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Food Truck Permits in Massachusetts

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Yes, you need several permits, and most of them are issued locally. Massachusetts has no single statewide food truck license: the state food code (105 CMR 590.000) requires a permit from the board of health in each city or town where you sell, and that board inspects your truck. Everyone who handles money on the truck also needs a state hawker and peddler license (a license to sell goods from place to place) from the state Division of Standards, a truck that meets the state fire code, often with a local fire permit, a meals tax registration with the state Department of Revenue, and, under the state food code, a certified food protection manager with a Massachusetts allergen awareness certificate. Your board of health can also require a licensed base kitchen (a commissary); Boston, Worcester and Rockland do.[2][1][4][5][3][19][12][13][16][9][11]

At a glance

Permit neededYes. A mobile food permit from the local board of health, required by the state food code.[1]
Works statewideNo. The state food code requires a permit from the board of health in each city or town where you sell.[1][19]
Health permit feeSet by each town. For example, Rockland charges $100 a year and Worcester $250.[11][9]
Hawker and peddler licenseNeeded to sell from a truck. State law (M.G.L. c. 101, § 22) has the state Division of Standards, part of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, license hawkers and peddlers. Each person who handles money needs one, at $62 a year. Towns can add their own rules: some require a local hawker and peddler license or a fire permit, and Worcester asks for a city license from its police department.[4][5][19][7][9]
CommissaryUp to your board of health; the state food code has no blanket rule. A board can require a licensed base kitchen (a servicing area). Boston, Worcester and Rockland do.[1][13][9][3][11]
TrainingRequired by the state food code: every food establishment, trucks included, must employ at least one on-site manager or supervisor, 18 or older, who is a certified food protection manager. If you cook, prepare or serve food to eat right away, that manager also needs a Massachusetts allergen awareness certificate, valid five years. The code's exemption list, which includes sellers of only pre-packaged food, is written against a separate federal rule, so if you sell only pre-packaged food, ask your board of health or the Department of Public Health whether you need a certified manager.[1][20][9]
Fire safetyThe state fire code (527 CMR 1.00) sets the rules, including a hood and fire suppression system for smoky or greasy cooking, propane checks and a 10-foot clearance. Your local fire department decides whether you need a fire permit.[19][15]
Meals taxFood trucks count as restaurants for the meals tax: 6.25%, or 7% in towns that adopted the 0.75% local option. Register with the Department of Revenue.[16][17]
RenewalHealth permit: your board of health sets how long it lasts, up to one year, and Rockland, for example, wants a new application each year. Hawker and peddler license: every year. Some cities, such as Worcester, also inspect for fire safety every year.[1][11][7][9]

Step by step

Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.

  1. Call the board of health in the first town you'll sell in

    The state food code requires a permit from the board of health in each city or town where you sell, and each board reviews applications and inspects trucks, so start there before you buy or build. Ask for their application, fee and checklist. Each truck needs its own permit, and if you plan to sell in several towns, you will repeat this in each one; each permit states the dates, locations and any restrictions it covers.[1][19][2][13]

  2. Line up a commissary if your board of health requires one

    The state food code leaves this to your board of health, which reviews your application against Department of Public Health guidelines and the 2013 Food Code. It can require a servicing area: a licensed food establishment you return to for cleaning the truck, dumping waste, filling water and loading food. Boston, Worcester and Rockland require one, and boards are advised to require one if you prepare perishable food. A community kitchen, church kitchen or restaurant kitchen can serve; your home kitchen generally can't, because the food code bars home-made food from a food establishment except where the code allows it. If you need a commissary, get a signed agreement or letter from the kitchen; boards of health ask for it with your application.[1][13][3][9][14][11]

  3. Get your food protection manager and allergen awareness certificates

    The state food code requires every food establishment, which includes a food truck, to employ at least one person in charge who is an on-site manager or supervisor, 18 or older, and a certified food protection manager (someone who passed an accredited exam, such as ServSafe). If you cook, prepare or serve food to eat right away, that manager also needs a Massachusetts allergen awareness certificate, which is valid for five years. The code does list operations that don't need a certified manager, including food establishments that sell only pre-packaged food, but that list is attached to a separate federal manager rule (section 2-102.12(A) of the FDA Food Code), not to the Massachusetts rule above. So if your truck sells only pre-packaged food, don't assume you are exempt: ask your board of health or the Department of Public Health whether you need a certified manager. Boards of health such as Worcester, Rockland and Montague ask for copies of both certificates with your application.[1][20][9][11][14]

