Food Truck Permits in Nevada
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. Nevada has no single statewide food truck permit. You need a health permit from the health authority where you sell: the Southern Nevada Health District (SNHD) in the Las Vegas area, Northern Nevada Public Health (NNPH) in Reno, Sparks and Washoe County, or the state Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH) in most rural counties. Each one reviews your truck's plans, inspects it, and makes you work from an approved servicing area (a commissary). You also need a Nevada state business license, a sales tax permit, and a city or county business license, which often comes with a fire inspection.[1][5][7][9][3][13][10]
At a glance
| Permit needed | Yes. A mobile food health permit for each truck, from the health authority where you sell[12][9] |
|---|---|
| Who issues it | Clark County (Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas): SNHD. Washoe County (Reno, Sparks): NNPH. Churchill, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey and White Pine counties: the state DPBH. Carson City and Douglas County: call DPBH to find out who issues yours[3][5][7][9] |
| Health permit fees | Set by each health authority. SNHD: $658 plan review plus $335 a year for a mobile food truck ($329 and $191 for an ice cream or candy truck). DPBH: $166 plan review plus $166 a year[2][8] |
| Permit lasts | One year, then you renew[9][2] |
| Commissary | Required. You need a written agreement with an approved servicing area and must return to it every day you operate, unless the health authority approves otherwise. A private home can't be your base[9][5] |
| Training | Depends on the health authority. In Southern Nevada every worker needs a food handler card ($25, good for three years). DPBH asks for certified food manager documentation with your plans. NNPH sets how many certified food protection managers you need from your menu's risk level[4][9][5] |
| How long you can stay in one spot | In DPBH areas, no more than 4 hours at a fixed location (outside special events), and 1 hour if your workers have no restroom nearby, unless the health authority approves longer. Cities add their own limits[9] |
| Business licenses | A Nevada state business license from the Secretary of State, plus a city or county business license where you sell[3][13] |
| Sales tax permit | Yes, from the Nevada Department of Taxation. $15 per location. It does not expire[13][14] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Find out which health authority covers you
Your health permit comes from the health authority for the area where you will sell. In Clark County (Las Vegas, Henderson, North Las Vegas) that is the Southern Nevada Health District. In Washoe County (Reno, Sparks) it is Northern Nevada Public Health. In Churchill, Elko, Esmeralda, Eureka, Humboldt, Lander, Lincoln, Lyon, Mineral, Nye, Pershing, Storey and White Pine counties it is the state Division of Public and Behavioral Health (DPBH). If you are in Carson City or Douglas County, or you aren't sure, call a DPBH field office and ask. If you plan to sell in more than one area, ask each health authority what it needs: a permit from one is not automatically accepted by another.[9][7][6]
Get your state business license and sales tax permit
Register with the Nevada Secretary of State for a state business license first, because the Department of Taxation won't issue a tax permit without one. Then register for a sales tax permit (also called a seller's permit) online through My Nevada Tax; online applicants get a permit number within 24 hours. The fee is $15 per location. The permit doesn't expire, but you must post it at your business. SNHD also requires the ownership on your health permit to match your business license.[13][14][3]
Build or buy a truck that meets the food code
Under the state guide, the inside must be enclosed and lined with light-colored, washable material, with mechanical ventilation (a hood) over any cooking. If the truck has a water system, the fresh water tank must hold at least 40 gallons, and the waste tank must be at least 15 percent bigger. Your business name must be painted or fixed on both sides and the rear in letters at least 3 inches tall. In Washoe County you need hot and cold running water, a handwashing sink (which may not be needed if you sell only prepackaged items) and mechanical refrigeration, and everything, including tables and condiments, must fit on the unit. Check tank sizes and other details with your own health authority before you build.[9][5]
Sign an agreement with a servicing area
A servicing area (often called a commissary or service depot) is a permitted food business, such as a restaurant or commercial kitchen, where you store food, prepare food, fill your water tank, dump wastewater and clean the truck. You need a written agreement signed by its permit holder before you can operate, and you must go back to it every day you operate. You can't use your home. If your servicing area closes or changes hands, you must stop selling and tell the health authority. In Washoe County the health authority does not keep a list of servicing areas, so you have to find your own.[5][9]
