Food Truck Permits in Michigan
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Yes. In Michigan a food truck needs a food service license under the Michigan Food Law before it can serve anyone. Most trucks get it from their local (county or city) health department, which also reviews your plans first. You pick one of two license types: a mobile food establishment, which must go back to a licensed commissary (a base kitchen) at least once every 24 hours, or a special transitory food unit (STFU; Detroit and Oakland County now call it a transitory food unit, or TFU), which is fully self-contained and can serve anywhere in the state. Your city may also want its own license and a fire inspection, as Detroit and Grand Rapids do.[4][1][3][6][10]
At a glance
| Permit needed | Yes. A state food service license: either a mobile food establishment or a special transitory food unit (STFU/TFU) license[3] |
|---|---|
| Who issues it | Usually your county or city health department; MDARD handles some units[1] |
| Fee | Set by each local health department. Example: Oakland County charges $186 for an STFU license and $142 to $198 for a mobile truck[2][8] |
| Plan review | Required for new units, and plans must be approved before you build or remodel. The health department has up to 30 business days to review complete plans[3][1] |
| Commissary | Mobile food establishment: yes, every 24 hours. STFU/TFU: no[1] |
| Training | Most food businesses need at least one full-time certified food manager. Detroit says food handler cards are not required[1][5] |
| Where you can serve | An STFU/TFU license works anywhere in Michigan, but you must notify each local health department at least 4 business days before serving there[1] |
| Renewal | Every year. Licenses expire on April 30[3] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Call your local health department first
Talk to the health department in the county where you live or where you will sell most of the time. They will tell you whether they or MDARD will review your truck, and what their fees are.[1]
Decide: mobile food establishment or STFU/TFU
Your menu and your truck's equipment decide the license type. If your truck can't handle all prep, storage and dishwashing on board, it is a mobile food establishment and needs a licensed commissary it returns to every 24 hours. If it is fully self-contained and never needs to go back to a base to restock or clean, it can be an STFU (transitory food unit). Your menu, how you will work and how the unit is built decide which license you get.[1]
Line up a commissary (mobile food establishments only)
The commissary must be its own licensed food establishment, separate from your truck's license. You fill in a Mobile Food Establishment Commissary Verification Form for the health department, keep the approved form on the truck, and send a new form whenever your commissary changes.[1][3]
Get a certified food manager
Most food businesses must have at least one full-time employee with an ANSI-accredited food manager certificate. You show proof before you open.[1]
Submit your plan review package
Send the plan review application and fee, the worksheet and standard operating procedures (written steps for how you handle food), your full menu, your food manager certificate and scaled drawings of the unit. Get approval before you build or remodel the truck. The health department has up to 30 business days to review complete plans.[1][8][6]
Apply for your food service license
Once the unit is built to the approved plans, send the state food service license application and fee to your local health department at least 30 days before you plan to open. The form asks for your VIN, plate number and, for a mobile food establishment, your commissary's license number.[1][2][8]
Pass the pre-opening inspection
The health department inspects the finished unit before it issues the license. A mobile food establishment gets two decals, one for each side. It must also show the business name and address on both sides, in letters at least 3 inches high and 3/8 inch wide, in a colour that stands out from the truck.[1][3]
Check city licenses and fire rules
Check with each city or township where you plan to sell. It may have its own rules on hoods and fire suppression, and its own license and fire inspection. Detroit, for example, wants a fire inspection for enclosed trucks with cooking, propane or a generator, and Grand Rapids wants a city license and a fire inspection.[3][10][1]
STFU/TFU only: send a notice before each new area, and get two paid inspections a year
Before you serve in a health department's area, send them a written notice of each location, date and hours, at least 4 business days ahead. You must also ask for and receive two paid operational inspections each licensing year (May 1 to April 30), spread over your season, and send each report to the health department that licensed you within 30 days.[1][8][6]
Renew by April 30 every year
Send a new application and fee each year. Mobile units also send an updated commissary form; STFUs send their operational inspection reports.[3]
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- Detroit: The Detroit Health Department (not Wayne County) licenses trucks in the city. 2026 license fees: $498 for a mobile food preparation unit and $318 for a TFU (both include a State of Michigan fee). Plan review for a unit that prepares food is $743. Units already licensed by another Michigan county skip Detroit's plan review. Enclosed trucks with cooking, propane or a generator need a Detroit fire inspection, and you also need a city business or vendor license.[6][7][3][5]
