Virginia Food Truck License and Mobile Vendor Permit Guide: VDH Sticker, Fire Official, 2026 Rules

October 29, 2026

Requirement	Agency	Cost	Timing	Notes
VDH mobile food unit permit	Virginia Department of Health, through your local health district	$40 plan review; $40 permit	Plan review first; permit application with $40 at least 30 days before opening; then unit inspection	Permit is a sticker displayed on the unit. Plan review needs a layout, equipment list with specification sheets, menu and CFPM credentials. Some health districts use their own forms.
Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM)	Local health district	Program fees vary by provider	Required among supervisory staff; confirm timing with the health district	Credential must come from an ANSI-accredited program recognized by the Conference for Food Protection, unless exempt under 12VAC5-421-55 B or Va. Code 35.1-25. Virginia has no statewide food handler card and no $15 food handler card requirement.
Fire permit under Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code section 319	Fire official of the locality where the vehicle is registered for personal property tax; State Fire Marshal's Office (SFMO) where no local fire official exists	Local fees vary; $200 annual SFMO permit where the SFMO handles it	Confirm lead time with the fire official before you buy equipment	Applies to vehicles with open flames or appliances producing smoke or grease-laden vapors. The SFMO names Alexandria, Richmond, Fairfax, Loudoun and Henrico as localities with local fire officials.
Commissary	Local health district and local ordinance	Check with the health district	Decided during permit review	Required where a local ordinance requires one; otherwise required when the operator cannot show the unit is fully self-contained.
Local vendor and zoning permits	Each city or county	Set locally; check with the locality	Set locally; check with the locality	Cost and rules vary from one city or county to the next.
Local business license (BPOL)	Each city or county, usually through the commissioner of the revenue	Set by each locality	Set by each locality, including filing deadlines	Not every locality levies a general license. Peddlers and itinerant merchants may be taxed up to $500 a year under Va. Code 58.1-3717.
Sales tax registration	Virginia Department of Taxation (Virginia Tax)	Confirm current fees on tax.virginia.gov	Register before your first taxable sale	Prepared food is taxable. The online registration system is changing, so use tax.virginia.gov for the current portal.
Temporary events	Local health district	Check with the local health district	Check with the local health district	Temporary food establishments fall under the same CFPM requirement. The local health district issues event permits.
Alcohol service	Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC)	Varies by license type; call ABC	Confirm before you serve	The license type depends on your service model.
Workers' compensation	Private insurer under Va. Code 65.2-101	Premium varies by insurer	Required once you have three or more employees	Applies at three or more employees.

Informational only: This guide explains Virginia permit and regulation basics as of October 2026. It is not legal or tax advice. Talk with a qualified attorney or CPA about your entity, tax registration and any complex situation, and confirm current fees and rules with the agency named in each row.

This guide covers permits and regulations only. For startup costs, truck selection and planning, see the Virginia food truck business launch guide.

The 2026 food regulations

Virginia's updated food regulations took effect September 10, 2026. Two changes affect nearly every mobile operation:

• Written disclosure of major food allergens. The list now has nine allergens: milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. Disclosure must be written, which affects menu boards and printed menus. Sesame is the ninth allergen and is easy to miss on an existing menu board.
• Hot water minimum of 85 degrees F. Confirm with your local health district how this applies to your handwashing setup and equipment.

How the VDH sticker and inspection work

The Virginia Department of Health issues the mobile food unit permit through your local health district. The process has three stages:

1. Plan review ($40). Submit a layout of the unit, an equipment list with specification sheets, your menu and your CFPM credentials. Some health districts use their own forms, so ask before you assemble the packet.
2. Permit application ($40). File at least 30 days before you plan to open.
3. Unit inspection. The inspector checks the unit itself before the permit is issued.

Once approved, the permit is a sticker displayed on the unit. Keep it visible at every location and event. Trucks and trailers use the same permit, so a trailer-based operation follows the same steps.

Commissary decisions

Many new operators assume every mobile food unit needs a commissary. Virginia does not require one across the board. VDH requires a commissary in two situations:

• A local ordinance requires one.
• The unit is not fully self-contained, meaning you cannot show it carries everything it needs to operate on its own.