Get your food safety training
In Southern Nevada, every person who works on the truck needs an SNHD Food Handler Safety Training Card. You pass a short test, pay $25 and the card lasts three years. DPBH asks for proof of a certified food manager with your plans. NNPH decides at your opening inspection how many certified food protection managers you need, based on the risk level of your menu.[4][9][5]
Apply for the health permit and send your plans
Send the application, your truck's layout and equipment details, your menu and your servicing area agreement. In Southern Nevada you apply online through SNHD's Accela Citizen Access portal; SNHD then sends an invoice for the plan review and permit fees, which you must pay before your inspection and can't get back. DPBH wants plans at least 30 days before you start building and takes up to 30 days to review a complete set. It also asks for your planned route or sites, your water source, your wastewater dump site and where your workers can use a restroom.[1][2][8][5][9]
Pass the inspection and post your permit
SNHD inspects mobile vendors at its office at 280 S. Decatur Blvd. in Las Vegas and issues your permit when you pass. If you miss an appointment without 24 hours' notice, you pay a missed appointment fee. DPBH and NNPH inspect your truck at your servicing area; for DPBH, call 10 working days ahead. Have the equipment running, cold units at 41°F and water systems working. NNPH mails you a sticker to post on the outside of the truck. DPBH mails a license, which you keep in the truck.[1][9][5]
Get a local business license and fire inspection
Each city or county where you sell needs its own business license, and many inspect your truck for fire safety, including any propane system. In the City of Las Vegas, for example, the Fire Prevention Division inspects every truck before the license is issued and again every year. In Washoe County, check with the Reno, Sparks or Truckee Meadows fire department, depending on where you sell.[3][10][5]
Follow the operating rules and renew every year
Ask the health authority before you change your equipment, menu, location or servicing area, and tell it before you sell at a special event. Washoe County also wants a yearly schedule of when you prepare food at your servicing area. Health permits last a year. DPBH wants your first routine inspection booked within 30 days of opening and a call every 10 months after that to schedule the next one.[9][5]
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- City of Las Vegas: You need a city mobile food vendor business license on top of your SNHD health permit. Bring your commissary agreement (its address becomes your business address), insurance naming the city, DMV registration, your driver's license and photos of the truck. Insurance must be at least $100,000 per person, $300,000 per accident and $25,000 for property damage. The license costs $100 plus a one-time $50 processing fee, and renewals are based on your revenue every six months. The Fire Prevention Division inspects the truck, and any propane, every year. On a street or sidewalk you must move at least 150 feet every 30 minutes; on a private commercial lot with a licensed business you can stay up to 4 hours in 24.[10][11][12]
- City of Las Vegas: where you can't park: No vending within 1,000 feet of a school while it is in session (or the hour before and after), within 150 feet of a residential neighborhood, or within 150 feet of a restaurant's main entrance while it is open. You can't put tables or chairs on the street or sidewalk, and a trailer must stay hitched while you sell.[12]
- Washoe County (Reno and Sparks): NNPH issues the health permit. Get your business license from the City of Reno, the City of Sparks, or Washoe County if you sell outside the cities, and check the matching fire department. Reno and Sparks also have their own mobile vendor codes. Tell NNPH before any special event; if you stay put for a multi-day event instead of returning to your servicing area each day, you need a temporary food permit.[5][6]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Get your state business license and sales tax permit | $15 (sales tax permit, per location; the state business license fee is separate) |
| Apply for the health permit and send your plans | $332 to $993 (Depends on the health authority. DPBH: $166 plan review plus a $166 yearly permit ($332). SNHD: $658 plan review plus a $335 yearly permit for a mobile food truck ($993; ice cream or candy truck: $329 plus $191). NNPH (Washoe County) fees are not included: ask NNPH.) |
| Get a local business license and fire inspection | Set by each city or county |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $347 to $1,008 |
Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Get a local business license and fire inspection.
