Do you have to have certain licenses or certifications to own a food truck?

You can’t just go out and randomly decide that you want to run a food truck, can you? The government has created licenses and permits that help them to see if you are selling people good, healthy food, or if you are trying to poison the population(not that that’s what you would do, but the government has to be sure). In this post we will discuss what certifications are required to run a food truck.

First, you will need an Employer Identification Number; an EIN if you will. You will also need to register for other licenses and tax-specific identification numbers in their states. Furthermore, you will require some general business licenses from your state along with a Food Service Establishment Permit(“How”). The amount and type of licenses that you have to get will depend on your state and county. For example, if you were planning on running your food truck in El Dorado County, California, you would need these permits before you start:

 

• Alarm Permit: required if you are going to install an alarm system.

• Business License and Tax Permit: Customers who pay by credit card or debit card are now required to pay a 2.3% convenience fee in addition to the amount they choose to pay in business taxes, room tax or dog license fees. The convenience fee is not collected by the city but by the card payment processor and therefore will not be reflected on your business tax or dog license account(“Business”).

• Health Permit: A health permit is a permit to sell foods and beverages that are cooked or served to the public, and which must be regulated for public safety(Murray).

• Signage Permit:  Any publicly displayed information that’s presented in the form of words, symbols and/or pictures and is designed to advertise your business. Sign permits provide legal permission to post such information(“Signage”).

• Zoning Permit: A document issued by local (municipal) government or authority permitting a parcel of land to be used for a prescribed purpose(“What”).

 

(Health)

( *Keep in mind that these are only a few of the permits required, and are specific to El Dorado County in California.)

Each city, county, and state has different requirements as far as licenses and permits, so you will definitely want to look into them before start getting any.

The next thing that you’ll need to look into is Incorporation Filing and DBA (*Doing Business As). A DBA allows a company to transact business using a different name. It generally takes place at the county level, but some states have state-level DBA filings. For sole proprietorships and general partnerships, unless a DBA is filed, the company name is the same as the owner’s or owner’s’ name(s)(“How”).

Lastly, there are Employer Requirements. Employer Requirements include documentation, insurance, and posters. For each of these categories there are requirements, so here they are(“How”):

• Documentation: Before you can hire any employees, you will definitely want to make sure that all of them are legally allowed to work in the U.S. All of your new employees will need to fill out:

• An I-9: collects documentation to prove the person can legally work in the U.S.
• A W-4: determines income tax withholding.

• Insurance: You are going to need two types of insurance to cover your employees: unemployment insurance and workers’ compensation insurance.
• Posters: Now that you are a  business owner with employees, you’ll also be required to put up certain posters in a place where all of your employees can see them. These posters will contain information on their rights,regarding workers’ compensation and minimum wage.

                                      (DiBianca)

Finally, you have your truck and your permits, all you need to do is read over the Food Truck Laws. These laws include Bathroom Locations, Commissaries, Food Handling, Parking Laws and Permits, Truck Inspections and Food Safety Inspections, and Zoning. Now that you have  completed the long list of “to-do’s” that got you food truck legalized, it’s time to get started!

Works Cited

 “How to Start a Food Truck 19: Organize Your Licenses and Permits.” Food Truckr. Food Truckr, 28 May 2014. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

 “Business License and Tax: Finance.” City of Fresno. Fresno.gov, Apr. 2016. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

 Murray, Jean. “Do I Need a Health Permit for My Business?” The Balance. The Balance, 02 Nov. 2015. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

 “Signage and Sign Permits.” Small Business Encyclopedia. Entrepreneur, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

 “What Is a Zoning Permit?” Business Dictionary. Business Dictionary, n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2016.

 Heath Permit. Digital image. Thestar.com. Thestar.com, 14 Jan. 2015. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.

 DiBianca, Molly. Employer Requirements. Digital image. The Delaware Employment Law Blog. Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, 7 May 2009. Web. 20 Oct. 2016.