Food Truck Permits in Virginia
Last verified against official sources on by Amrit. How we verify
Yes. In Virginia a food truck counts as a restaurant, so it needs a yearly food establishment permit from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH). You apply through the local health district where the truck is based: send plans first ($40), then the permit application ($40 a year), pass an inspection, and get the permit as a sticker on the truck. If you cook with open flames or make greasy smoke, you also need a fire permit, and you must register for sales tax and with the commissioner of the revenue in each city or county where you sell.[1][3][4][24][13][18]
At a glance
| Permit needed | Yes. A Virginia Department of Health food establishment permit, shown as a sticker on the truck.[4] |
|---|---|
| Who issues it | The local health district where the truck is permitted (usually where it is based and serviced).[7] |
| Health permit fee | $40 for plan review of a new truck, then $40 a year for the permit, paid to your local health district. Fairfax County's health department charges an $80 permit application fee.[24][29] |
| Other districts | Not always. VDH's Blue Ridge Health District says a valid annual permit from any Virginia city or county health department lets you operate from place to place, but Fairfax County requires every food truck to get a Fairfax County Health Department permit. Ask each health district before you sell there.[11][30][2] |
| Commissary | Every truck needs a service area for water and wastewater. VDH's Blue Ridge Health District requires a commissary kitchen only if your truck can't handle your menu on board, or if you run a pushcart.[10] |
| Training | At least one supervisor must be a certified food protection manager. This doesn't apply if you only sell foods that don't need temperature control, or only reheat or cold hold commercially processed, fully cooked foods.[21] |
| Fire permit | Needed if you cook with open flames or make smoke or grease vapors. Issued by the fire official where the truck pays personal property tax. The State Fire Marshal ($200 a year) issues it if there is no local fire official, the locality doesn't enforce this rule, or the truck is based out of state.[13][25] |
| Sales tax | Register with Virginia Tax and display your Sales Tax Certificate of Registration at your registered location.[17] |
| Business license | Register with the commissioner of the revenue or director of finance in every locality where you sell. A new business that pays the business license tax where its truck is registered doesn't pay it again in other localities for two years, for up to three trucks.[18] |
Step by step
Do these in order. Each step links to the official form or page.
Send plans to your local health district before you build or buy
Before you build, convert or buy a truck, send the local health department a plan review application with the $40 fee. Include a full menu, a drawing to scale showing where all the equipment goes, an equipment list with spec sheets, and your certified food protection manager's credentials. The equipment you have may limit what you can cook. The New River Health District reviews plans within 30 business days. Some districts use their own forms, so start with your district's.[22][24][9][10]
Sign up a service area, and a commissary if you need one
Every truck needs an approved place to empty its wastewater. VDH's Blue Ridge Health District says this service area must also be where you fill your water tank with safe water, and that if your truck doesn't have enough cooking, cooling or cold storage for your menu, you also need a commissary: a kitchen that already holds a VDH permit. Pushcarts must use a commissary every day. In Blue Ridge, the owner of the service area or commissary signs an agreement, renewed every year, and you send it with your plans. You can't use your home kitchen.[6][10][11]
Get a certified food protection manager
At least one person with supervisory duties must be a certified food protection manager, which means passing an accredited exam. Bring a copy of the certificate to your opening inspection. You don't need one if you only sell foods that don't need temperature control, or only reheat or cold hold commercially processed, fully cooked foods; if you rely on that exemption you may not cool such foods. A person in charge must be on the truck whenever it is open.[1][21][10][11]
Get a fire permit if you cook with flames or grease
If your truck has appliances that use open flames or make smoke or grease vapors, you need a fire inspection and permit under section 319 of the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code. It comes from the fire official in the city, county or town where the truck pays personal property tax. The State Fire Marshal's Office does it for $200 a year if there is no local fire official, if that locality doesn't enforce this section, or if the truck is based outside Virginia. Local fees differ: Winchester's 2019 form lists $50. Some localities, such as Hanover County and Norfolk, also require their own fire inspection before you sell there.[25][13][15][14][26]
Apply for the health permit and pass the opening inspection
Once your plans are approved, send the VDH food establishment permit application, ticking Mobile Unit, with the $40 annual permit fee at least 30 days before you plan to open. Then ask the health department for an inspection before opening. Everything on the truck must be clean and working. Once you pass, you get the permit as a sticker, which goes on the serving side of the truck.[24][23][10][8]
Register for sales tax
Register with Virginia Tax to collect sales tax. You get a sales tax account number and a Sales Tax Certificate of Registration (Form ST-4), which must be displayed at your registered location. Sales tax rates differ by locality, so the rate depends on where you make each sale. Some cities and counties also charge a local meals tax on food you sell; in Richmond, for example, it is 7.5 percent and covers food trucks.[17][31]
Get local licenses where you sell
Your health permit is only one approval. You are responsible for zoning, business license and other city or county approvals, and for registering the vehicle with the DMV. Register with the commissioner of the revenue or director of finance in every city or county where you sell. If yours is a new business and you pay the business license tax where the truck is registered, other localities can't charge you that tax for two years, for up to three trucks. Cities and counties can also pass their own food ordinances, as long as they are at least as strict as the state's. Prince William County, for example, asks for a peddler business license and a vendor permit with a $5,000 surety bond.[9][2][18][16]
Renew every year
The health permit lasts one year, and you send a new application every year. The month and year it expires are marked on the sticker. Expect at least one health inspection a year. The permit can't be transferred to a new owner; a new owner applies again. If you change your menu, equipment, truck or service area, contact the health department first.[12][23][8][5][3][11]
Local rules
These places add their own requirements on top of the state rules.
