Guide To Getting a Boston Food Truck Permit

Wondering what you need to get your Boston food truck permit? We’re here to help! We’ll be providing the jist of what you’ll need to get your Boston food truck permit.

You’ll also want to develop a food truck business plan before you apply for your permit or as you are in the permit application process, as having a well developed food truck business plan can streamline the permit process and provides you with the data, financials, and roadmap you’ll need for success.

Note: All info in this section comes from the City of Boston’s Food Truck Legal Toolkit, which provides the in-depth knowledge and requirements necessary for obtaining your Boston food truck permit. This webpage offers a quick and dirty summary of what you’ll need in your food truck permit application process, for those who want a more general overview.

REQUIREMENTS FOR BOSTON FOOD TRUCK PERMIT

• Food Truck Application
• Health Permit
• Signature of Health Inspector FTP Application
• Open Burning / Cooking Permit
• Signature from Fire Marshall FTP Application
• Business Certificate
• GPS Navigation Contract
• Hawker / Peddler License
• Commissary Kitchen Agreement
• Site Licensing Materials

BOSTON FOOD TRUCK APPLICATION (FTA)

Cost: $500 (annual)

You’ll need a completed Boston Food Truck Permit Application (2015).

HEALTH PERMIT

Cost: $100 (annual)

Your food truck needs to pass a health inspection in order to receive a health permit. Make sure your food truck is in compliance with Massachusetts laws and the FDA 1999 Food Code.

You’ll need to schedule your health inspection with Tom McAdams [ Thomas(dot)McAdams(at)cityofboston(dot)gov ] of the Inspectional Services Department. When you go for your inspection, you’ll need to bring:

• Health Permit Application: You can find a copy of the Health Permit Application on the Boston Gov website.

• Sample Menu: Your menu will dictate the layout of your truck, so having a sample menu gives the health inspector a better sense of how your food will be handled and can clue them into possible risks for food-borne illnesses.

• Proof of Commissary Kitchen: Evidence that you are in contact with a certified commissary kitchen.

• Proof of Certified Food Manager: At least one person on your truck needs to be a certified Food Protection Manager. You can have a staff member become a Certified Food Protection Manager by taking certification training class through a private organization like ServSafe.

• Application for Permission to Use Premises: Required for private site vendors only.

• In-Progress Food Truck Permit Application: If you pass the health inspection, the health inspector will sign your FTP application.

FIRE PERMIT

Cost: $110 (annual)

The Boston Fire Department will inspect your truck for fire hazards during your food truck health inspection. All you need to do is schedule your health inspection.

You may require a Open Burning / Cooking Permit depending on your cooking process.

Open Burning / Cooking Permit: Required for food trucks cooking with in-line generators.

Fire Permit: Required for food trucks cooking with propane, open flame, or anything else. A Fire Permit takes into account fuel, storage, and transportation.

 Note: Your truck will be expected to have a fire suppression system and a fire extinguisher. If you are deep frying, you’ll need a class K fire extinguisher. Otherwise, a 3-A:40-B:C multi-purpose extinguisher will be needed.

You’ll also need to have your in-progress food truck permit application at the time of the fire inspection. Once you’ve passed the fire inspection, the fire inspector will sign your food truck permit application.

BUSINESS CERTIFICATE

Cost:$50 for Boston, varies for other cities.

Any business operating under a name other than its legal name (ex. for a sole proprietor, using any name other than a business owner’s name) needs to obtain a “doing business as” certificate. Your business certificate registers you as the individual responsible for your food truck business.

Download your business certificate application here.

Boson requires you to have a business certificate from the city where your business is permanently located. This can considered the address of your commissary kitchen, office, or any other permanent location as your business location. This location does not need to be in Boston.

GPS NAVIGATION CONTRACT WITH TRIMBLE

GPS Unit Cost: $299 per unit.

GPS Instillation Cost: $89

Sprint Data Plan: $35/month

In Boston, all food trucks are required to have a GPS navigation unit leased from Trimble, with a Sprint data plan. Your truck’s GPS data is automatically shared with the city. Why does Boston do this?

• To update The Office of Food Initiatives’s food truck website in order to list where your truck is selling food at various times of the day, making it easier for customers to find your truck. Note: customers can only see where your truck is during vending hours.

• To ensure that you are vending in the right location at the correct time, and to easily identify trucks that are trying to vend without the necessary certification.

HAWKER / PEDDLER LICENSE

Cost: $62 per license (annual)

A Hawker/Peddler License is required for everyone on your truck who will be handling money. You’ll need to obtain at least one license, but will probably need more since you need to have a hawker/peddler license for every individual on the truck who will be handling money.

SITE LICENSING MATERIALS 

In Boston, most food trucks compete for pre-approved public food truck vending sites. To vend at these sites, you will need a Food Truck Site License Application.

Pre-Approved Public Sites

Specific spots throughout the city of Boston designated for food truck vending during certain hours. Currently, there are 20 of these sites in Boston. Many of these sites are designed for multiple trucks to serve at the same time, with three different time slots:

• Breakfast : 6am – 10am
• Lunch : 10am – 3pm
• Dinner : 3pm – 9pm/11pm (for some sites)

The 20 sites are categorized in tiers based on their desirability:

Tier 1: Prime sites that can be obtained through Boston’s annual food truck lottery system in Jaunuary.

Tier 2 & 3: Non-prime spots that are easier to claim. These sites are obtained on a first-come, first-served basis. Once a truck is licensed for a non-prime site, the license can be renewed every 3 months. A food truck cannot be licensed to vend on multiple sites at the same day and time.

Food truck location costs vary by sites:

• Tier 1 – Breakfast: $12.50/day   Lunch: $25.00/slot   Dinner: $12.50/slot
• Tier 2 – Breakfast: $8.25/day   Lunch: $16.50/slot   Dinner: $8.25/slot
• Tier 3 – Breakfast: $4.25/day   Lunch: $8.50/slot   Dinner: $4.25/slot
• City Hall Plaza – Breakfast: $50.00/day   Lunch: $50.00/slot   Dinner: N/A

In addition to pre-approved public sites, there are also proposed public sites, special sites, and private sites. Learn more about these Boston city licensing sites and how to obtain a Food Truck Site License Application by reading the Boston Food Truck Legal Toolkit.