What a Florida food truck license costs
How much does a food truck license cost in Florida?
The Florida mobile food vehicle license fee is $347 a year
A Florida mobile food dispensing vehicle license costs $347 a year. A first application adds a one-time $50 fee, so year one runs $397.
Those figures come from the division's fee rule, not an estimate. They are the same in every county. What changes by county is only the renewal date.
The $347 is a total of four parts. The table below shows each one.
| Component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Basic fee | $185 |
| Service type fee | $135 |
| Epidemiological fee | $17 |
| Hospitality education program fee | $10 |
| Total annual license fee | $347 |
$347The annual license fee for a Florida mobile food dispensing vehicle is $185 basic, $135 service type, $17 epidemiological and $10 education, a total of $347. — Florida Administrative Code, Rule 61C-1.008, retrieved 2026-09-27
A new Florida food truck application adds a $50 fee
Every initial application, and every change of ownership, pays a $50 application fee. It sits on top of the license fee.
So buying a used truck costs the same $50 as licensing a new one. The seller's license does not come with the truck.
The statute caps this fee at $50. The rule sets it at that cap.
$50Each initial or change-of-ownership application for a Florida food service establishment pays a $50 application fee in addition to other fees. — Florida Administrative Code, Rule 61C-1.008, retrieved 2026-09-27
$50Florida law caps the initial and change-of-ownership application fee at $50. — The Florida Senate, Florida Statutes s. 509.251, retrieved 2026-09-27
Applying close to renewal halves the first Florida license fee
Timing changes the first bill. Apply six months or less before your district's renewal period and you pay half the license fee.
Apply earlier, or during the renewal period itself, and you pay the full fee. Either way, you then renew at the full rate on the district date.
That makes the calendar worth checking. A truck licensed in Miami-Dade renews on October 1. One licensed in Orange County renews on April 1. Renewal and inspections lists every district.
6 monthsA new Florida establishment pays the full license fee if it applies more than 6 months before the next renewal period, and half the fee if it applies 6 months or less before. — Florida Administrative Code, Rule 61C-1.008, retrieved 2026-09-27
A late Florida license renewal adds a $50 delinquency fee
Renewing after the expiration date costs $50 more. The delinquency fee is added to the renewal fee.
The money is the smaller problem. A truck operating on an expired license is treated as operating without one. That exposes you to the penalties for unlicensed operation.
Set the reminder a month ahead of your district date. The division uses the email on your online account for notices.
$50A Florida license renewal filed after the expiration date must include a $50 delinquency fee on top of the renewal fee. — Florida Administrative Code, Rule 61C-1.008, retrieved 2026-09-27
A Florida food service establishment operating on an expired license is deemed to be operating without a license. — Florida Administrative Code, Rule 61C-1.002, retrieved 2026-09-27
Other Florida food license types a truck owner may see
The same fee rule lists licenses for temporary event vendors. They are priced by event length, and an annual vendor license exists too.
These are separate license types from the mobile vehicle license. Whether an event needs one depends on how you operate there, so ask the division before you pay twice.
Counties cannot add their own fee for operating the truck itself. That is covered in where you can operate.
| License | Total fee |
|---|---|
| Temporary event, 1 to 3 days | $91 |
| Temporary event, 4 to 30 days | $105 |
| Annual temporary vendor | $456 |
$91 / $105 / $456Florida's temporary food service licenses cost $91 for 1 to 3 day events, $105 for 4 to 30 day events, and $456 for an annual vendor. — Florida Administrative Code, Rule 61C-1.008, retrieved 2026-09-27
The Florida costs that are not the license fee
The license is the cheap part. The bigger first-year costs are the business filings, the commissary and the insurance.
Forming an LLC costs $125 with the state, and its annual report costs $138.75 each spring. Commissary pricing is private, so get it in writing. Insurance depends on the truck and your payroll.
Budget those before the license. See the setup sequence for the filings, insurance requirements for the state minimums, and setting up a commissary for what to agree on.
$125 / $138.75The Florida Division of Corporations charges $125 to file LLC articles of organization and designate a registered agent, and $138.75 for the LLC annual report. — Florida Department of State, Division of Corporations, retrieved 2026-09-27
Questions
Is the Florida food truck license fee the same in every county?
Yes. The $347 annual fee for a mobile food dispensing vehicle is set statewide by rule. Only the renewal date changes by county, because the division staggers renewals across seven districts.
Is the license fee refundable if I never open?
The rule says a license fee is non-refundable once the establishment commences operation. If you have not opened, contact the division about your application before assuming either way.
Does a second truck cost another $347?
Yes. Each vehicle is licensed separately, so a second truck pays its own $347 annual license fee and its own $50 application fee when first licensed.
Can a city charge me a separate food truck fee?
No. Florida law bars counties and cities from charging a license, registration or permit fee beyond the state's as a condition of operating a mobile food dispensing vehicle, except at ports, airports and seaports.