How to Start a Food Truck in Florida

Start with the Business Entity

Before any food license, you need a legal business. Most food truck owners form an LLC through Sunbiz, the Florida Division of Corporations, because it separates personal assets from business liability. You will also need a federal tax ID from the IRS to open a bank account and hire staff.

Get the entity done first. Almost every license and permit that follows will ask for your legal business name, and changing it later creates paperwork you do not want.

State Licensing: DBPR or DACS

In Florida, mobile food businesses are licensed at the state level, and the agency depends on what you serve. Trucks that prepare and serve food are generally licensed by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation, the DBPR, through its Division of Hotels and Restaurants. Some operations, such as those selling mostly prepackaged foods, may fall under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, known as DACS, instead.

The distinction matters because the requirements and inspections differ between the two agencies. Confirm which one covers your menu before you build out the truck, since equipment requirements are part of the licensing review.

The Commissary Requirement

Many mobile food vendors are required to operate from a commissary, which is an approved base where the truck can be cleaned, restocked, and serviced, and where water and waste can be handled properly. Whether you need one, and what it must provide, depends on how self-sufficient your truck is.

This is one of the most overlooked requirements. Lining up a commissary agreement early keeps your state application from stalling.

Local Permits and Approvals

The state license covers the food operation, but cities and counties still control where and how you do business locally. Depending on the location, that can include a local business tax receipt, fire safety review for cooking equipment, and rules about where trucks can park and operate.

Requirements change from one municipality to the next, so check with each city or county where you plan to sell.

Common Trip-Ups

These are the mistakes that most often delay a food truck launch:

• Buying or building the truck before confirming which agency licenses your menu
• Skipping the commissary question until the application asks for it
• Assuming the state license alone lets you park and sell anywhere
• Forgetting local fire review for propane and cooking equipment
• Operating under a business name that does not match state records