Food Truck Permits in Kentucky
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. A food truck in Kentucky needs a statewide mobile food unit permit, which costs $200 a year and is paid to your local health department. If your menu is limited to low-risk items, like shaved ice, nacho cheese and chips or pre-cooked hot dogs, you can get a mobile restricted food concession permit for $125 a year instead. You will submit plans for the truck and pass an inspection before you open, and you must register to collect Kentucky's 6% sales tax. Cities can add their own permits, so check with the city where you park.[1][2][3][4][5]
At a glance
| Permit needed | Yes. A statewide mobile food unit permit for a fully enclosed, self-contained truck or trailer[1][3] |
|---|---|
| Permit fee | $200 a year, paid to the local health department[2] |
| Low-risk menu option | A mobile restricted food concession permit, $125 a year, for items like shaved ice, snow cones, nacho cheese and chips, cotton candy, pre-cooked hot dogs and pre-packaged ice cream[2][1] |
| What you can't do on the truck | Complex food preparation (food that goes through the 41°F to 135°F danger zone twice or more, like cooking, cooling and reheating), and catering without a catering kitchen permit[1] |
| Commissary | Not named in the rule, but all food must come from your permitted truck or a permitted food service establishment, and the truck must be serviced and cleaned every day it operates[1] |
| Plans and inspection | Submit plans for the truck, apply at least 30 days before opening, and pass a pre-opening inspection[3] |
| Training | The person in charge must show food safety knowledge: a food protection manager certificate or a local health department class counts. The Food Code Kentucky adopts also asks for one certified food protection manager per establishment, so ask your health department which it expects[1][3] |
| Sales tax | Register with the Kentucky Department of Revenue and collect the 6% sales tax. There is no local sales tax[4] |
| Agency | The local health department where you apply, under the Cabinet for Health and Family Services[1][2] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Pick the right permit for your menu
Most food trucks need a statewide mobile food unit permit. That is Kentucky's name for a fully enclosed, self-contained food business that runs from a vehicle. If you only sell low-risk items, such as flavored or shaved ice, snow cones, nacho cheese and chips, cotton candy, pre-cooked hot dogs or bratwurst, or pre-packaged ice cream, you can apply as a mobile restricted food concession instead, which costs less.[1][2]
Plan your menu around Kentucky's mobile rules
Everything you serve must be cooked or prepared on your permitted truck or in a permitted food service establishment, so food made in your home kitchen is out. You can't do complex food preparation on the truck: food that passes through the temperature danger zone (41°F to 135°F) two or more times, for example cooked, cooled and then reheated. You also can't cater from the truck unless you get an additional catering kitchen permit.[1]
Arrange somewhere to service the truck
The truck must be serviced and cleaned every day it operates. Its water and waste systems must meet the 2013 FDA Food Code and the Kentucky State Plumbing Code, and wastewater must be emptied at an approved servicing area or by a sewage hauler. Ask your local health department what servicing arrangement it needs to see.[1][3]
Submit plans for the truck
Before you build or convert a truck, send the health department plans and specifications for approval. Plans normally cover your menu, the layout, and the equipment you will install. Ask the health department for its plan review form and whether it charges a plan review fee.[3]
Apply for your permit and pay the fee
Apply to your local health department at least 30 days before you plan to open, and pay the fee when you apply. The permit is annual, so the same fee is due again each year.[3][2]
Pass the pre-opening inspection
The health department inspects the truck before you open to check that it was built and equipped as your approved plans show. You can't operate until you hold a valid permit.[3]
Get your food safety certification
The person in charge must show food safety knowledge. Kentucky lets them do that by being a certified food protection manager who passed an accredited exam, or by passing a local health department food safety class. Separately, the 2013 FDA Food Code that Kentucky adopts says at least one supervisor must be a certified food protection manager, unless the health department decides your operation is very low-risk. Kentucky's rule does not change that section, so ask your health department whether a class is enough for your truck.[1][3]
