Minnesota Mobile Food Unit Licensing Statewide

All food trucks, carts, and trailers serving the public must be licensed as a mobile food unit under Minn. Stat. 157.15 and 157.16. The Minnesota Department of Health licenses units serving full-service or potentially hazardous foods, while the Department of Agriculture licenses prepackaged or limited operations. Licensees must operate from a licensed commissary or base of operations, follow Minn. R. 4626 food code requirements, and pass annual inspections. The state license authorizes operation statewide, preempting any city requirement to obtain a separate health license. Cities retain authority over zoning, parking, and right-of-way permits.

Operating without a state license is a misdemeanor with potential immediate cease-operation orders. Repeat violations may trigger license revocation and embargo of food product.