San Francisco, CA — Food Truck permit
San Francisco runs a two-permit system: the SF Department of Public Health (SFDPH) MFF health permit ($470 application plus $414–$690 plan check in 2026-27) plus a Public Works permit for any public-street location ($1,125 for one location in 2026-27). 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).
In San Francisco, CA, operating a food truck requires 6 permits or licenses. The SFDPH Mobile Food Facility (MFF) Permit fee varies by setup. A realistic end-to-end timeline is 8–12 weeks, and first-year regulatory cost runs $12,500–$25,000. Verified August 9, 2026.
Permits and registration at standard rates ≈ $2,900–$3,000 (DPH $470 application + $690 high-risk plan check + $156 fire referral; Public Works $1,125 for one location, $1,175 with decal; SFFD ≈ $436; business registration $55 + $4). The low end assumes First Year Free waives most of those for a new business; the high end pays them all. Commissary rent $800–$1,500/mo ($9,600–$18,000/yr) dwarfs them. Insurance ≈ $2,950/yr for general liability plus commercial auto at Insureon's national medians. DPH annual MFF licence is $0 from April 1, 2026. Excludes any Planning TUA fee.
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 costs a $470 application fee (with initial inspection) plus plan check of $414 (low risk) or $690 (high risk) and a $156 Fire Department referral fee on DPH's 2026-27 schedule; a cooking truck pays the high-risk rate. The Public Works Mobile Food Facility Permit costs $1,125 for one location on the 2026-27 schedule ($199 filing + $318 notification + $608 inspection, plus a $50 decal if applicable), with half due at submittal. A gross-receipts-based fee also applies, but it is the Treasurer's business registration fee ($55 + $4 state fee under $100K), not the health permit. 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 lands at roughly $12,500–$25,000 once permits, commissary rent and insurance are counted. At standard rates, permit and registration fees come to about $2,900–$3,000 (DPH $1,316 for a cooking truck, Public Works $1,125–$1,175, SFFD about $436, business registration $59). The city's First Year Free programme can waive most of those first-year fees for a new business with $5M or less in SF gross receipts, but only if you register the business before you apply for permits; it runs through June 30, 2027 or until its funding is spent. DPH's annual MFF licence fee is $0 from April 1, 2026 (Ordinance 49-26). Commissary rent in SF runs $800–$1,500/month (high end of the national range), or $9,600–$18,000 a year, and insurance adds about $2,950/yr for general liability plus commercial auto at Insureon's national medians. The commissary is the biggest line by far.
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. Public Works final approval requires DPH's Certificate of Sanitation and decal. | Varies DPH fee schedule, rates effective 7/1/26–6/30/27: $470 Permit to Operate application fee (with initial inspection), plan check $414 (low risk) or $690 (high risk, i.e. a cooking truck), $156 Fire Department referral fee. Annual licence fee: $0 for MFF Low/High Risk licence periods beginning on or after April 1, 2026 (Ordinance 49-26). Standard rates; First Year Free may waive first-year fees for a new business registered before applying. | Annual licence year April 1 – March 31 |
SF Business Registration Certificate | Every SF business. DPH asks for the certificate in its MFF packet and Public Works before final approval. | $59 $59 = $55 + $4 state fee for $0–$100,000 in 2025 SF gross receipts (registration year April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027); higher bands pay more. This is the gross-receipts-based fee, set by the Treasurer & Tax Collector. | Annual (renewal due the last day of February from 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. | $1,125 2026-2027 fee schedule (rev. 07.01.2026), single location: $199 filing/processing + $318 notification + $608 inspection, plus a $50 decal if applicable. Half due at submittal. Extra locations and a public hearing cost more; renewal with no violations is $199. | 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. | $436 SFFD Operational Permit for Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles and Carts — reported at $436 annually. 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 |
Filling these San Francisco forms
Every application above asks for the same details — business name, owner, EIN, license numbers, commissary address, insurance carrier and policy number. AutoFill PDFs reads the 6 applications and fills them from one saved vendor profile, whether the form is a fillable PDF or a flat scan. You review every field before you download and submit.
Free plan — 10 credits/month, no credit card required.
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
Public Works requires a general liability policy of no less than $2,000,000 naming the City as additional insured before final approval of a street permit (sf.gov). General liability runs about $300–$450/yr at carrier-published prices (FLIP from $299, Insureon median $440); commercial auto for the truck is a separate, larger policy (Insureon median $2,509/yr).
Cost: ~$300–$450/yr (auto policy extra)
- 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
- Drawings, photos, site plan, and menu
DPH's plan check wants two copies of schematic drawings of the truck, interior and exterior photos of all sides, and the menu. Public Works wants a dimensioned site plan for each location, two passport-size photos of the applicant, the proposed menu, and a 75-foot radius notification packet for a truck (300 feet for a pushcart).
- Half the Public Works fees at submittal
Public Works requires half of the total fees at submittal. The remaining fees are due before final approval, along with DPH's Certificate of Sanitation, SFFD's inspection report, business registration and DMV registration.
- 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. The DPH licence year runs April 1 – March 31; business registration renewal is due the last day of February. |
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 — roughly 3–6× the first-year permit fees at standard rates.
- 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 MFF classification on the DPH application
The DPH and Public Works forms still ask you to tick MFF 1–5, while Ordinance 49-26 (passed April 7, 2026) and DPH's 2026-27 fee schedule use Low Risk and High Risk. A truck that cooks is MFF 5 on the form and pays the $690 high-risk plan check. Ask mobilefood@sfdph.org if your menu sits near the line.
Official sources
- SF.gov — Guide to starting a food truck
- SF.gov — Guide to health permits for mobile food facilities
- SF.gov — MFF FAQ
- SF Public Works — Mobile Food Facilities
- SF Public Works — Mobile Food Fee Schedule (2026-2027)
- SFDPH — MFF Application packet PDF
- SFDPH — Environmental Health fee schedule (FY 2026-27, revised 9/1/2026)
- SF Code — Article 5.8 Permit Regulations for MFFs
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. On DPH's 2026-27 schedule the SFDPH MFF health permit costs a $470 application fee plus plan check ($690 for a high-risk cooking truck, $414 low risk) and a $156 fire referral fee; the annual MFF licence fee is $0 from April 1, 2026 (Ordinance 49-26). The Public Works location permit is $1,125 for one location ($199 + $318 + $608), plus a $50 decal if applicable. Business registration adds $55 + $4 under $100K in gross receipts. Those are standard rates: the city's First Year Free programme can waive most first-year fees for a new business, but only if you register the business before applying for permits. Add insurance (about $2,950/yr for general liability plus commercial auto at Insureon's national medians) 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?
- DPH's fee schedule for rates effective 7/1/26–6/30/27 lists a $470 Permit to Operate application fee (with initial inspection), mobile food facility plan check of $414 (low risk) or $690 (high risk), and a $156 Fire Department referral fee. The annual licence fee for MFF Low and High Risk is $0 for licence periods beginning on or after April 1, 2026, under Ordinance 49-26. The gross-receipts-tiered fee ($55 + $4 state fee under $100K) is the Treasurer's business registration, not the health permit.
- 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.
Now fill the actual San Francisco application
You know what San Francisco requires. The form itself is where applications stall — a wrong licence type, an undated commissary letter, a blank box that looks optional. Our walkthrough goes field by field.
Walk through the San Francisco form →