How to Start a Food Truck Business in Minnesota: MDH or MDA License, Plan Review and City Rules

A food truck in Minnesota does not get one license from one office. Minnesota has no general statewide business license, so you will work with a state health or agriculture agency, the Secretary of State, the Department of Revenue and then a city or county. The order you do these steps in decides whether you spend a few hundred dollars on paperwork or end up with a finished truck you cannot yet use. This guide walks through that order.

This article is informational, not legal or tax advice. Fees and rules change, so confirm every figure on the agency page before you pay. Consult a qualified attorney for entity and contract questions and a CPA for tax questions.

What you need before you start

Gather these before you file anything. Most delays come from a missing document, not from a rule.

• A written menu, item by item, with how each item is prepared: cooked to order, reheated, or sealed and prepackaged. This decides which agency licenses you.
• A business name and an entity choice: a sole proprietorship (no state filing) or a limited liability company (Articles of Organization).
• A federal Employer Identification Number from the IRS, which is free to obtain.
• A Minnesota Tax ID and a Sales and Use Tax account from the Department of Revenue.
• A short list of target cities or counties, with your zoning and parking questions written down.
• A vehicle and equipment list and a floor plan drawn to scale for plan review.
• A written water supply, wastewater and handwashing plan.
• A certified food protection manager certificate for at least one person, unless you qualify for an exemption.
• A commissary or licensed kitchen agreement, if your target city requires one.
• Insurance quotes for general liability and commercial auto coverage.

Fee snapshot

Budget with these figures. Each is a single charge unless noted. Confirm current amounts on the agency page before you commit money.

Item	Agency	Amount
Mobile food unit license	MDH	$150
Statewide hospitality fee	MDH	$50
Technology fee	MDH	$5
Mobile food unit plan review, new build	MDH	$700
Mobile food unit plan review, remodel	MDH	$400
Food cart license	MDH	$150
Food cart plan review, new or remodel	MDH	$500 new, $400 remodel
Special event food stand	MDH	$75, no plan review
MDA prepackaged food truck license	MDA	Confirm on the MDA licensing page
Articles of Organization, online or in person	Secretary of State	$155 (expedited)
Articles of Organization, by mail	Secretary of State	$135 (not expedited)
Certificate of Assumed Name, online or in person	Secretary of State	$50
Certificate of Assumed Name, by mail	Secretary of State	$30
LLC Annual Renewal	Secretary of State	$0, due December 31
State sales tax	Department of Revenue	6.875%, plus local tax
Rochester mobile food unit license	City of Rochester	$250 as of 2026
Minneapolis food truck license	City of Minneapolis	Check the city fee schedule

The MDH mobile food unit charges above (the $150 license, $50 hospitality fee and $5 technology fee) total $205 before plan review. MDH fees took effect July 1, 2025, so confirm them on the MDH page before you pay.

Step 1: Decide whether MDH or MDA licenses your truck

Your menu decides the agency. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), or a city or county it has delegated, licenses mobile food units and food carts that serve hot entrees and beverages. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) licenses trucks that sell prepackaged food, candy, popcorn and sno-cones.

A truck that grills burgers to order or serves hot coffee is an MDH operation. A truck that sells only sealed, prepackaged goods is usually an MDA operation. If your menu mixes both, call both agencies before you buy a vehicle. Do not assume one license covers the other side of your menu.

Step 2: Choose your entity and clear your name

A sole proprietorship needs no state filing to start, but it leaves you personally liable for the business. Many food truck owners form a limited liability company instead. Your choice affects liability, taxes and paperwork, so talk to an attorney or CPA if your situation is complicated.

If you form an LLC, file Articles of Organization with the Minnesota Secretary of State. The fee is $155 online or in person, which is expedited, or $135 by mail, which is not. The name must include the words "limited liability company" or the abbreviation "LLC," may not include "corporation" or "incorporated," and must be distinguishable from every entity already on file with the Secretary of State (Minn. Stat. 322C.0108). Search the records at the Minnesota Business Search before you pick a name. You must also have a registered office at a Minnesota street address. A PO box alone is not accepted.

If your truck will operate under a name other than the owner or LLC name, file a Certificate of Assumed Name ($50 online or in person, $30 by mail). Unlike LLC formation, an assumed name must be published for two consecutive issues in a qualified legal newspaper in the county of your principal place of business. Failure to publish may render the certificate invalid. The certificate must be renewed each year at no charge. Read the Secretary of State's assumed name page for the current form.

Step 3: Register for taxes before your first taxable sale

Register with the Minnesota Department of Revenue for a Minnesota Tax ID and a Sales and Use Tax account before you make any taxable sale. Registration is handled through the New Business Registration page. Ask Revenue which of your menu items are taxable. The state sales tax rate is 6.875 percent, and local taxes are added on top, so the rate you charge will vary by location.

Your income tax depends on how your LLC is taxed. An LLC taxed as a partnership or disregarded entity passes income through to its owners, who pay Minnesota individual income tax at graduated rates from 5.35 to 9.85 percent. An LLC that files federally as a C corporation pays the 9.8 percent corporation franchise tax, plus the minimum fee under Minn. Stat. 290.0922 when it applies. Ask a CPA which structure fits your numbers before you choose.

