Food Truck Permit Requirements in Nampa, ID

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Idaho State Tax Commission — Sales Tax Permit

   Required for all businesses selling taxable goods or services in Idaho. Idaho charges a 6% state sales tax. Some cities have local option taxes. Register with the Idaho State Tax Commission online.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online via TAP)

   Free

   Immediate (online via TAP)

2. Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) Certification

   Idaho's food code requires every licensed food establishment — including mobile food units and caterers — to have at least one person in a management or supervisory role certified as a Food Protection Manager. Certification must come from an ANSI-CFP accredited programme such as ServSafe, Prometric, or NRFSP. Your health district (Central District Health for Ada County, Southwest District Health for Canyon County) will ask for the certificate as part of licensing, and Southwest District Health teaches in-person CFPM courses. Cottage food producers selling direct to consumers under Idaho's Direct-to-Consumer Commerce Act are outside this requirement.

   Official government source

   $80–$150 for an ANSI-accredited course and exam, depending on provider and format·1–2 days for the course and exam; certification is typically valid five years.

   $80–$150 for an ANSI-accredited course and exam, depending on provider and format

   1–2 days for the course and exam; certification is typically valid five years.

1. Southwest District Health — Mobile Food Establishment License

   Food trucks operating in Nampa are licensed by Southwest District Health, the regional public health district for Canyon County — not by Canyon County or the City of Nampa. Submit the licence application with a floor plan and menu, plus a Mobile Food Unit Operational Plan and, if you use a commissary kitchen, a Commissary Agreement signed by both operators. An Environmental Health Specialist inspects the unit before the licence is issued, and at least one Certified Food Protection Manager is required. The licence renews annually. Nampa also has its own Mobile Food Vendor rules for where you may park and vend.

   Official government source

   $80/year for a full-service mobile unit with a licensed commissary or no commissary; $100/year with an unlicensed commissary. Plus a one-time $100 plan review and pre-opening inspection fee for new units.·2–4 weeks after application and inspection; allow more if the unit needs construction plan review.

   $80/year for a full-service mobile unit with a licensed commissary or no commissary; $100/year with an unlicensed commissary. Plus a one-time $100 plan review and pre-opening inspection fee for new units.

   2–4 weeks after application and inspection; allow more if the unit needs construction plan review.

2. No Nampa General Business License

   Nampa does not issue a general business license. The City Clerk licenses only specific regulated categories: alcohol and alcohol catering, amusement operators, animal/dog licences, concessions, massage establishments, motor escort services, pawnbrokers, peddlers and solicitors, private security/private investigators/alarm installers, special events, tree removal and pruning, and used precious-metal and jewelry dealers. Businesses outside those categories — contractors, salons, tutoring, real estate, insurance, notaries, pet services, auto repair, photography, cleaning, and the like — need no city business license. Zoning approval, a Certificate of Occupancy, and an In-Home Business registration for home-based operations may still apply.

   Official government source

   $0 — no general business license exists. Category-specific fees apply only to the licences listed above.·N/A for most businesses — nothing to apply for

   $0 — no general business license exists. Category-specific fees apply only to the licences listed above.

   N/A for most businesses — nothing to apply for

3. Commissary Agreement

   Idaho's food code, enforced in Canyon County by Southwest District Health, requires a mobile food unit to operate from an approved commissary — a licensed commercial kitchen used for food prep, storage, water and waste servicing, and cleaning. SWDH requires a signed Commissary Agreement, executed by both the mobile operator and the commissary kitchen operator, submitted with the licence application. Your licence fee depends on it: $80/year if the commissary is licensed (or you use none), $100/year if it is unlicensed.

   Official government source

   $200–$700/month is the typical private market rate for commissary kitchen rental in the Treasure Valley; this is a landlord charge, not a government fee, and varies widely by hours and storage included.·Arrange the commissary and get the agreement signed before you submit the licence application.

   $200–$700/month is the typical private market rate for commissary kitchen rental in the Treasure Valley; this is a landlord charge, not a government fee, and varies widely by hours and storage included.

   Arrange the commissary and get the agreement signed before you submit the licence application.

Official Sources

• Nampa / Canyon County Health Department
• Idaho State Tax Commission — Sales Tax Permit

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