Frequently asked questions
Does my Las Vegas health permit let me sell in Reno?
Not on its own. Each health authority issues its own permit. NNPH says a mobile unit without an NNPH Mobile Food Permit needs a temporary food establishment permit to sell at an event in Washoe County. For regular selling there, ask NNPH about a permit of your own.[6]
Can I prep food in my home kitchen and sell it from the truck?
No. You can't store or prepare food for the truck in a private home. Prep happens on the truck or at your approved servicing area. The City of Las Vegas also won't license a food truck as a home-based business.[9][5][12]
Do I need a separate permit for each truck?
Yes. Health permits are per vehicle and can't be moved from one truck to another. In Las Vegas, each added vehicle also has to be reported to the city with a $50 processing fee.[9][12]
Can I set up tables, a canopy or coolers next to the truck?
In Washoe County, no: everything has to fit in or on the unit. You can keep drinks in an ice chest, but any food that needs temperature control has to go in mechanical refrigeration. In Las Vegas, you can't put tables or chairs on the street or sidewalk.[5][12]
Can I take my truck to a festival or special event?
Yes, but tell the health authority in advance. In Washoe County you also need the event promoter's permission, and if the truck can't get back to its servicing area every day of a multi-day event, you may need a temporary food permit.[9][6][5]
Is a food cart or sidewalk stand the same as a food truck?
No. The state's mobile vehicle guide says a push cart is not a mobile unit, and cities license sidewalk vendors separately. In Las Vegas, a sidewalk vending license costs $150 a year plus a one-time $50 processing fee, and you still need an SNHD health permit and a commissary agreement.[9][10]
How much does it cost to start a food truck in Las Vegas?
For permits alone: $993 to SNHD ($658 plan review plus the $335 yearly permit), $150 to the City of Las Vegas ($100 license plus $50 processing), $15 for the state sales tax permit, a $25 food handler card for each worker, and the state business license fee. Fire inspection and commissary rent are extra.[2][11][13][4]
Sources
- Mobile Vendor Application Process, Southern Nevada Health District. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Environmental Health Fee Schedule (effective 07/01/2026), Southern Nevada Health District. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Non-Permanent Food Facility Permit Application, Southern Nevada Health District. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Handler Safety Training Card Program, Southern Nevada Health District. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile and Portable Units: Guidance for Success in Washoe County (H-463), Northern Nevada Public Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Frequently Asked Questions, Northern Nevada Public Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Environmental Health Food: Permits, Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. Checked October 25, 2026. Internet Archive copy captured 2025-06-24. The live page now returns 404 because the DPBH site has been rebuilt and its Environmental Health pages are missing. Check the current DPBH page before verifying.
- Information for Food Establishment Permit and Fees for Annual Permits, Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, Environmental Health Section. Checked October 25, 2026. Internet Archive copy captured 2024-09-22 of a PDF revised 5/2015. The live file now returns 404 after the DPBH site rebuild. Fees may have changed; check NAC 446.840 before verifying.
- Food Establishment Mobile Vehicle Guide (Revision 1.0, November 2017), Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health, Environmental Health Section. Checked October 25, 2026. Internet Archive copy captured 2025-03-18. The live file now returns 404 after the DPBH site rebuild. Check the current DPBH guide before verifying.
- Food Trucks, City of Las Vegas. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Vendor Business License Checklist, City of Las Vegas, Business Licensing Division. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Vendor License Instruction Sheet (revised 4/6/16), City of Las Vegas, Business Licensing Division. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Start or Run a Business, Nevada Department of Taxation. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Register a Business FAQs, Nevada Department of Taxation. Checked October 25, 2026.
Related
- Cottage Food Laws in Nevada
- Food Truck Permits in Arizona
- Food Truck Permits in California
- Food Truck Permits in Idaho
- Food Truck Permits in Oregon
- Food Truck Permits in Utah
- 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 authority: Southern Nevada Health District, Northern Nevada Public Health, or the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health (rural counties) or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.