Food Truck Permits in Louisiana
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. In Louisiana a food truck needs a retail food permit from the Louisiana Department of Health, which it calls a mobile food establishment permit. You apply through the parish health unit: send in your truck's plans for review ($100), pass an inspection, then pay the yearly permit fee ($150 for your first permit). If you prepare food, the owner or one employee also needs a food safety certificate, and you will need a sales tax account plus any city or parish license, fire inspection and parking rules where you sell.[1][2][5][3][4]
At a glance
| Permit needed | Yes. A state health permit (retail food permit) from the Louisiana Department of Health, plus any city or parish permits where you sell[1][5] |
|---|---|
| Plan review fee | $100, paid in advance with your plans. $1,000 if you want a guaranteed review within five business days[2] |
| Health permit fee | $150 a year for your first permit. $112.50 each for your second to fifth, and $75 each after that[1] |
| Commissary | Required. You work from a commissary for food prep, storage and cleaning. Shreveport tells vendors to report to it daily[7] |
| Training | If you prepare food, at least the owner or one employee must hold a food safety certificate. It is renewed every five years and must be on display[3] |
| Fire safety | Check locally. Cities such as New Orleans and Shreveport inspect food trucks through their fire departments[5][7] |
| Sales tax | Register a sales tax account with the Louisiana Department of Revenue through LaTAP, and collect state and local sales tax. Parishes and cities may also have you register locally[4][7] |
| Agency | Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health, through the health unit or sanitarian in your parish[2][5] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Register your business and a sales tax account
Register your Louisiana Department of Revenue tax accounts in LaTAP, the department's online system, before you start selling. If you sell taxable goods, you need a sales tax account and must collect state and local sales tax. Some parishes and cities collect their own sales tax and may ask you to register with them too. In Shreveport, for example, that is the Caddo-Shreveport Sales and Use Tax Commission.[4][7]
Line up a commissary
A commissary is a permitted fixed kitchen that acts as your base. You must operate from one for food preparation, storage and cleaning. Shreveport's guide tells vendors to report to it every day for food, supplies, cleaning and servicing; ask your parish health unit how often it expects you there. Commissaries charge their own fees, so ask a few for prices. Get a signed commissary agreement, because cities such as Shreveport ask for one.[7]
Get a food safety certificate
If your truck prepares food, at least the owner or one employee must hold a food safety certificate. You get it by finishing a training programme approved by the Office of Public Health, or by passing a written exam from an approved training provider. The certificate fee is capped at $25, though the course provider charges its own price. Renew it every five years and display it on the truck. Cities and parishes cannot make you take a different food safety course.[3]
Send your truck's plans to the parish health unit
Fill in the Louisiana Department of Health Mobile Unit Plan Review Questionnaire and draw a detailed floor plan of the truck to scale. Send both to the sanitarian at the health unit in your parish. Pay the plan review fee in advance: $100 for a standard review, or $1,000 for a review guaranteed within five business days. In New Orleans the health unit says it reviews applications within 10 days. Do this before you build or buy, so you don't pay for a layout that fails.[5][2][7]
Pass the health inspection and pay for your permit
Once your plans are approved, the health unit schedules an inspection, and you pay the yearly permit fee: $150 for your first permit. A second to fifth permit, for example for more trucks, costs $112.50 each, and $75 each after that. The plan review fee is on top of the permit fee. The permit is renewed every year at the same fee. Churches, nonprofits and government-run operations don't pay the fee.[5][1][2]
Get city or parish permits and a fire inspection
The state health permit does not cover local rules. Cities and parishes may require an occupational license, a food truck or vendor permit, liability insurance and a fire department inspection, and they limit where you can park. New Orleans and Shreveport, for example, both ask for $500,000 of general liability insurance naming the city. Call the city hall or parish office and the fire department for each place you plan to sell.[5][7]
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- New Orleans: You need an occupational license and a mayoralty (food truck) permit from the Bureau of Revenue. New permits cost $655.25 in city fees ($605.25 to renew), plus $50 a year for the fire department application and inspection and the $150 state health permit. Only double-axle trucks qualify, up to 26 feet long and 8 feet wide. You may sell only in the areas on the city's operating map, not in the Central Business District, the French Quarter (Vieux Carre) residential districts, or within two blocks of a school while it is in session, and for no more than 4 hours in one spot. You need $500,000 of general liability insurance naming the city.[5]
- Shreveport: You need a Food Truck and Trailer Vendor's License from the Shreveport-Caddo Metropolitan Planning Commission ($200), a city occupational license ($50, or $25 from July 1), a Shreveport Fire Department inspection and sales tax registration with the Caddo-Shreveport Sales and Use Tax Commission. You may sell only in approved zones with the property owner's written permission, and you need $500,000 of general liability insurance naming the city.[7]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Line up a commissary | Set by each commissary |
| Send your truck's plans to the parish health unit | $100 to $1,000 ($100 standard review, or $1,000 for a review guaranteed within five business days) |
| Pass the health inspection and pay for your permit | $150 (per year for your first permit) |
| Get city or parish permits and a fire inspection | Set by each city or parish |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $250 to $1,150 |
Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Line up a commissary; Get city or parish permits and a fire inspection.
Recent changes
- : Act 514 of 2025 added a plan review fee: $100 for a standard review of the plans for a new food business, or $1,000 for a review guaranteed within five business days. It is charged on top of the permit fee.[2]
Frequently asked questions
Is there one Louisiana food truck permit, or does every city issue its own?
Both. The health permit comes from the state, the Louisiana Department of Health, through your parish health unit. Cities and parishes then add their own licenses, fire inspections and parking rules, so check each place you plan to sell.[5]
How much does the state charge for a food truck?
$100 for the plan review (or $1,000 for a guaranteed five-business-day review), then $150 a year for your first health permit. More permits cost $112.50 each for the second to fifth and $75 each after that.[2][1]
Can I use my home kitchen instead of a commissary?
No. Mobile food vendors must work from a commissary for food preparation, storage and cleaning.[7]
Does everyone on the truck need a food safety certificate?
No. If your truck prepares food, state law requires at least the owner or one designated employee to hold one, and the health department can't require more than one person per business. A city or parish can't make you take its own food safety course.[3]
I only want to sell at one festival. Do I need the yearly permit?
For a fair, festival or other special event, the health department charges a $25 permit fee that covers the whole event, instead of the yearly fee. Ask the parish health unit which permit fits your setup.[1]
Can I run a food trailer in New Orleans?
Generally not on the city's food truck permit. New Orleans issues it only to double-axle, self-propelled trucks, and trailers qualify only if they held a mobile vendor permit before July 2013.[6]
Do I pay sales tax on food I sell from the truck?
If you sell taxable goods, you need a Louisiana sales tax account and must collect state and local sales tax. Register in LaTAP before you open, and check whether your parish or city also wants you to register with its own tax office.[4]
Sources
- La. R.S. 40:31.37, Retail food establishment fees, Louisiana State Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
- La. R.S. 40:31.40, Plan review fees, Louisiana State Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
- La. R.S. 40:5.5, Sanitary inspections of certain food service establishments; food safety certificates, Louisiana State Legislature. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Starting or Buying a Business, Louisiana Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Truck Vendor Permit Checklist (March 2025), City of New Orleans. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Truck Permit Guide, City of New Orleans. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Truck Regulations, City of Shreveport. Checked October 25, 2026.
Related
- Cottage Food Laws in Louisiana
- Food Truck Permits in Arkansas
- Food Truck Permits in Mississippi
- 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 Louisiana Department of Health, Office of Public Health (through your parish health unit) or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.