If your unit is self-contained and no local ordinance applies, ask the health district to confirm that decision in writing before you buy a unit or sign a commissary agreement.

The fire permit, step by step

The fire permit is a separate track from the health permit. Section 319 of the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code applies to vehicles with open flames or with appliances that produce smoke or grease-laden vapors. Fryers, grills and open-flame burners are the common cases, so assume section 319 applies if your menu involves any of them, then confirm with the fire official.

1. Confirm the vehicle is covered. Check whether your unit has open flames or appliances that produce smoke or grease-laden vapors.
2. Identify the fire official. Enforcement falls to the Virginia locality where the vehicle is registered for personal property tax. That locality may differ from where you plan to operate.
3. Contact the local fire official and apply. Fees vary by locality, so ask for the current schedule and lead time.
4. Use the State Fire Marshal's Office only if no local fire official exists. In that case the SFMO handles the permit for an annual $200 permit.
5. Know which localities have local fire officials. The SFMO names Alexandria, Richmond, Fairfax, Loudoun and Henrico as localities with local fire officials. Check with the SFMO or your locality for others.

Local vending rules and why they vary

Virginia has no general state business license. The State Corporation Commission (SCC) forms entities and issues no license. Local rules come from three places:

• Business, Professional and Occupational License (BPOL) tax. BPOL is a local license tax under Va. Code 58.1-3700 et seq., administered by each city or county, usually through the commissioner of the revenue. Localities set their own rates and filing deadlines.
• Vendor and zoning permits. Each city or county sets its own rules for where and when a mobile vendor can operate.
• Peddler and itinerant merchant rules. A locality may tax peddlers and itinerant merchants up to $500 a year under Va. Code 58.1-3717.

Not every locality levies a general business license. Va. Code 58.1-3704 lets a locality levy none. Stafford, Rockingham, Bedford County, Washington County, Montgomery County, Louisa and Fluvanna have no general county license. Towns can displace the county tax. Do not assume a neighboring county works the same way.

The statutory floor depends on population. A locality over 50,000 people cannot require a license on gross receipts under $100,000. A locality of 25,000 to 50,000 people cannot require one on gross receipts under $50,000. Under 25,000 people, no floor applies. Localities over 50,000 may waive the license up to $200,000, but verify that ceiling with your locality before you rely on it.

Richmond, Arlington, Alexandria and Fairfax each have their own mobile vending rules, which shows how much localities differ. Read each locality's current ordinance rather than a secondhand summary, including any summary on this page, because local codes change.

Entity and tax registration basics

Your legal entity and sales tax registration should be in place before your first sale. Key figures:

• LLC. Articles of Organization (Form LLC1011) cost $100. Virginia LLCs file no annual report. They pay a $50 annual registration fee to the SCC. See our Virginia LLC formation guide for the filing steps.
• Stock corporation. Fees depend on authorized shares, so confirm the amount on the SCC site before you file.
• Assumed name (DBA). File an assumed name certificate with the SCC for $10. Assumed names are not filed with the circuit court.
• Name reservation. A name can be reserved for $10 for 120 days.

Register with Virginia Tax before you make taxable sales. Prepared food is taxable. The base sales tax rate is 5.3% statewide, combining state and local tax, with higher rates in some places: 6% in regional-tax localities, 6.3% in eight localities, and 7% in the Historic Triangle (James City County, Williamsburg and York County). Groceries are taxed at 1%. Virginia Tax's online registration system is changing, so check the Virginia Tax website for the current portal and the sales and use tax page.

Next steps

1. Call your local health district about the plan review packet and whether a commissary applies.
2. Confirm which locality's fire official covers your vehicle, and apply before you operate.
3. Contact the commissioner of the revenue about BPOL and any vendor or zoning permits in each city or county where you plan to operate.
4. Call ABC if you plan to serve alcohol.

This guide is informational and is not legal or tax advice. For a complex setup, such as multiple locations, employees or alcohol service, talk with a qualified attorney or CPA.