How to Start a Food Truck Business in Utah: Health Permit, City Licence and Commissary

If you want to know how to start a food truck business in Utah, the hard part is the sequence, not any single form. Your commissary, health permit, city license and fire approval all depend on where you will park and cook, and Utah issues no statewide general business license that covers all of it. This guide walks through the order we would use to file for a Utah food truck from scratch.

Informational content only. This article is not legal or tax advice. Talk with a Utah attorney and a CPA before you choose your entity or tax setup, and confirm every figure on the agency page before you pay.

What You Need Before You File

Gather these items first. Most applications ask for most of them, and a missing item usually means a second trip.

• A business name checked against the Utah Division of Corporations and Commercial Code records
• A Utah street address for a registered agent, if you form an LLC
• A complete menu listing every item you will prepare, cook, cool, reheat or hold on the truck
• An equipment list and sketch of the truck showing sinks, water supply, refrigeration, hot holding and waste storage
• Vehicle details: make, model and VIN
• A signed commissary agreement, or a written request for a commissary exemption
• A list of every city where you plan to operate, since each city sets its own rules
• Insurance quotes, especially if you plan to work in Salt Lake City

Step 1: Form Your Business and Register Your Name

Registering your entity with the Division of Corporations and Commercial Code is a registration, not a license. If you form an LLC, you file a Certificate of Organization for $59 at businessregistration.utah.gov, logging in with UtahID. Most online filings are approved instantly. Filings that need manual review take 2 to 4 business days, and the Division has posted 7 to 10 business days during backlogs. Expedited processing is $75 per filing.

When you choose the name, keep these rules in mind:

• An LLC name must include “limited liability company,” “limited company,” “L.L.C.,” “LLC,” “L.C.” or “LC.” “Limited” may be shortened to “Ltd.” and “company” to “Co.”
• The name must be distinguishable from existing entity, reserved, registered and assumed names on the Division's records
• The name may not suggest that your company is a state agency or political subdivision

A name reservation costs $22 and holds the name for 120 days while you finish paperwork.

An LLC also needs a registered agent with a Utah street address. A PO box may be listed only in addition to a street address. A commercial registered agent costs $52 to register. The yearly filing is the annual renewal: $18, with a window that opens 60 days before your anniversary date. A late renewal adds a $10 fee. Utah has no separate LLC franchise tax, and an LLC is taxed by default as a partnership or sole proprietorship. Ask your CPA whether that fits your plans.

If you will operate under a trade name instead of your entity name, file an assumed name (DBA) with the state Division, not the county. The fee is $22 to register; check the Division's DBA page for the renewal term and fee. Details are on the Division's DBA page.

Step 2: Choose Your Home Health Department

Each food truck needs an annual mobile food business permit from the local health department where most of its operations occur. Other Utah health departments must honor that permit, so you should not need a second health permit to work in another jurisdiction. Your home base still matters, because that department inspects you and sets the fee schedule.

The fee may only reimburse the cost of regulating the business, and fees vary by health department. As a reference point, the Davis County Health Department listed these 2026 figures: a Risk 1 permit at $350, a Risk 2 permit at $500, and a $550 plan review fee. Permits there expire December 31. Use these numbers only as an example, and confirm the schedule for your own department.

Step 3: Secure a Commissary Agreement

Utah requires a commissary agreement under R392-102-3 and R392-102-4 unless the local health officer exempts your operation. Ask for that exemption in writing, and do not assume you qualify. The commissary is the licensed base where you store food, prepare product, clean equipment and handle daily tasks the truck cannot do on its own. Get a signed agreement that names the facility, its hours and the services it provides.

Commissary rates vary by facility and location, and this guide does not list a figure for them. Get at least two written quotes, and ask what happens when you need more hours than you booked.

Step 4: Apply for Your Mobile Food Business Permit

Submit your application to your home health department with your menu, equipment plan, vehicle details and commissary agreement. Before you buy the truck, ask these questions and keep the answers in writing:

• Which risk level applies to my operation, and how is it assigned?
• Must plan review be finished before I buy or build out the truck?
• Does my commissary arrangement need written exemption approval?
• What is the current fee schedule, and when does my permit renew?

Plan review is where the department checks your layout against its rules. Fixing a drawing costs far less than rebuilding a finished truck, so do not skip this step to save time.

Step 5: Get the City or County Business License

A business license comes from the city or town where you are located or operating, and from the county when you operate outside city limits. It is not a state license. A license from one city does not transfer to another city.