Register for Kentucky sales tax
As a seller, you must collect sales tax from customers and pay it to the Kentucky Department of Revenue. Register with the Department, which mails a sales and use tax permit to every new registrant. The rate is 6% everywhere in Kentucky, with no local sales tax on top.[4]
Check the rules in each city where you park
Cities set their own location, zoning and fire rules for food trucks, and some require a city permit and business license on top of your health permit. Paducah, for example, requires a yearly Mobile Food Permit for each truck. Call city hall before you sell somewhere new.[5]
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- Paducah: You need a yearly Mobile Food Zoning Compliance Permit for each truck from the Mobile Food Administrator (the city's Director of Planning), plus a city business license, safety inspections from the Fire Prevention Division, and proof of $2,000,000 in liability insurance naming the city. You can't park within 100 feet of a restaurant's main entrance without its written consent, or on state highway right-of-way. Hours are 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., or until 2 a.m. on private property while the business there is open. Ice-cream and coffee trucks that stop for 10 minutes or less, and trucks working under a special event permit, are exempt.[5]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Apply for your permit and pay the fee | $125 to $200 ($200 a year for a statewide mobile food unit, or $125 a year for a mobile restricted food concession) |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $125 to $200 |
Frequently asked questions
Can I prep food in my home kitchen for my food truck?
No. Everything a Kentucky food truck serves must be cooked or prepared on a permitted mobile food unit or in a permitted food service establishment. If you need more space, rent time in a permitted commercial kitchen.[1]
Do I need a separate health permit in every county?
The permit is called a statewide mobile food unit permit, and you pay for it at your local health department. The regulation doesn't spell out what other counties can ask of you, so call the health department in a new county before you sell there and ask whether it wants notice or an inspection.[1][2]
Can I make chili or pulled pork ahead and reheat it on the truck?
Not if the food goes through the 41°F to 135°F danger zone two or more times, such as cooking, cooling and reheating. Kentucky calls that complex food preparation, and it isn't allowed on a mobile food unit. Ask your health department how to handle a menu like that.[1]
I only sell shaved ice or hot dogs. Do I need the full permit?
Maybe not. Low-risk menus, such as shaved ice, snow cones, cotton candy, nacho cheese and chips, and pre-cooked hot dogs that are grilled, steamed or boiled on site, can run as a restricted concession, which costs $125 a year instead of $200.[1][2]
Can I cater events from my food truck?
Not on the mobile food unit permit alone. The truck needs to meet extra permitting rules as a catering kitchen first.[1]
Do I charge local sales tax in Kentucky?
No. Kentucky has one 6% sales tax rate statewide and no local sales tax, so the rate is the same wherever you park.[4]
Sources
- 902 KAR 45:005. Kentucky food code, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Checked October 25, 2026.
- 902 KAR 45:110. Permits and fees for retail food establishments, vending machine companies, and restricted food concessions, Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Code 2013 (adopted in Kentucky by 902 KAR 45:005), U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Retail Packet: Frequently Asked Questions for Retailers (51RETAIL-PKT, 11-17), Kentucky Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026. Dated November 2017. Check it against the current Department of Revenue sales tax pages before verifying.
- Mobile Food Vehicle Permit checklist, application and Sec. 126-87, Mobile Food Vehicles and Food Tents, City of Paducah Planning Department. Checked October 25, 2026. The city's application packet, which reprints the ordinance. Compare Sec. 126-87 against the codified Paducah code before verifying.
Related
- Cottage Food Laws in Kentucky
- Food Truck Permits in Illinois
- Food Truck Permits in Indiana
- Food Truck Permits in Missouri
- Food Truck Permits in Ohio
- Food Truck Permits in Tennessee
- Food Truck Permits in Virginia
- Food Truck Permits in West Virginia
- 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 local health department, under the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services (Food Safety Branch) or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.