Travis County, TX Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Section 247.016(a) is direct: a person shall not commence operations of or operate a Food Outlet within the County unless that person has a valid, subsisting Permit issued pursuant to this Chapter. A Mobile Food Unit, defined in 247.002 to include catering trucks, trailers, push carts, and roadside vendors, is one of the outlet types this permit requirement covers, alongside restaurants and retail food stores. Section 247.005 spells out where that reach extends: the chapter applies to all areas of the county, including areas in the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality, except for land inside the boundaries of the county's incorporated cities and towns.

That means a food truck parked in Austin's ETJ, land outside city limits but subject to some city control, still needs the county permit rather than an Austin one, while a truck operating inside Austin's city limits does not. The permit is issued by the Director, defined as the Director of the Austin Public Health Department or an authorized agent operating under the Travis County Health Authority, and it runs for one year from issuance under 247.012 before it must be renewed. Permits cannot be transferred between people, locations, or units under 247.013; a transferred permit is void as of the transfer date.

Anyone constructing or extensively remodeling a mobile unit, or converting an existing structure into one, must submit plans and specifications for the Director's review and receive a Statement of Plan Approval under 247.017 before operating. Fees are set by the fee schedule in Attachment A to the chapter and are waived from January 15 each year until the Auditor files its required annual statement with the Texas Department of State Health Services.