How to Get a Food Truck Permit in Tennessee

Who issues food truck permits in Tennessee

Tennessee calls a food truck a mobile food unit. Rule 1200-23-01-.01(68) of the Tennessee Department of Health defines it as a food establishment designed to be readily moved and vend food, as quoted on the Hamilton County Health Department's application page. Mobile food units are permitted as food service establishments under the Tennessee Food Safety Act (T.C.A. 68-14-701 and following) and the Department of Health's food service establishment rules. The Department's Environmental Health Program issues the permits through local health departments. In five contract counties (Davidson, Hamilton, Knox, Madison and Shelby) the county health department handles its own permitting, inspections and enforcement, as listed on the Department's Environmental Health page on 2026-10-03.

The health permit is only one layer. Cities add their own mobile food unit permits and location rules, and fire officials set fire permits. The county clerk issues the business license, the Secretary of State handles business registration and the Department of Revenue handles sales tax. In Knox County a mobile unit permit is issued based on the owner's address or the address of the approved commissary, so the base of the unit decides which office you start with.

• Mobile food unit: a food establishment designed to be readily moved and vend food (Rule 1200-23-01-.01(68)).
• Commissary: a food establishment that services a mobile food unit or a pushcart (Rule 1200-23-01-.01(16), July 2015 text posted by Hamilton County).
• Servicing area: an operating base to which a unit returns regularly for cleaning, discharging liquid or solid waste, refilling water tanks and ice bins, and loading food (Rule 1200-23-01-.01(102)).
• Prepackaged food only: the Department of Health's mobile food establishment matrix notes that the Food Safety Act rules do not count an establishment that offers only prepackaged foods as a food establishment. Memphis's city code treats trucks that dispense only prepackaged food as a separate category, and its definition of a mobile food market refers to Tennessee Department of Agriculture rules. Ask your health department which office covers your menu.

Plan review and the documents asked for

Plans come first. The food service rule (Rule 1200-23-01-.08, July 2015 text posted by Hamilton County) says plans drawn to scale must be submitted for review and approval before a food establishment is built, converted or remodeled. The Food Safety Act (T.C.A. 68-14-718) says no food service establishment may be built, extensively remodeled or converted except in accordance with plans the commissioner approved. The rule says plans cover the intended menu, the anticipated volume of food, layout, mechanical schematics, construction materials and finish schedules, and the type, manufacturer, model, location, dimensions and capacity of equipment. The health department may also do one or more pre-operational inspections.

Local offices turn this into a mobile unit application. Knox County says there is no fee for plan review and plans are reviewed in the order received. Its mobile unit steps sheet says to allow 2 weeks, after which an approval letter is emailed with instructions for requesting a preliminary inspection. Knox County encourages operators to submit plans before they start building a new unit or changing an existing one. Hamilton County takes mobile applications online. Shelby County asks for two sets of plans and a copy of the proposed menu.

• Hamilton County: detailed menu and the anticipated volume of food; a written food flow process, including cooling; a floor plan to scale showing the location of all food and beverage equipment, plus a complete equipment list; floor, wall and ceiling finishes; lighting fixture specifications; a commissary agreement or a servicing area agreement.
• Knox County (application revised 2/10/2025): completed application, food equipment layout showing lighting, hand sinks, the three-compartment sink, refrigeration, cooking equipment, water heater, hood and water pump, proposed menu, and a commissary agreement signed by both the operator and the restaurant permittee if you use one. The application also asks where the wastewater tank will be emptied and whether the utility district approved it, and for a well water test result from the last year if you use well water.
• Shelby County: two sets of plans with a copy of the proposed menu; a business license or registration with the Tennessee Department of Revenue; a lease agreement, signed, dated and notarized as applicable; a Wastewater Disposal Agreement Form; a floor plan of the vehicle showing the location of equipment, sinks and toilets; and a notarized Commissary Agreement Form. Plans show the finishes of all walls, floors, ceilings and counters.
• Shelby County's mobile unit guidance document says the menu, floor plan, equipment layout and equipment specifications of the unit and the commissary go to the county health department at least 15 days before construction.
• Under the rule, apply for the permit at least 15 calendar days before the planned opening, and pay the permit fee when you submit the application (Rule 1200-23-01-.08(3), July 2015 text).

