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Food truck, cart and other mobile food facilities compliance and permits

Couple standing near food truck and choosing food


View List of county-Approved Mobile Food Facilities

Mobile food facilities (MFFs) are trucks, trailers, vans, carts, or any portable units used to prepare, sell, or transport food. The type of food that is being sold/give away determines the type of equipment needed to ensure food safety. For instance, pre-packaged food that does not need cooling or heating will not require hand washing equipment. Certain mobile food activities do not require a permit.  For example, selling uncut fruit in an area less than 25 sq ft.  If not exempted by state law, all other mobile food operations require a county permit if operating in Santa Clara County.

We inspect all MFFs that operate in the County to ensure the food is safe for the public and require you renew your permits annually. Our office accepts applications and takes payments between 7:30 am and 4:15 pm, Monday through Friday. 

MFF commissary

As an MFF, you must report daily to a commissary, a food facility that services MFFs.

Commissaries provide the following:

  • Storage and replenishment of food, containers, or supplies
  • Preparation or packaging of food for sale or service at other locations
  • Warewashing facilities where utensils are cleaned and sanitized
  • Disposal of garage, refuse, liquid, and solid waste
  • Potable water that shall be hot and cold, under pressure
  • Servicing and cleaning areas that are sloped and drained to an approved wastewater system
  • Storage of MFF to protect from unsanitary conditions
  • Electrical outlets to power equipment

As an alternative to reporting to a commissary, you can be serviced by a mobile support unit that holds a permit issued by our office.

What would you like to do?

We require MFF operators to renew their permits annually which includes an inspection. Be sure to have all the documentation prepared before the inspection appointment. 

Renew annual permit to operate MFF

Before changing a commissary, you willl need to take these steps: 

  1. Complete the Commissary Agreement form. 
  2. Email the completed forms our office for review and approval. 
  3. You may move to the new facility once the location has been approved by our office.  

The use of an unapproved facility for any part of the mobile food operation is subject to immediate suspension of your mobile food facility permit to operate and may lead to the revocation of your permit to operate.

If you would like to build a new MFF or remodel an existing one, you will need a plan review.

Start the plan review process

To update your information such as owner address, phone number, billing address information, follow these steps:

  1. Complete the MFF account update form.
  2. E-mail the completed form to our office.
  3. In the subject line of your email, write "MFF account update request".

If you stopped operating your Mobile Food Facility (MFF) and wish to close your account, follow these steps to request our office to close the account and stop renewal billings: 

  1. Complete the MFF closure request form.
  2. Email the form to our office.  

Account balances must be settled prior to closing the account.

Closing your account and terminating the renewal billing may take up to three billing cycles.

If you are using an out-of-County commissary:

  1. Complete the Out-of-County commissary agreement form. 
  2. Email us the completed form.
  3. Once approved, we will email the out-of-County commissary agreement form(s) to the permitting county and you will be copied on the email. 

We recommend you submit this form as earliest as possible as reviews and approvals do take time. Approval will be pending MFFs being in good standing with our office.

Operating permits are not transferable, so you will need to apply for a new permit.

Start the permit application process   

You will need a plan review.

Start the plan review process

  1.  Follow process for County where commissary is located.
  2. DEH will complete the required documentation from that county.