Utah rules limit what a city or county can require. A city or county may require a business license only if your truck lacks a current license in good standing from another Utah city or county. Any fee may cover only its actual processing cost. Even when no new license is required, the city can still apply its zoning, location and event rules to where and when you sell. Confirm the current process and fee with each city's business licensing office.

Step 6: Obtain Fire Safety Approval

Request fire safety approval from the fire authority in your home city, and ask in writing whether it will accept that approval in the other cities where you plan to work. A fire safety approval issued by one Utah city can be accepted by another city, which can save you a repeat inspection. Each city still makes its own decision, so confirm before you schedule a route.

Step 7: Register for a Sales Tax License

Any seller with an established presence in Utah needs a Utah Sales Tax License from the Utah State Tax Commission. Register through the Tax Commission's TAP system at tap.tax.utah.gov. This is a tax registration, not a business license, and it is separate from the city license in Step 5.

The state rate is 4.85%. Combined state and local rates run from 6.35% to 9.55%, and up to 10.05% in some special districts, depending on where the sale happens, so a truck that moves between cities may charge different rates. The combined grocery food rate is 3.0%. Ask the Tax Commission which rate applies to each item on your menu before you set prices.

Step 8: Plan for Salt Lake City's Separate Rules

Salt Lake City has its own mobile food license. The city charges a separate fee for each vehicle, and it has its own commissary, insurance and background-check rules. Do not assume a license from another city covers Salt Lake City. Contact the city before you schedule a shift there, and confirm the current fees with them.

Step 9: Plan Events and Fixed Locations Carefully

A temporary food establishment permit covers operating at a fixed location for no more than 14 consecutive days. Festivals, brewery residencies and parking lot stays often fall under that permit, but only if the stay stays within the limit. A stay longer than 14 consecutive days needs a different approval, so ask the health department what applies before you commit to a location.

Tips and Common Mistakes

Tips

• Choose your home health department before you buy the truck, because its plan review may dictate your layout.
• Send the same written questions to the health department and the city, and file every answer.
• Use official agency pages, not third-party fee sites, for every figure in your budget.
• Calendar your renewal dates: Davis County permits expire December 31, and the LLC renewal window opens 60 days before your anniversary.
• If you plan to sell beer, wine or liquor, the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Services (DABS) handles that separately. Your food permit does not cover it.
• Ask the Utah Small Business Development Center to review your plan before you commit money to a truck.

Common Mistakes

• Buying a truck before confirming the commissary exemption or plan review requirements.
• Assuming a license from one city automatically covers the next city. The transfer rules are narrow.
• Filing a county form for a DBA. Assumed names are filed with the state Division.
• Booking a long event without checking the 14-day limit on a temporary permit.
• Selling alcohol without going through DABS.
• Planning Salt Lake City routes without its separate license, per-vehicle fees and insurance rules.

Expected Results

Completing these steps in order may help you open on schedule and avoid repeat inspections and rework. It does not guarantee approval, a specific timeline or any sales level. Your menu, location, health department review and city decisions all affect the outcome. Expect the most delay in Steps 4 and 5, and keep a buffer in your budget for both.

Cost Summary

Item	Agency	Figure in this guide	Confirm at
LLC Certificate of Organization	Division of Corporations	$59 (expedited: $75 per filing)	businessregistration.utah.gov
Annual LLC renewal	Division of Corporations	$18, plus $10 if late	commerce.utah.gov/corporations
Name reservation	Division of Corporations	$22 for 120 days	commerce.utah.gov/corporations
Assumed name (DBA)	Division of Corporations	$22 to register; renewal term and fee on the Division's DBA page	commerce.utah.gov/corporations
Commercial registered agent	Private registered agent	$52 to register	Provider quote
Mobile food business permit	Local health department	Davis County example: Risk 1 $350, Risk 2 $500, plan review $550	Your home health department
City or county business license	City or county	Actual processing cost only; no set figure in this guide	Your city or county
Fire safety approval	Local fire authority	Not listed in this guide	Local fire authority
Sales tax license	Utah State Tax Commission	Not listed in this guide	tax.utah.gov
Commissary	Private facility	Varies	Written quotes
Salt Lake City mobile food license	Salt Lake City	Per vehicle; amount not listed in this guide	Salt Lake City

Next Steps

Start with your entity and name, then tour a commissary and call your home health department before you commit to a truck. The SBA's Utah district page lists local resources if you need more help.

Disclaimer

This article is informational only and is not legal, tax or financial advice. Figures were verified on October 15, 2026, but fees, processing times and rules change. The Division, Tax Commission, health department, city and fire authority decide your specific requirements. Consult a qualified Utah attorney and CPA before you form your business or choose a tax setup.