  4. Get your state hawker and peddler license

    Each person who handles money on the truck needs a hawker and peddler license from the state Division of Standards, part of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation (M.G.L. c. 101, § 22). It is a license for one person, not for the business. Print the Certificate of Character and have the police chief of the city or town where you live sign it; the signature must be no more than 90 days old when you apply. Then apply online and upload it, or post the application with a check or money order to the Division of Standards. Since March 1, 2026 the application must include your photo, and an approved license comes as an ID card in the post. The license lasts one year from the date it is issued, and each renewal is a full new application with a new Certificate of Character. The state license is subject to local rules, so check each town: some require their own hawker and peddler license or a fire permit. Worcester asks for a city license from its police department, and Cambridge has its own vending license on top of the state one.[4][5][19][6][7][9][10]

    Fee: $62 (per person, per year: a $60 state license plus a $2 license display fee; police may charge for the fingerprint check)

  5. Register to collect meals tax

    For the meals tax, a food truck, canteen truck or street cart counts as a restaurant, so the food you sell to eat is taxed as a meal. The state rate is 6.25%. Towns can add a 0.75% local option, making 7% in a town that adopted it. Register with the Department of Revenue (DOR) as a meals tax vendor. For a truck without a fixed location, DOR counts your sales at your business location and you register using the address of that city or town's licensing authority; if your business is based outside Massachusetts, use the town where you make the most sales. Selling at a fair or special event with a fixed location is different: you register separately as a seasonal vendor for each event. DOR sends a registration certificate for each business location, which must be displayed where customers can easily see it.[16][17][18]

  6. Meet the state fire code and get any local fire permit

    The state fire code, 527 CMR 1.00, has a section on mobile and temporary cooking (section 50.8). Your local fire department, the "authority having jurisdiction", decides whether you need a fire permit. The Department of Fire Services lists the common requirements: if your cooking produces smoke or grease-laden vapour, a Type I hood with a fire suppression system; the suppression system serviced twice a year, and the exhaust inspected and cleaned, by certified technicians; a clear 10 feet from buildings, vehicles, other food trucks and anything combustible; no flammable liquids stored inside; propane (LP-gas) checked before each use, with tanks on the truck no bigger than 200 gallons; generators that meet the code; and a carbon monoxide detector if you cook with open flame. A fire permit should cover propane fixed to the truck; a propane cylinder on the ground over 42 lbs needs its own permit. Towns such as Westfield and Chelmsford issue a separate food truck fire permit, and Worcester, for example, wants the fire protection system inspected within the past six months and the extinguisher within the past year.[19][12][9][15]

    Fee: Set by each fire department. Westfield charges $40 and Chelmsford $50, for example.

  7. Apply for the health permit and pass the inspection

    Send the board of health its application with your menu, certificates, hawker and peddler license, commissary letter if it requires one, and any insurance it asks for, then book the inspection. Your truck must pass before the permit is issued. You can't sell until the board has approved you and issued the permit.[1][11][9][14]

    Fee: Set by each board of health. Rockland charges $100 a year, Montague $185 and Worcester $250.

  8. Get city vending permits and find places to park

    Some cities run their own food truck program on top of the health permit. Boston, for example, needs a city food truck permit and awards public spots by lottery. Cambridge only allows trucks on private property with the owner's written permission. Ask each city where you want to sell.[3][8][10]

    Fee: Set by each city. Boston's food truck permit is $500 a year.

  9. Renew before your permits run out

    Your board of health sets how long your health permit lasts, up to one year; Rockland, for example, wants a new application each year. Hawker and peddler licenses are yearly, and some cities, such as Worcester, repeat the fire inspection every year. Renew each one before it runs out.[1][11][7][9]

Local rules

These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.

What it costs

StepFee
Get your state hawker and peddler license$62 (per person, per year: a $60 state license plus a $2 license display fee; police may charge for the fingerprint check)
Meet the state fire code and get any local fire permitSet by each fire department. Westfield charges $40 and Chelmsford $50, for example.
Apply for the health permit and pass the inspectionSet by each board of health. Rockland charges $100 a year, Montague $185 and Worcester $250.
Get city vending permits and find places to parkSet by each city. Boston's food truck permit is $500 a year.
Total if every fee applies to you$62

Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Meet the state fire code and get any local fire permit; Apply for the health permit and pass the inspection; Get city vending permits and find places to park.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a separate health permit for every town I sell in?