- Grand Rapids: The City Clerk issues a mobile food vending license: $390 for the first truck and $26 for each extra one. You need your state food license (from the Kent County Health Department if you live in Grand Rapids), a Grand Rapids Fire Department inspection, and $1,000,000 in general liability and vehicle insurance.[10]
- Oakland County: License fees: $186 for an STFU, and $142 (cold truck or pushcart), $171 (steam table truck) or $198 (hot truck) for a mobile unit. Since July 1, 2025, the county will not do your two paid STFU inspections less than one month apart.[8]
- Macomb County: Mobile food establishments must send a route slip and a commissary verification form with their plan review. A full-time certified food manager is required before you get approval to open.[9]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Submit your plan review package | Plan review fee, set by each local health department. Examples: Oakland County charges $130 (mobile food establishment) or $186 (transitory food unit); Detroit charges $743 for a unit that prepares food. |
| Apply for your food service license | Yearly license fee, set by each local health department. Example: Oakland County charges $186 for an STFU and $142 to $198 for a mobile truck, depending on the type. |
| STFU/TFU only: send a notice before each new area, and get two paid inspections a year | Per inspection. Detroit charges $90; Oakland County charges $115. |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $0 |
Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Submit your plan review package; Apply for your food service license; STFU/TFU only: send a notice before each new area, and get two paid inspections a year.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a mobile food establishment and an STFU?
A mobile food establishment goes back to a licensed commissary at least once every 24 hours for servicing. An STFU (special transitory food unit; some health departments now say transitory food unit, or TFU) is self-contained, never has to return to a base, and can serve anywhere in the state. In exchange, an STFU must notify each health department before serving and get two paid inspections a year.[1]
Do I need a new license for every county I sell in?
With an STFU license, no. It is good statewide, but you must send each local health department written notice of where and when you will serve, at least 4 business days ahead. A mobile food establishment should check with each health department; Detroit, for example, accepts units licensed by another Michigan county without a new plan review.[1][7]
I bought a truck that was licensed in another state. Do I still need plan review?
Yes. Units licensed by another state must go through Michigan plan review. A unit that was licensed in Michigan before may also need a new review, at the health department's choice.[1]
Can I park at a festival with my mobile food establishment license?
If you can't leave the event to go back to your commissary every 24 hours, you need a temporary food license for that event.[3]
Do I need a license to sell only prepackaged ice cream?
No state food license is needed for a truck that sells only prepackaged, single-serving frozen desserts. Your city may still want a vendor license and an inspection. Detroit does.[5][3]
Does everyone on my truck need a food handler card?
No. The Detroit Health Department says a food handler card is not required, though an employer may ask for one. What the law does require, for most food businesses, is at least one full-time certified food manager.[5][1]
What happens if an STFU skips its two paid inspections?
You can lose the right to an STFU license for the next licensing year and have to apply for a temporary or other type of license instead.[3]
Sources
- Special Transitory Food Unit and Mobile Food Establishment Plan Review Manual (Rev. 1/2019), Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (copy posted by the City of Detroit). Checked October 24, 2026. City of Detroit's copy of an MDARD document dated Rev. 1/2019; michigan.gov blocked automated reading. Check the live MDARD version, and the current Food Law, before verifying.
- Food Service License New Application, licensing period January 16, 2026 to April 30, 2027, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (copy posted by Macomb County). Checked October 24, 2026. Macomb County's copy of the MDARD application; michigan.gov blocked automated reading. Check it matches MDARD's own form.
- Mobile Food Establishments and Special Transitory Food Units, City of Detroit, Detroit Health Department. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Licensing, City of Detroit, Detroit Health Department. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Food Safety FAQ, City of Detroit, Detroit Health Department. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Food Service License Fee Schedule, effective January 01, 2026, City of Detroit, Detroit Health Department. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Take Part in Food Trucks in the D! Get Prepared!, City of Detroit, Detroit Health Department. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Food Safety, Oakland County Health Division. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Food service plan review, Macomb County Health Department. Checked October 24, 2026.
- Apply for a Mobile Food Vendor Truck, Trailer, or Concession License, City of Grand Rapids, City Clerk's Office. Checked October 24, 2026.
Related
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 Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Food Law or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.