October 28, 2023

  • CATERING
  • VENDORS

Food Truck Permits and Licenses Required in Miami (2024)

If you're planning to open a food truck in the city of Miami,  you will need to obtain several licenses and permits. All food truck vendors will need a Certificate of Use (CU), a Mobile Food Permit, and a Business Tax Receipt. Certain trucks will also need specific licenses depending on their location of operation as local food vending laws can vary by city. In some cases, subsections of any given city, such as waterfront spaces or public parks, will be subject to additional required permits or fees. For the sake of keeping things simple, let’s go over the basic steps that most truck owners will need to follow:

  1. Register your business with the IRS and apply for a Florida business license
  2. Register for the Florida Hotel and Restaurant License through the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) 
  3. Obtain a Florida food permit by submitting an application to the Department of Agriculture. This is only necessary if you’ll be serving raw or prepackaged foods, so check the requirements against your business plan and what you plan to vend!
  4. Obtain any necessary local permits to serve in your specified location(s) of choice
  5. Register with the Florida Department of Revenue to collect sales tax and make quarterly tax payments
  6. Display the original versions of all of your permits somewhere clearly visible on your truck