Commissary and servicing area rules

The Hamilton, Knox and Shelby county offices all want a base for the unit. Knox County and Shelby County ask for a commissary agreement. Shelby County requires it to be notarized. Hamilton County asks for a commissary agreement or, if you do not need a commissary, a servicing area agreement. Shelby County's guidance says mobile units operate from a commissary and use it for all supplies, and that even a self-contained unit has to be cleaned and serviced from one. Knox County's agreement form says the commissary must let the unit return for servicing every day and gives the unit access to a three-compartment sink or commercial dish machine, a prep area and storage.

A commissary is itself a permitted food establishment. Hamilton County's commissary form asks for the commissary's Tennessee food establishment permit number and a copy of the permit, and lists the services it provides: potable water, wastewater disposal, a cleaning area for the unit, storage of the unit, refrigeration, food preparation, food storage, ware washing and equipment storage. Shelby County says a separate food service permit is required at the commissary if food preparation takes place there. Home kitchens do not qualify. The rule says the person in charge must make sure food establishment operations are not conducted in a private home or in a room used as living or sleeping quarters (Rule 1200-23-01-.02, July 2015 text).

Wastewater needs its own approval. Hamilton County and Shelby County say the place where the wastewater tank is emptied is approved at plan review. Shelby County's mobile unit packet lists disposal sites, including a designated manhole at the Stiles Wastewater Treatment Plant, and warns that waste can never go into storm drains. It says a stormwater violation can bring a civil penalty of $50 to $5,000 per violation per day.

• Water: potable water must be supplied to each sink by a pressurized system. Shelby County recommends a potable water tank of at least 30 gallons, with the final size set at plan review from the menu, sink size and operating hours.
• Hot water: a water heater large enough to supply 90 to 120 degrees F water to the hand sink and the three-compartment sink at all times (Knox County and Shelby County).
• Sinks: a hand sink that is always accessible to the operator, and a three-compartment commercial sink with drain boards for washing food contact utensils (Knox County and Shelby County).
• Wastewater tank: 15 percent larger than the potable water tank (Rule 1200-23-01-.05, Knox County, Shelby County and Hamilton County). Wastewater is emptied into an approved sanitary sewer, never onto the ground or into storm drains.
• Utilities: Hamilton County requires the unit to be readily movable and not directly connected or hard wired to public utilities. Shelby County says units must be on wheels and mobile at all times.
• Power: Knox County requires a generator to keep refrigeration at temperature during travel and tests it at permitting to see that it can run all electrical equipment at once. Shelby County accepts any alternate power source that can run the unit, and a propane-powered unit needs a back-up tank.
• Openings: Hamilton County asks for self-closing devices on all exterior doors and screening or air curtains on serving windows. Knox County requires outer openings to be protected with screening, a self-closing device or an air curtain. Shelby County requires all openings, including serving windows and entrance doors, to be screened, self-closed or fitted with approved air curtains.
• Well water: Knox County requires well water used on a unit to be tested for E. coli once a year.

Propane and fire safety

Fire rules are set locally. Knox County Health Department says the fire marshal has jurisdiction over hood suppression systems in mobile units and refers operators to the Knox County, City of Knoxville or Town of Farragut fire offices. Tennessee also has a State Fire Marshal's Office fire permit for mobile food units: Fayetteville's ordinance asks for a copy of a valid State of Tennessee fire inspection permit (T.C.A. 68-102-123). Farragut and Cookeville list the state permit as one way to meet their fire requirement, and Farragut charges no registration fee for state-inspected units. Check the State Fire Marshal's Office for the current form and fee, and ask the fire office in your city whether it accepts the state permit.

The four largest cities each have their own fire rules, listed below. They are written in city code, so they can change. Read the current code and ask the fire office before you buy or build.

• Nashville: the Metro Fire Prevention Code (2024 International Fire Code with local amendments) requires an operational permit for mobile food preparation vehicles that have appliances producing smoke or grease-laden vapors or that use LP-gas. Apply at least ten business days ahead. Operating without the permit brings a penalty of 300 percent of the permit and inspection fees.
• Memphis: the Memphis Fire Prevention Bureau charges an annual fee for a mobile food preparation vehicle, and the city adopted the 2021 International Fire Code with local amendments, including to Section 319 on mobile food preparation.
• Chattanooga: the Fire Department inspects any unit using propane or compressed natural gas with a Type I or Type II exhaust hood or fire suppression system. Cooking appliances must be listed by UL or NSF for mobile use, and fat fryers need a lid that can be secured in transit. Gas must be shut off while the unit is moving unless the tank has an approved impact-detection shut-off. Each gas-fired appliance needs automatic and manual shutoffs.
• Chattanooga: a working Ansul R-102 or K Class automatic fire suppression system; at least one 10 BC-rated extinguisher, or a Class K extinguisher if there is a deep fryer; a Type I or Type II hood inspected every six months; a working ventilation system; a carbon monoxide detector; and propane and natural gas piping and fixtures made of steel, copper or brass, with no plastic or rubber.
• Knoxville: units must follow the International Fire Code as adopted by the city and the rules of the fire marshal's office.
• Farragut (Knox County): a copy of your current State Fire Inspection, or a Town inspection for a $104 fee.

