DeSoto, TX Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Yes: city health permit, § 6.602
- Issuing agency
- DeSoto Health Department
- Renewal
- Annual, each January
- Commissary
- Required by city mobile food policy
- Also required
- Food handler card or manager cert
Summary
DeSoto bars operating any food establishment, mobile food units included, without a permit from the DeSoto Health Department. Each unit passes a pre-permit inspection for compliance with state food rules, and the permit renews every January.
(a) Permits. (1) General. A person may not operate a food establishment without a permit issued by the regulatory authority. Permits are not transferable from one person to another or from one location to another location except as otherwise permitted by this article. A valid permit must be posted in or on every food establishment regulated by this article. ... (2) Inspection. Prior to the approval of an initial permit or the renewal of an existing permit, the regulatory authority shall inspect the proposed food establishment to determine compliance with state laws and rules.
Full Breakdown
Under DeSoto Code of Ordinances § 6.602, no one may operate a food establishment, mobile food units included, without a permit issued by the regulatory authority, the DeSoto Health Department. You apply on the city's form, pay the council-set fee, and pass a pre-permit inspection for compliance with the Texas Food Establishment Rules before the permit issues. Permits renew every January, are not transferable between operators or locations, and must be posted on the unit. Operators also need a food handler card or manager certification, and the city's mobile food policy requires proof of commissary kitchen use. Statewide, DSHS took over mobile food unit licensing on July 1, 2026 under HB 2844.
Violations & Fines
Operating a mobile food unit in DeSoto without a valid permit violates § 6.602 and draws a fine under the code's general penalty at § 1.106; the Health Department can also suspend the unit immediately as an eminent public-health hazard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do food trucks need a DeSoto permit?
Does the July 2026 DSHS change replace DeSoto's permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in DeSoto
Texas rules heatmap·Compare DeSoto to another location·View the Texas food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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