Shelby County, TN Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Application fee
- $150.00 per vehicle
- Renewal fee
- $150.00 annually per vehicle
- Issuing agency
- County health department
- Street parking limit
- 6 hours/block per 24 hours
- Break required
- 1 continuous hour between blocks
- General penalty
- Up to $50.00/day (§ 1-4)
Summary
Operating a food truck in unincorporated Shelby County requires a permit for each vehicle from the county health department, backed by a $150.00 application fee and a $150.00 annual renewal fee. County Code § 8-682 sets the licensing conditions on top of Tennessee Department of Health food-safety rules.
No person shall engage in the business of operating a mobile food preparation vehicle without first having obtained a permit for each vehicle from the county health department and complying with all regulations for such businesses established by this state. The application for a permit shall be accompanied by a $150.00 application fee for each mobile food preparation vehicle. A permit may be renewed annually upon payment of a $150.00 renewal fee for each such vehicle.
Full Breakdown
00 fee to renew annually (§ 8-682(b)). To qualify, the vehicle must be purpose-built for mobile food service, the vendor needs a written commissary agreement if the health department requires one, and the truck must display its business name plus state and local permit numbers in letters at least three inches tall (§ 8-682(c)(1)-(3)). Current permits must stay posted inside the vehicle, and the driver needs a valid state driver's license, auto insurance with liability coverage, and current vehicle registration (§ 8-682(c)(4)-(5)). The truck can only run where local zoning allows motorized vehicle operation, must carry an adequate supply of safe water, and its plumbing must be sized to prevent contaminating food or creating a nuisance (§ 8-682(c)(6)-(8)).
Operational rules layered on top of the permit bar cooking while the vehicle is moving, cap street parking at six hours per block in 24 hours with at least a one-hour break between stints, and require the vendor to police the parking area for litter before leaving (§§ 8-683(a), (c), (b)(3)).
Violations & Fines
Article XVI carries no standalone fine schedule, so a mobile food preparation vendor operating without the required health department permit, or breaking any operating condition in § 8-682 or § 8-683, falls under the county's general penalty in § 1-4: up to $50.00 per violation set by the general sessions court judge, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense, and the fine doesn't prevent permit revocation. The Memphis and Shelby County Office of Construction Code Enforcement enforces the zoning and special-event provisions of the article (§ 8-691).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a food truck permit cost in Shelby County?
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What happens if a food truck operates without a Shelby County permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Shelby County
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