College Station, TX Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Inside College Station, a food truck operator obtains a mobile food vendor permit from the city and a food service permit from the Texas health department or the county health authority. Getting permitted means passing a vehicle and equipment inspection, holding a commissary agreement that covers food preparation and waste disposal, carrying liability insurance, and keeping a valid business license along with food handler certifications. The truck itself must carry a fire extinguisher and a handwashing station. The permit renews annually, with a fresh inspection each cycle.

State law adds a second layer once a truck rolls past the city line. Section 437.003 lets the commissioners court of a county, by order, require mobile food units and roadside food vendors in the unincorporated areas of the county to obtain a county permit, and that authority expressly reaches areas inside the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality, subject to Section 437.0045. A vendor working spots just outside College Station cannot assume the city permit travels with the truck; the county may demand its own. Section 437.002 separately authorizes a county or public health district to enforce state law and state rules concerning food service establishments, retail food stores, mobile food units, and roadside food vendors, which is why county health staff can inspect and enforce against trucks operating in those areas.