Inspections, renewals and keeping the permit

In Knox County the sequence is plan review, an approval letter, a preliminary inspection, then the permit application and fee, then the permit. Knox County's food service regulations call for a routine inspection within 30 days of the permit being issued. Shelby County says any cooking operation gets two inspections a year and prepackaged goods get one. Hamilton County says unannounced food inspections are done at least twice a year, that priority violations must be corrected as soon as possible and that failing to follow corrective actions can lead to closure.

Tennessee food service permits run from July 1 to June 30. Knox County mails renewal invoices in May and the permit expires June 30. Hamilton County lets you renew online. Memphis code adds a late penalty equal to 50 percent of the permit fee when the fee arrives 30 days after the expiration date, and fees received on or after January 1 are prorated. The Food Safety Act says a permit cannot be transferred from one location or person to another and must be displayed where the public can see it (T.C.A. 68-14-706, July 2015 text). Memphis code adds that a permit cannot move from one mobile unit to another, so a used truck needs its own new permit.

Operating a food service establishment in violation of the act or its rules is a Class C misdemeanor, and each day of operation after notice of an uncorrected violation is a separate offense (T.C.A. 68-14-720, July 2015 text). Shelby County requires the unit to show the business name and permit number on the outside in letters at least three inches high.

Business registration, taxes and the vehicle

Hamilton County's starting a business checklist lists these steps: search whether your business name is available, choose a business structure, register with the Tennessee Secretary of State, and get a business license from the county clerk within 20 days after you start doing business. The Tennessee Business Tax Act generally requires most local businesses to hold a license and report gross receipts to the state each year. The Hamilton County Clerk lists a Standard license for businesses grossing more than $100,000 a year and a Minimal Activity license for $3,000 to $100,000, with businesses under $3,000 exempt, and says business tax is filed through the Tennessee Taxpayer Access Point (TNTAP).

The Tennessee Department of Revenue administers state and local sales tax. It lists a general state sales tax rate of 7 percent, plus a local rate that varies by county or city, as listed on 2026-10-03. Shelby County's mobile unit application asks for a business license or registration with the Department of Revenue, and Chattanooga asks for evidence that you complied with the state business tax act before it issues a city permit.

For the vehicle, Memphis and Chattanooga both require the driver to hold a current Tennessee driver's license, current auto insurance with liability coverage and current vehicle registration. Chattanooga's application asks for the VIN, make and model and at least two photographs of the unit. Where you operate on public property, Chattanooga wants a policy naming the City, and Knoxville requires insurance set by the city's risk management and a signed indemnity agreement.

City rules in Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville and Chattanooga

The health permit does not let you park anywhere. Each city sets its own permit, zones and distance rules. Ask the city before you choose where to sell.