- Fairfax County: Every food truck needs a Fairfax County Health Department food permit ($80 application fee), even if it holds a permit from another district. To sell on private commercial property, the truck needs a yearly Food Truck Operation Permit ($140) and the property owner a Food Truck Location Permit, and the truck may usually stay at most four hours a day at one location (up to eight at some farm wineries and agritourism sites of 20 acres or more). County parks need a Park Authority Mobile Food Vendor Permit ($150 application fee per park), and each employee who serves customers needs a solicitor's license ($35).[30][29]
- Norfolk: You need a Norfolk business license, a health permit from the Norfolk Department of Public Health, a Norfolk Fire Marshal inspection and decal, and current Norfolk zoning approval, whether you sell on private property or on the street. Norfolk's health department adds a $30 yearly local decal fee on top of the $40 state permit fee, and the fire inspection must be done before the health department's final inspection. Street vending is limited to designated zones, first come, first served; downtown also needs a parking decal.[26][27][28]
- Richmond: The city charges a 7.5 percent meals tax on food sold from a lunch wagon, truck, pushcart or other mobile facility. The city's own food truck vending permit could not be confirmed from an official page; ask the Department of Finance.[31]
- Virginia Beach: Selling from a vehicle on city-owned right of way, such as a public park, needs a peddler's permit ($25 application fee, with more fees depending on what you sell). A mobile peddler must move every 15 minutes and stay on streets with a 25 mph limit, and peddlers can't sell in the Resort Area. Each person who sells needs a solicitor permit from the police.[32]
- Prince William County: A single food truck needs a state health certificate, a county peddler business license and tax, and a solicitor, peddler and itinerant vendor permit with a $5,000 personal surety bond. Events with two or more trucks also need a temporary activities permit for each site, with the property owner's written approval of vending times and dates.[16]
- Hanover County: The county fire marshal requires a fire safety operational permit every year for trucks that cook with grease or open flames, and the inspection must be passed before you operate in the county. A returning seasonal vendor is reinspected to renew. Tell the fire marshal before you set up at a new location.[14]
- Winchester: You need a Winchester Fire Marshal's Office permit and a yearly fire code inspection to sell in the city. The application asks for a site plan, a certificate of liability insurance and the property owner's permission letter. The form (revised 2019) lists a $50 fee.[15]
What it costs
| Step | Fee |
|---|---|
| Send plans to your local health district before you build or buy | $40 (one-time, per vehicle or trailer) |
| Get a fire permit if you cook with flames or grease | Set by your local fire official; $200 a year where the State Fire Marshal's Office is the fire official |
| Apply for the health permit and pass the opening inspection | $40 (per year) |
| Get local licenses where you sell | Set by each city, county or town |
| Total if every fee applies to you | $80 |
Not included in the total because the fee is set locally: Get a fire permit if you cook with flames or grease; Get local licenses where you sell.
Recent changes
- : A 2019 law lets a new business that pays the business license tax where its food truck is registered skip that tax in other Virginia localities for two years, for up to three trucks. It must still register in each locality where it sells.[18][19][20]
- : VDH started issuing mobile food unit permits as a sticker that must be displayed on the unit, under a 2017 law (HB 1625). The sticker costs nothing extra.[7][4]
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a separate health permit for every county I sell in?
Not always. VDH's Blue Ridge Health District says a valid yearly permit from any Virginia city or county health department lets you sell from place to place, though you may need to go back to your service area at least once a day. But Fairfax County requires every food truck to hold a Fairfax County Health Department permit, and cities and counties can add their own food rules. Fire, zoning and business license rules are set locally too, so check with each place before you sell.[11][30][2]
How much does a Virginia food truck permit cost?
VDH charges $40 for plan review and $40 a year for the health permit, so $80 the first year. Fairfax County's health department charges $80 to apply. A fire permit, if you need one, is $200 a year from the State Fire Marshal's Office or whatever your local fire official charges. Local business licenses and vending permits cost extra.[24][29][13]
Do I need a business license in every city or county I sell in?
