What It Actually Costs
Every state has different permits, timelines, and gotchas. We break down what you'll face before you sign anything.
Texas
⚠ Each city has its own mobile food vendor permit on top of state requirements, Austin, Houston, and Dallas all have different rules.
California
⚠ California requires a California-specific health permit from every county you operate in, Los Angeles County alone takes 60–90 days to approve.
New York
⚠ NYC Mobile Food Vendor permits are lottery-based and capped, the waitlist is years long. Most vendors operate under a licensed vendor's permit through a commissary arrangement.
Florida
⚠ Florida's extreme heat means you need commercial-grade refrigeration and AC, underpowered equipment fails fast and triggers health inspections.
Colorado
⚠ Colorado's high altitude (Denver is 5,280 ft) affects cooking times and propane pressure, equipment calibrated at sea level will underperform.