Yes. The state food code says a mobile food operator must get a permit from each board of health in whose area it sells, so a permit from one town does not cover another. We found no statewide license that every town must accept. You don't need a board of health permit if you only carry whole uncut fresh fruit and vegetables, unprocessed honey, pure maple products, or farm fresh eggs kept at 45°F or colder, or if you only deliver food, such as grocery orders or restaurant takeout.[1][19][2][13]

Who needs a hawker and peddler license on my truck?

Everyone who handles money needs the state license from the Division of Standards. It is issued to one person, not to the business, so each person applies separately, and it lasts one year. Towns can add their own rules, and some require a local hawker and peddler license too. Boston only asks to see one when you apply for its food truck permit.[4][7][19]

Do I need a commissary in Massachusetts?

It depends on your board of health. The state food code has no blanket commissary rule for trucks; each board reviews applications against Department of Public Health guidelines and the 2013 Food Code, and it can require a servicing area, a licensed base where you clean the truck, dump waste, fill water and load food. Boston, Worcester and Rockland require a commissary, and if you need one, your board of health will want a letter or agreement from that kitchen. Don't plan on prepping in your home kitchen: the food code bars food made in a private home from a food establishment except where the code allows it.[1][13][9][11]

Do I need a food safety certificate to run a food truck in Massachusetts?

Yes. The state food code requires every food establishment, trucks included, to employ at least one certified food protection manager: an on-site manager or supervisor aged 18 or older who passed an accredited exam. If you cook, prepare or serve food to eat right away, that manager also needs a Massachusetts allergen awareness certificate, valid for five years. The code's list of operations exempt from a certified manager, which includes sellers of only pre-packaged food, is tied to a separate federal rule (FDA Food Code 2-102.12(A)), not to the Massachusetts requirement. If you sell only pre-packaged food, ask your board of health or the Department of Public Health whether you need one.[1][20]

How much does it cost to start a food truck in Massachusetts?

It depends on where you sell, because most fees are local. As examples: a health permit is $100 a year in Rockland and $250 in Worcester, the state hawker and peddler license is $62 per person, a fire permit is $40 in Westfield, and Boston adds a $500 food truck permit.[11][9][4][12][3]

Do I charge sales tax on food from my truck?

Yes, on meals. DOR lists canteen trucks and street wagons or carts as restaurants for the meals tax. The state rate is 6.25%, plus 0.75% in cities and towns that adopted the local option, making 7% there. Register with the Department of Revenue; a truck registers using the address of the licensing authority in its home town, or in the town with the most sales if it is based out of state. Fairs and special events at a fixed location need a separate seasonal registration for each event.[16][17][18]

Can I park my food truck anywhere in Boston?

No. On public property you can only vend at the city's listed sites, which are given out by lottery. On private property you need the owner's permission. Public-site vending stops from November 1 until April 1.[8][3]

I sell frozen packaged meat or seafood from a refrigerated truck. What do I need?

A mobile food permit from each board of health where you sell, a hawker and peddler license, possibly a police solicitor permit, and a retail seafood truck dealer permit from the Division of Marine Fisheries if you sell raw seafood. Keep copies of the permits in the vehicle.[2]