You must register with the commissioner of the revenue or director of finance in every locality where you sell. If you're a new business and pay the business license tax where your truck is registered, other localities can't charge you that tax for the first two years, for up to three trucks. After that, each locality's own license tax can apply.[18]
Can I prep food at home and sell it from my truck?
No. All food must come from an approved source, such as a VDH-permitted kitchen. Food made or stored in a private home can't be used on the truck.[11]
Do I need a permit if I only sell prepackaged snacks and drinks?
Possibly not. The New River Health District says that if you only sell prepackaged foods that don't need temperature control, a permit is not required, but you still send the health department an application describing what you sell. Ask your own health district, especially if you're not sure whether a food needs temperature control.[9]
What is the difference between a mobile permit and a temporary event permit?
A mobile food establishment permit lasts a year and lets you sell from place to place. A temporary event permit covers one event of no more than 14 days in a row.[11]
Can I buy a used food truck and keep the old owner's permit?
No. A Virginia restaurant license can't be transferred, so you apply in your own name. Blue Ridge Health District lets a new owner skip a new plan review and its $40 fee by signing a waiver saying nothing about the menu, equipment or truck will change.[3][10]
How big does my wastewater tank need to be?
The New River and Norfolk health districts say at least 15% larger than your fresh water tank. Wastewater must be emptied at an approved waste servicing area or by a permitted sewage transport vehicle.[9][27][6]
Sources
- Code of Virginia § 35.1-1. Definitions, Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- Code of Virginia § 35.1-9. Local ordinance superseded; exceptions, Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- Code of Virginia § 35.1-18. License required; name in which issued; not assignable or transferable, Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- Code of Virginia § 35.1-21. Display of hotel, restaurant, summer camp, and campground licenses, Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- Code of Virginia § 35.1-22. Periodic inspections, Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- 12VAC5-421-2550. Removing mobile food establishment wastes (Virginia Food Regulations), Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- Upcoming Changes for Mobile Food Units, Virginia Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- HB 1625 Mobile Food Units Implementation Procedures (sticker placement guidance), Virginia Department of Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Establishment Plan Review and Application Packet (New River Health District), with the VDH Foodservice Establishment Permit application (eff. 10/2026), Virginia Department of Health, New River Health District. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Applying for Mobile Foodservice Permit, Virginia Department of Health, Blue Ridge Health District. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Unit Plan Review Guidelines (last updated March 2021), Virginia Department of Health, Blue Ridge Health District. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Unit, Loudoun County Health Department. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles, Virginia Department of Fire Programs, State Fire Marshal's Office. Checked October 25, 2026.
- MFV Fire Safety & Compliance Guide, Hanover County Fire-EMS, Office of the Fire Marshal. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Code Compliance Guideline CCG-013: Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles, application and guidelines (revised June 14, 2019), City of Winchester Fire and Rescue Department, Fire Marshal's Office. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Unit Requirements (chart), Prince William County. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Retail Sales and Use Tax, Virginia Tax. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Code of Virginia § 58.1-3715.1. License requirements for mobile food units, Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- 2019 Acts of Assembly, Chapter 791 (SB 1425): local license tax; mobile food units, Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- Constitution of Virginia, Article IV, Section 13. Effective date of laws, Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- 12VAC5-421-55. Certified food protection manager (Virginia Food Regulations), Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- 12VAC5-421-3600. Facility and operating plans (Virginia Food Regulations), Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- 12VAC5-421-3660. Permits (Virginia Food Regulations), Virginia General Assembly (Legislative Information System). Checked October 25, 2026.
- Applying for a Food Permit, Virginia Department of Health, Office of Environmental Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles (text of 2021 Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code § 319), Arlington County Fire Department, Office of the Fire Marshal. Checked October 25, 2026. A county's copy of the Statewide Fire Prevention Code section, not the official code text. Check against the 2021 SFPC before verifying.
- Food Truck Vendor Program, City of Norfolk. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Mobile Food Unit Permitting Checklist (Norfolk Department of Public Health, 2023-03-07), Virginia Department of Health, Norfolk Department of Public Health. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Truck Guidelines, City of Norfolk Fire-Rescue, Fire Marshal's Office. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Health Permits for Mobile Food Service Units, Fairfax County Health Department. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Food Truck Permits, Fairfax County Department of Planning and Development, Zoning Administration Division. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Meals Tax, City of Richmond Department of Finance. Checked October 25, 2026.
- Peddler Permits, City of Virginia Beach Planning Department. Checked October 25, 2026.
Related
- Cottage Food Laws in Virginia
- Food Truck Permits in Kentucky
- Food Truck Permits in Maryland
- Food Truck Permits in North Carolina
- Food Truck Permits in Tennessee
- 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 Virginia Department of Health, through your local health district or your local health department. Spotted something wrong or out of date?Report it and we will check it.