, popcorn or peanuts, or reheated commercially made food that needs no assembly, don't need one.[6][5]
Pass the inspection
The truck is inspected against Iowa's food code, which is the 2017 FDA Food Code with some Iowa changes. You can't open until you pass and the license is issued.[6][5]
Get city vending and fire approvals where you sell
Cities can't issue their own food health licenses (only the state and its contracted local health departments can), but they can still license street vending and say where you may park and sell. In Des Moines, for example, you need a city mobile vendor license and may only sell in set zones or on private property that has a premises permit. Call the city clerk and fire department in each city you plan to visit.[1][14]
Post your license and renew every year
Display your license and your latest inspection report at or below eye level where customers can read them (a QR code on the license also counts). The license lasts one year. Renew before it expires; you can renew up to 90 days ahead. A late renewal costs a penalty of 10% of the license fee for each month it is late.[4][6]
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- Des Moines: A city mobile vendor license only lets you sell food for immediate eating from a truck parked legally in one of the downtown or neighborhood mobile vendor zones the city lists in its code (Section 78-201), or on private property that has a transient merchant premises permit.[14]
- Linn, Johnson, Scott, Black Hawk and other contracted counties: In 31 counties, a local health department licenses and inspects food trucks on the state's behalf and must apply the state's food rules. Apply to that department if your truck is stored and serviced there.[9][1]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Get a sales tax permit from the Iowa Department of Revenue | Free |
| Apply in SAFHER and send your plans for review | Free (plan review has no extra fee) |
| Pay the license fee | $250 (per truck or pushcart, per year) |
| Get city vending and fire approvals where you sell | Set by each city |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $250 |
Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Get city vending and fire approvals where you sell.
Recent changes
- : DIAL's rewritten food licensing rules (481 Iowa Administrative Code chapters 30 and 31) take effect. They keep the 2017 FDA Food Code as Iowa's food code and define a mobile food unit as self-contained except for grills and smokers.[4]
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate license for each county or city I sell in?
No, not for food safety. The state license moves with the truck, and Iowa law stops cities from issuing their own food licenses unless they have an agreement with the state. You still need any city vending, parking and fire permits.[4][1]
Can I sell at a fair or festival with my mobile food unit license?
Generally yes, as long as you stay within what your license covers. A truck working outside its license at an event will be told to stop, and can then buy a temporary food license at double the fee.[8]
My food truck is licensed in another state. Can I sell in Iowa?
Only with an Iowa license. Iowa doesn't accept other states' food truck licenses.[6]
Does the plan review cost extra?
No. There is no fee for plan review. It usually takes 3 to 4 weeks, and an incomplete submission can slow it down.[7]
Can I park in one spot all week?
Not as a mobile food unit, unless you go back to your home base at the end of each day. The definition allows up to three days in a row at one location. Cities may set tighter limits on where and how long you park.[4]
Do I need a tax permit for each event?
No. Iowa no longer issues temporary tax permits. One permanent sales tax permit covers every event; give the event sponsor your name, address and permit number.[12]
Sources
- Iowa Code 2026, Section 137F.3: Authority to enforce, Iowa Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Iowa Code 2026, Section 137F.4: License required, Iowa Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Iowa Code 2026, Section 137F.6: License fees, Iowa Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Iowa Administrative Code 481, Chapter 30: Food and Consumer Safety, Iowa Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Iowa Administrative Code 481, Chapter 31: Food Establishment and Food Processing Plant Inspections, Iowa Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Units, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Checked October 25, 2026.
- How Do I Submit My Food Establishment Plans for Review?, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Temporary Food Establishments & Events, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food and Consumer Safety Bureau Contacts and Jurisdiction Map, March 2025, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Business Permit Registration, Iowa Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Permits, Filing Requirements, & Local Option Sales Tax (LOST), Iowa Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Permits: Frequently Asked Questions, Iowa Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Iowa Sales Tax on Food, Iowa Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Ordinance No. 15,526: amending Municipal Code Section 78-201, location of operation of mobile venders (passed 2016-11-07), City of Des Moines. Checked October 25, 2026. This is the 2016 amending ordinance, not the current codified Section 78-201; check the live Des Moines Municipal Code for later amendments.
Related
- Cottage Food Laws in Iowa
- Food Truck Permits in Illinois
- Food Truck Permits in Minnesota
- Food Truck Permits in Missouri
- Food Truck Permits in Nebraska
- Food Truck Permits in South Dakota
- Food Truck Permits in Wisconsin
- 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 Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (DIAL), Food Safety Bureau or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.