Sources

  1. 105 CMR 590.000: State Sanitary Code Chapter X, Minimum Sanitation Standards for Food Establishments, Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Checked October 25, 2026. mass.gov refuses the project fetcher (HTTP 403), so check:quotes reports this source as "could not fetch". The quotes were checked against a copy of this official PDF (Mass. Register #1375, 10/5/18) downloaded from this URL on 2026-10-25.
  2. Food Protection Program Policy RF-12: Licensure for Truck Vendor Operating as Retail Mobile Food Operation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Food Protection Program (copy hosted by the Town of Milton). Checked October 25, 2026. Town of Milton's copy of a state DPH policy dated 6/15/10, revised 04-30-13. mass.gov blocked automated reading, so the live state copy could not be checked; the policy cites the 1999 Food Code and section numbers that have changed since. Facts now rest on 105 CMR 590.000 where the regulation covers them.
  3. How to Get a Food Truck Permit, City of Boston, Office of Small Business. Checked October 25, 2026.
  4. Hawker and Peddler Application, Massachusetts Division of Standards (Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation). Checked October 25, 2026. mass.gov refuses the project fetcher (HTTP 403), so check:quotes reports this source as "could not fetch". The quotes were checked against a copy downloaded from this URL with a plain request on 2026-10-25.
  5. Certificate of Character, Massachusetts Hawker/Peddler License Application (Form Version 26-1, effective October 2, 2026), Massachusetts Division of Standards (Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation). Checked October 25, 2026. mass.gov refuses the project fetcher (HTTP 403), so check:quotes reports this source as "could not fetch". The quotes were checked against a copy downloaded from this URL with a plain request on 2026-10-25.
  6. 801 CMR 4.00: Rates (4.02 Fees for Licenses, Permits, and Services to Be Charged by State Agencies), Massachusetts Executive Office for Administration and Finance. Checked October 25, 2026. mass.gov refuses the project fetcher (HTTP 403), so check:quotes reports this source as "could not fetch". The quotes were checked against a copy downloaded from this URL with a plain request on 2026-10-25. Copy printed as Mass. Register #1579, 07/31/2026. Under 202 Division of Standards, the hawker and peddler state licence is $60 and the licence display $2, which make up the $62 the Division charges.
  7. How to Get a Hawker and Peddler License, City of Boston, Office of Small Business. Checked October 25, 2026.
  8. Food Truck Rules and Regulations, City of Boston, Office of Small Business. Checked October 25, 2026.
  9. Mobile Food Vendors and Pushcart Licensing Guide Sheet, City of Worcester, Department of Inspectional Services. Checked October 25, 2026.
  10. Mobile Food Truck Permitting/Licensing, City of Cambridge, Inspectional Services Department. Checked October 25, 2026.
  11. Application to Operate a Mobile Food Truck, Town of Rockland, Board of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
  12. Food Truck Inspection and/or LP Storage Permit (FP-006), City of Westfield Fire Department. Checked October 25, 2026.
  13. BOH Forms #51: Mobile Food Establishment (checklist, 2024-07-22), Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, Berkshire Public Health Alliance. Checked October 25, 2026. A regional planning commission's standard operating procedure for its member Berkshire County boards of health, summarising 105 CMR 590.000. It is a public body's guide, not the regulation or the state regulator; the each-town rule now cites 105 CMR 590.010(B)(2)(d) directly and this guide is kept as a secondary cite.
  14. Application to Operate a Mobile Food Unit, Town of Montague, Board of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
  15. Food Trucks (Fire Prevention), Town of Chelmsford Fire Department. Checked October 25, 2026.
  16. Sales Tax on Meals (guide), Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026. mass.gov refuses the project fetcher (HTTP 403), so check:quotes reports this source as "could not fetch". The quotes were checked against a copy downloaded from this URL with a plain request on 2026-10-25.
  17. 830 CMR 64H.6.5: Sales Tax on Meals, Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026. mass.gov refuses the project fetcher (HTTP 403), so check:quotes reports this source as "could not fetch". The quotes were checked against a copy downloaded from this URL with a plain request on 2026-10-25.
  18. TIR 09-13: Local Option Sales Tax on Meals and Local Option Room Occupancy Excise Rate Increase (July 23, 2009), Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Checked October 25, 2026. mass.gov refuses the project fetcher (HTTP 403), so check:quotes reports this source as "could not fetch". The quotes were checked against a copy downloaded from this URL with a plain request on 2026-10-25. A 2009 release, still published by DOR and linked from its current meals tax guide; its sourcing and registration rules are the ones cited for trucks.
  19. Quick Reference Guide: Food Trucks (updated June 2025), Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, Office of General Counsel. Checked October 25, 2026. mass.gov refuses the project fetcher (HTTP 403), so check:quotes reports this source as "could not fetch". The quotes were checked against a copy downloaded from this URL with a plain request on 2026-10-25. This is a DFS legal guide that summarises M.G.L. c. 101 § 3, 105 CMR 590 and 527 CMR 1.00 § 50.8; it says it is not legal advice. It is not the statute or the fire code itself, which were not read.
  20. Food Code 2013, U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Checked October 25, 2026. The federal model food code. 105 CMR 590.000 adopts it with Massachusetts amendments; cited here only for the text of 2-102.12(A), the federal manager rule the Massachusetts exemption list refers to.

This page is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change. Before you apply or start selling, confirm the details with Your city or town board of health (permit), under Massachusetts Department of Public Health food rules or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.