• Nashville (Davidson County): Metro Public Health's Food Division handles the health permit. Selling from a truck on a public street needs a truck vending permit from the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT), a program Metro Code section 13.08.100 set up in 2024. The code says truck vending outside the public right-of-way is not covered by that program. Metro Code 13.08.040 also bars selling from public property or the right-of-way unless the department in charge approves in writing or the vendor holds the required license and permit.
• Memphis (Shelby County): the Shelby County Health Department issues the permit, and the vehicle must also be approved by the health officer and, if the health officer requires it, have a commissary license or a written commissary agreement. The truck must show its business name and state and local permit numbers in letters at least three inches high. A vehicle on a city street may park for no less than 30 minutes and no more than six hours in one block, with food service for no more than four hours, then must take a one-hour break from that location.
• Memphis: stay at least 300 feet from the principal customer entrance of a restaurant (50 feet inside the central business improvement district) unless the restaurants sign a waiver; at least 1,000 feet from permitted special events and farmers markets; and not within 300 feet of FedEx Forum or AutoZone Park during events. Allowed zoning districts are listed in the code. Residential districts and parks need a special use permit or a park management agreement. No external sound amplification, and no cooking while the vehicle is moving.
• Knoxville (Knox County): a mobile food unit permit is required for each unit and is issued by the city after an application to the Office of Business Support. A health permit is a prerequisite. Plans Review and Inspections decides within 14 business days and the permit is valid for one calendar year. Public right-of-way vending is allowed only in mobile food vendor zones set by the Office of Business Support, using its registration system.
• Knoxville: on private property, units may operate in commercial, industrial, office and open space districts with limits on hours and parcel size, need a letter of permission from the property operator, and are capped at two to five units per parcel depending on lot size. Units serve pedestrians only, and no unit may be parked on the street overnight or left unattended and unsecured while food is inside.
• Chattanooga (Hamilton County): the City Treasurer issues the Mobile Food Unit permit after the Hamilton County health permit. On city streets and other public property, trucks may operate only in Mobile Food Unit Zones, or at special events with permission from the event organizer. Existing zones are on Market Street, Georgia Avenue and Chestnut Street. You reserve metered spaces through the Chattanooga Parking Authority, one location for no more than 7 consecutive days at a time. Stay 100 feet from R-1 to R-4 residential property and 300 feet from city-approved special events, and do not sell between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.

Official fees we could confirm

Fees are set by each office and change. The amounts below are as printed by each office or in its code on 2026-10-14, unless a different date is given. Where an office does not print a mobile unit fee on the pages we reviewed, call it for the current amount.

• Shelby County Health Department: its Mobile Unit Preliminary Inspection Checklist prints a local permit of $150.00 and a state permit of $210.00, total $360.00 annual permits fee. Annual payments are made in the Permit Office.
• Knox County Health Department: Mobile Food Unit permit $210 for the July 1 to June 30 permit year (also printed in its mobile cart guidance as $210.00 per year). Knox County says there is no fee for plan review.
• Hamilton County Health Department: says permit fees are set by the State of Tennessee for facilities in Hamilton County and must be paid before an establishment opens. Its mobile unit pages do not print an amount. Call Environmental Health at (423) 209-8110.
• Metro Nashville Fire Marshal's Office: operational permit for a concession trailer or food truck (mobile food vendors) $151.00 under Metro Code 10.64.018. A $175 expedite fee applies if the application comes in three to ten business days before the operation starts.
• Memphis Fire Prevention Bureau: Mobile Food Preparation Vehicle, annual, $50.00 (Memphis Code 9-40-4).
• City of Chattanooga: Mobile Food Unit permit $50 per unit per year (City Treasurer; Code 20-148). A Mobile Food Unit Zone application costs $110, and zones last one year. Chattanooga Parking Authority space reservations were $15 per day per space as of publication. A violation can bring a fine of up to $50.
• City of Knoxville (Code 16-561 and 16-572): unit permit $200; temporary permit $75 (up to three consecutive days); annual renewal $50 if paid no later than five business days after expiration; $50 per occurrence for operating without a permit; site permit for a private property operator $50. Fees are non-refundable once a permit is issued.
• Hamilton County Clerk: business license application $20, which includes a $5.00 archive and records management fee.
• Town of Farragut: $104 for a fire inspection by the Town, and no registration fee for state-inspected units.
• Not confirmed: the Metro Public Health Department's mobile food unit permit fee in Nashville and the State Fire Marshal's Office fee for the state fire permit. Ask each office.

Before you buy a truck: checklist

Most costly mistakes happen before the first inspection. Use this list before you pay for a truck or trailer.

• Call the health department of the county where the unit will be based and ask for its mobile food unit plan review guidance.
• Line up a permitted commissary, or an approved servicing area in Hamilton County, and get the agreement signed. In Shelby County it must be notarized.
• Check that the unit is on wheels and mobile at all times, and not hard wired to public utilities.
• Check the water system: pressurized potable water, a wastewater tank 15 percent larger than the water tank, hot water at 90 to 120 degrees F, a three-compartment sink, a hand sink and enough generator power for all equipment.
• Check the fire setup against your city's rules: hood and suppression system for propane or grease-producing cooking, extinguishers, shutoffs and gas piping. Ask whether the fire office accepts the State Fire Marshal's permit.
• Ask the city about zones, parking limits and distance rules where you plan to sell.
• Remember that permits do not transfer. A used truck's health permit does not become yours, so budget time for plan review and inspection.
• Check that you have a Tennessee driver's license, insurance and vehicle registration before you apply for a city permit.