Tips, how-to guides, and resources for food truck vendors and craft fair vendors.
A commissary letter is the document that stalls more food truck applications than anything else — and most jurisdictions won't process your permit without it. What it is, what it must include, how to get one, and what a commissary costs.
Cottage food laws let you sell certain homemade foods without a commercial kitchen — but what's allowed, the revenue caps, and labeling rules vary widely by state. What cottage food covers, what it doesn't, and how to get registered.
Juried craft shows reject more applicants than they accept — and it's usually for fixable reasons. The most common rejection causes (full categories, weak photos, buy-sell products, incomplete forms) and exactly how to fix each one before you apply.
Most juried craft fairs require general liability insurance — usually $1M per occurrence, often with the organizer named as additional insured. What coverage you need, what it costs, where to get event or annual policies, and how the certificate of insurance fits your application.
Farmers market permitting splits across two agencies — the agricultural commissioner and county health — and which you need depends on what you sell. The producer certificate, the temporary food facility booth permit, cottage food, and seller's permits, explained.
Nearly every food truck needs a Certified Food Protection Manager on the team. What the certification is, the ANAB-CFP accredited providers (ServSafe, Prometric, National Registry, 360training, StateFoodSafety), what it costs, and exactly how to get certified.
Event organizers, commissaries, and cities all ask food trucks for a certificate of insurance. The coverage you actually need (general liability, commercial auto, product liability), the providers that issue COIs fast, what it costs, and how additional insured works.
The food truck health inspection is where permits stall and re-inspection fees pile up. The things inspectors check most — temperatures, handwashing, bare-hand contact, the cab/prep divider — and how to pass on the first try.
Selling at a farmers market depends on what you sell — produce, home-baked goods, or prepared food each take a different permit path. The full 2026 guide: vendor types, the permit stack, the application and timeline, costs, and how to get accepted.
A field-by-field walkthrough of Chicago's Mobile Food Vehicle license application through BACP — exactly what to enter in each section, the documents to attach, and the small mistakes that get applications kicked back.
California is the biggest food truck market and one of the most complex. The 2026 guide: the HCD insignia that must come first, the statewide CalCode framework enforced county by county, the strict commissary rule, the seller's permit, costs, and the order that keeps you from rebuilding.
Florida is the easy state for food trucks — one statewide DBPR license works everywhere, and a 2020 law stops cities from adding their own. The 2026 guide: the MFDV license, what state preemption does and doesn't cover, the commissary rule, the business tax receipt, costs, and timeline.
Almost every state with a sales tax requires craft vendors to register and collect it — but how varies. Whether you need a seller's permit, when a temporary or event permit is enough, the five states with no sales tax, and how to register in minutes.
Houston already stopped issuing new food truck medallions — new operators apply to the state now. The 2026 guide: the City vs Harris County question, the old $708 medallion for context, the new DSHS statewide permit, and the fire and commissary rules Houston still enforces.
Washington has one requirement no other state does — the L&I insignia, which must clear before the health department will even review your plans. The full 2026 guide: the permission stack, the one-application state business license, local health jurisdictions county by county, the food worker card, costs, and the order that saves you months.
AutoFill PDFs and AutoFillPDF.com have nearly identical names but solve different problems. A factual, side-by-side comparison — pricing, features, and which one fits food truck, craft, and market vendors filling permit and application forms.
A vendor-focused comparison of the best PDF form fillers for permit and application forms. We rank tools by the one thing that matters when you file the same info across many cities and markets: saving your details once and auto-filling any form — including scanned ones.
Austin Public Health stops issuing food truck permits June 30, 2026. What the ~540 Austin-area trucks need to know: the new DSHS fees vs the old $239–$309 city permit, the four-step transition if you hold a current APH permit, and the fire-inspection and location rules Austin keeps enforcing. Verified June 2026.
Chicago's two food truck licenses differ by $300 and one question: does any preparation happen on board? The official definitions, a menu-by-menu decision table, the gray zones (coffee, hot dogs, ice cream), and why guessing wrong costs weeks — not just money.
The complete Illinois food truck playbook: the three-layer permit stack (state, county health, city), real costs from $50K starter builds to $9.5K first-year compliance, the commissary-letter trap, and how Chicago, Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Schaumburg, and Rockford each treat trucks differently. Verified June 2026.
On July 1, 2026, Texas replaces city-by-city food truck permits with one statewide DSHS license. The three license types, the real fees ($309–$1,376 up front), the 7-day itinerary rule, and exactly how to transition if you already hold a city permit. Verified against DSHS in June 2026.
A field-tested breakdown of the Chicago food truck permit process — the two license types, the 4–8 week timeline, the commissary-letter trap, the GPS rule, the 200-foot rule, and exactly what goes on the application. Verified against BACP and CDPH for 2026.
Everything you need to know about applying to craft fairs and art shows as a vendor. Covers common form fields, insurance requirements, booth selection, and tips for getting accepted.
Practical tips for completing vendor permit and event applications more efficiently. Covers common mistakes, time-saving strategies, and how automation tools can help.