San Francisco, CA — Food Truck permit
San Francisco runs a two-permit system: the SF Department of Public Health (SFDPH) MFF health permit on a gross-receipts-based fee schedule ($41 to $26,250/yr) plus a $1,000–$2,000 Public Works permit for any public-street location. Private property adds a third step — a Planning Department Temporary Use Authorization (TUA). The Police Department is no longer involved (location permitting moved to Public Works).
Commissary rent ($800–$1,500/mo in SF) dwarfs the permit fees. Insurance runs $2,000–$4,000/yr. DPH fee scales with gross receipts so first-year vendors land at the low end of that schedule.
What a San Francisco food truck permit actually involves
A San Francisco food truck permit is a multi-agency process where the agencies have shifted recently — most notably, location permitting moved from the Police Department to Public Works in 2024. Today you deal with SF Department of Public Health (SFDPH) for the health side, SF Public Works for any street/sidewalk/plaza location, the Planning Department if you operate on private property, and the Fire Department if you cook with propane or solid fuel. Forgetting Planning is the most common SF-specific trap.
What you actually need
Three permits cover most operators. The SFDPH Mobile Food Facility (MFF) Permit uses a gross-receipts-based fee schedule — $41/year if you're under $100K in receipts, scaling up to $26,250/year above $25M (most first-year vendors land at the bottom). The Public Works Mobile Food Facility Permit costs $1,000–$2,000 total ($500 processing + $200 notification + $300 inspection), with half due at submittal. If you ever park on private property — a gas station, a private lot, a parking lot — you also need a Planning Department Temporary Use Authorization (TUA), which operators routinely miss. SFFD permits are mandatory if you cook on board.
What it actually costs
Year-one regulatory spend lands at $5,000–$18,000. Commissary rent in SF runs $800–$1,500/month (high end of the national range), and insurance adds another $2,000–$4,000. The DPH fee is tiny in year one because the gross-receipts schedule benchmarks against prior-year revenue.
How long it actually takes
Plan on 8–12 weeks. Public Works issues a tentative approval and a final review only after the remaining documents are submitted; the DPH inspection runs on its own track.
Licenses
| License | Who needs it | Fee | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
SFDPH Mobile Food Facility (MFF) Permit | Every MFF operating in SF. Required before any Public Works location permit. | Varies Tiered by prior-year gross receipts: $41 (under $100K) → $26,250 (over $25M) + $4 state fee. First-year vendors typically land at the bottom tier. | 1 year (renew by last day of February starting 2026) |
Public Works Mobile Food Facility Permit | Required to vend in any public right-of-way (street, sidewalk, plaza). Not needed for private property only. | Varies $1,000–$2,000 total: ~$500 processing + ~$200 notification + ~$300 inspection. Half due at submittal. Effective Sept 1, 2025 fee schedule. | Permit-specific (location-tied) |
Planning Department Temporary Use Authorization (TUA) | Required for any MFF operating on private property (gas station, private lot, parking lot). Often missed by operators who assume only public-street vending needs city sign-off. | Varies Varies by Planning Department review depth | Event/location-specific |
SF Fire Department permit | Trucks with on-board cooking equipment. SFFD inspects fuel storage, suppression, and ventilation. | Varies Required if propane / LP-gas / open-flame cooking on board | Annual |
CA Driver record / DMV registration | Every motorized MFF — current CA registration is required for permitting. | Varies Standard DMV vehicle registration fees apply | Per CA DMV schedule |
Requirements
- Workers' Compensation Insurance (if employing staff)
Mandatory for SFDPH approval if you have any employees. California law makes this a hard requirement — no Workers' Comp certificate, no permit.
- General Liability Insurance
Typically $1M/$2M policy. Required by SFDPH and most commissaries. Annual cost in SF runs $2,000–$4,000.
Cost: $2,000–$4,000/yr
- Commissary agreement
Must be a SF-permitted food facility OR an out-of-county permitted facility (out-of-county requires that county's Department of Public Health inspector signature). Vehicle must be cleaned, serviced, and stored at this commissary.
Cost: $800–$1,500/mo typical SF commissary rent
- Photos, site plan, and menu
Submit with the Public Works application. They want photos of the unit, a site plan showing where you'll set up, and the actual menu (so DPH can confirm your MFF is equipped for what you'll prepare).
- Half the Public Works fees at submittal
Public Works requires 50% of permit fees up front before they'll start review. Remaining due at tentative approval.
- California Food Handler / Food Safety Manager certification
At least one person on the truck needs a CA-approved Food Safety Manager certification; everyone working with food needs a Food Handler card.
