Arlington, TX Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitting authority
- Tarrant County Public Health
- City permit since 9/1/2023
- None. TCPH issues it
- Commissary
- Permitted, inspected commissary required
- Food manager
- Certified Food Manager per unit
- Application validity
- 180 days until inspection passed
Summary
Arlington stopped issuing its own mobile food permits on September 1, 2023. Food trucks now operate under a Tarrant County Public Health Mobile Food Unit annual permit, which requires a permitted, inspected commissary and passing a health inspection before serving the public.
Any vendor that applies for a Tarrant County Public Health Mobile Food Unit Permit will be required to use a permitted commissary and must submit this form along with all required paperwork. ... This approval is not to be mistaken for authorization to operate in any one city jurisdiction within Tarrant County. Contact the specific city your business is operating within for any additional requirements prior to operation.
Full Breakdown
Tarrant County Public Health's Environmental Health Division permits and inspects every mobile food unit operating in Arlington. Applicants must submit a completed application, a Texas sales and use tax permit, a commissary certification and agreement, a copy of the commissary's food service permit and last inspection, current vehicle registration, and a Certified Food Manager credential. The commissary must be a permitted, inspected food establishment meeting Texas Administrative Code Title 25, Chapter 228. TCPH warns its permit does not authorize operation inside any city, so Arlington vendors confirm additional city requirements before setting up.
Violations & Fines
Operating a mobile food unit without a TCPH permit, or from an unpermitted commissary, means you have no approval to serve food; a unit that fails inspection within 180 days must resubmit the application and pay a new fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the City of Arlington issue food truck permits?
Do I need a commissary?
Does the county permit let me operate anywhere in Arlington?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Arlington to another location·View the Texas food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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Sidewalk & Mobile Vending in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Tarrant County handle sidewalk & mobile vending.