Step 4: Check the city or county before you buy anything

Minnesota has 87 counties, about 853 cities and about 1,780 townships. Local government controls where your truck can park, and it may add its own license on top of the state license. Cities generally license by category. Minneapolis and St. Paul both license by category, and neither issues a general business license.

Some examples show how much the rules vary. Minneapolis requires a food truck license and a licensed Minneapolis kitchen, so check its fee schedule before you budget. Rochester lists a mobile food unit license at $250 as of 2026. The Duluth City Clerk licenses mobile food vehicles. If your target site is in a township, contact the township clerk, because the rules there can differ from the nearest city.

Before you buy a vehicle, ask each target city or county these questions in writing:

• Which license do you require for a mobile food vehicle, and what does it cost?
• Do you require a commissary or licensed kitchen, and where must it be located?
• Where may a truck park, and do private lots need separate permission?
• What hours and noise limits apply, and is there a limit on time at one location?

Step 5: Submit MDH plan review before you build

Plan review is required before you build. Do not buy equipment, cut openings or finish interiors until the plan is approved, because a change after build-out can mean tearing out work you already paid for. For a mobile food unit, plan review costs $700 for a new build or $400 for a remodel. For a food cart, plan review costs $500 for a new cart or $400 for a remodel.

A complete submission usually includes a scaled floor plan, an equipment list with specifications, the water supply and wastewater plan, handwashing location, and hot and cold holding details. Use the current MDH checklist as your guide rather than a template from another state. Plan review is the step most likely to set your opening date, so submit early.

Step 6: Pay the license fees and cover food safety certification

After approval and inspection, pay the license. A mobile food unit license is $150, plus the $50 statewide hospitality fee and the $5 technology fee. A food cart license is $150. A special event food stand costs $75 and does not require plan review.

Minnesota requires a certified food protection manager for most operations, but the rule has listed exemptions. These include low-risk operations, special event food stands, and MDA-licensed retail food vehicles and carts. If you are not sure you qualify for an exemption, assume you need the certificate and ask MDH to confirm.

Step 7: If your menu is prepackaged, plan around the MDA cycle

MDA mobile licenses run from April 1 to March 31. That cycle matters for timing. If you finish your setup in February, the license you buy may expire within weeks, and you will renew soon after opening. Confirm the application, fee and renewal steps on the MDA licensing page, because this guide does not list the MDA license fee.

Step 8: Plan your locations around the 21-day rule

A mobile food unit may operate no more than 21 days a year at one place unless the regulator approves a longer stay (Minn. Stat. 157.15 subd. 9). A truck parked at one brewery every weekend will pass that limit quickly. Build your route plan around this rule, and ask MDH before you commit to a long-term parking arrangement. Written approval is the safe path. Do not assume that a city permit or a host's permission satisfies the state rule.

Step 9: Set up your calendar and recurring filings

Put these dates on your calendar the day you receive each approval:

• LLC Annual Renewal with the Secretary of State, due every December 31. The fee is $0 if the entity is active and in good standing. Missing it can terminate the LLC without further notice.
• Assumed name certificate renewal, once a year, at no charge.
• MDA mobile license renewal, when your license cycle ends on March 31, if your product is MDA-licensed.
• MDH license renewal, on the expiration date printed on your MDH license.
• Any city license renewal, which is set by each city.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Buying the truck first. Equipment bought before plan review is the most common reason operators pay twice.
• Choosing the wrong agency. A menu that mixes hot food with sealed goods can fall under both MDH and MDA.
• Assuming a state license lets you park anywhere. The state license does not replace city zoning, parking permission or local licenses.
• Ignoring the 21-day limit. A regular weekly spot at one location can exceed the limit within a single season.
• Skipping the assumed name publication. A DBA that is not published may be invalid.
• Letting the LLC renewal slip. The filing costs $0, but a missed December 31 deadline can end the entity.
• Using a home kitchen as your commissary. Check the city's rule before you sign any commissary agreement.
• Selling before registering with Revenue. Register for a Tax ID and Sales and Use Tax account before your first taxable sale.

What to expect when you finish

If you work through these steps in order, you may avoid the most expensive problem in this process, which is rebuilding a vehicle after plan review. Operators who gather their documents, confirm the agency and check the city before buying generally spend less time correcting paperwork. This outcome is not guaranteed. Inspectors, city rules and your specific menu all affect the result.

Expect the state, Secretary of State and city steps to take time. This guide does not list a guaranteed processing time for any agency, so ask each one for its current turnaround when you submit. Keep copies of every approval, because cities and inspectors will ask for them.

Official resources

• Minnesota Secretary of State: business filings, name searches and forms
• Business Filings Online (Minnesota Business and Lien System): entity searches and filings
• Minnesota Department of Revenue: tax registration, sales tax and income tax
• License Minnesota: the state's central lookup for licenses by topic, agency or A to Z index
• Minnesota Small Business Development Center Network: free business advising
• SBA Minnesota District Office: federal resources for Minnesota small businesses

Disclaimer: This article is informational only and is not legal, tax or licensing advice. Fees, deadlines and rules change, and local ordinances vary. Confirm every figure with the relevant agency before you act, and consult a qualified attorney for entity and contract questions and a certified public accountant for tax questions.