Cost: $15 (handler) – $150 (manager)
Realistic timeline
| Phase | Duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Business setup | Week 1–2 | California LLC/sole prop, EIN, SF Business Registration (Office of the Treasurer), seller's permit (CDTFA), DMV registration up to date. |
| SFDPH MFF application | Week 2–6 | Submit the MFF application with menu, equipment specs, and commissary agreement. DPH reviews and schedules a pre-permit inspection. Stall: Submitting without a signed commissary agreement — DPH rejects on the spot. |
| Public Works location permit | Week 4–10 | If vending in the public right-of-way, file with Public Works (49 South Van Ness, Suite 300). Submit with photos, site plan, menu, and 50% of fees. Tentative approval letter lists remaining items; submit those + balance for final approval. Stall: Choosing a location without checking proximity rules and existing nearby permits — Public Works can deny on those grounds. |
| Planning TUA (private property only) | Concurrent | If parking on private lots, file a Temporary Use Authorization with Planning. Often skipped — and then enforcement shows up. |
| SFFD inspection (if cooking on board) | Week 6–10 | Fire Department inspects propane storage, suppression systems, ventilation. Schedule alongside the DPH inspection. |
| Final approval + operating | Week 10–12 | Receive final permits from SFDPH + Public Works. Renew SFDPH annually by last day of February starting 2026. |
Common rejection / stall reasons
- Skipping Planning Department TUA for private-property vending
Operators assume only public streets need city sign-off. Planning enforces TUA requirements on gas-station lots, parking lots, and similar private-property setups. Vending without one risks shutdown.
- Out-of-county commissary without the proper signature
If your commissary is outside SF, that county's Department of Public Health Inspector must sign off. DPH won't accept the agreement otherwise.
- Underestimating SF commissary rent
SF commissaries run $800–$1,500/mo, comparable to LA. This is the single biggest recurring operating cost — bigger than permit fees by 10×.
- Missing the 50% upfront fee at Public Works
Public Works won't queue your application for review without 50% of permit fees at submittal. Submitting without it delays the whole timeline.
- Using the old Police Department process
Location permitting moved from SFPD to Public Works. Outdated guides still reference the Police Department — anything claiming SFPD reviews MFF locations is stale.
- Inadequate workers' comp documentation
Any employee triggers mandatory workers' comp. DPH won't issue or renew an MFF permit without the certificate on file.
- Wrong fee tier on the DPH application
The MFF fee is based on prior-year gross receipts. New vendors must declare $0 / under-$100K for the lowest tier. Misrepresenting receipts to dodge a higher tier triggers audit risk.
Official sources
Contacts
- SF Public Works — Bureau of Street-Use & Mapping
- 49 South Van Ness Ave, Suite 300, San Francisco, CA
- SF Public Works phone
- (628) 271-2000
- SFDPH Environmental Health Branch
- 415-252-3800
FAQ
- How much does an SF food truck permit cost?
- Two permits are required for public-street vending. SFDPH MFF health permit ranges from $41/yr (under $100K gross receipts) to $26,250/yr (over $25M) plus a $4 state fee — first-year vendors are at the bottom. The Public Works location permit runs $1,000–$2,000 total. Add insurance ($2,000–$4,000/yr) and commissary rent ($800–$1,500/mo) for realistic first-year costs.
- Do I need a Public Works permit if I'm only on private property?
- No — but you DO need a Planning Department Temporary Use Authorization (TUA) for any private-property vending. Public Works is the public-right-of-way authority. Planning handles private lots. Many operators skip Planning and get caught later.
- Why did the SFPD permit go away?
- It didn't — it moved. Location permitting for MFFs transferred from the San Francisco Police Department to Public Works. The Police Department is no longer involved in MFF location reviews. Any guide that still references SFPD for location approval is outdated.
- Can I use a commissary outside San Francisco?
- Yes, but with an extra step. An out-of-county commissary requires the signature of that county's Department of Public Health Inspector on your commissary agreement. SFDPH will reject an out-of-county agreement without it.
- What's the fee schedule for the SFDPH MFF permit?
- Tiered by prior-year gross receipts: $41 (under $100K), scaling up to $26,250 for vendors over $25M. Plus a $4 state surcharge. Renewals are due by the last day of February starting in 2026.
- How long does the full SF permit process take?
- Plan on 8–12 weeks. SFDPH review and inspection takes 4–8 weeks. Public Works runs in parallel but needs photos, site plan, menu, half the fees upfront, then a second review after tentative approval. Add the Planning TUA if you're on private property. Temporary-event vending can move faster — apply at least 5 business days prior.
- Do I need workers' comp if I have employees?
- Yes — and SFDPH treats it as a hard prerequisite. Any employee triggers mandatory workers' compensation insurance under California law, and DPH won't issue or renew an MFF permit without the certificate on file.