Food Truck Permit Requirements in Indianapolis, IN

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. Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property at retail in Indiana. Indiana charges a flat 7% state sales tax with no additional local sales tax. Register online via INBiz.

   Official government source

   $25 one-time registration fee·Immediate (online via INBiz)

   $25 one-time registration fee

   Immediate (online via INBiz)

2. Indiana Department of Health — Certified Food Protection Manager Requirement

   Indiana's food protection rule (410 IAC 7-26, with certification under 410 IAC 7-22 as amended by HEA 1210) requires every retail food establishment — including catering operations and mobile food units — to employ at least one certified food protection manager. The certification must come from an ANSI/ANAB-accredited program such as ServSafe Manager, the National Registry of Food Safety Professionals or Prometric; a basic food handler card does not satisfy it. Certification is typically valid five years, and the certificate holder's name and expiration date must be listed on your local health department permit application.

   Official government source

   Set by the training provider, not the state. Examples listed by Vanderburgh County Health Department: ServSafe Manager class, book and exam about $160; exam only $65; or a $36 ServSafe voucher plus a $45 proctor fee ($81 total)·Same day for the exam; 1–2 weeks for the certificate

   Set by the training provider, not the state. Examples listed by Vanderburgh County Health Department: ServSafe Manager class, book and exam about $160; exam only $65; or a $36 ServSafe voucher plus a $45 proctor fee ($81 total)

   Same day for the exam; 1–2 weeks for the certificate

1. Marion County Public Health Department — Mobile Food Unit Permit

   Food trucks operating in Indianapolis/Marion County are permitted and inspected by the Marion County Public Health Department's Food and Consumer Safety program, which licenses and inspects retail and temporary food establishments (mobile retail food establishments are a category under 410 IAC 7-26). The unit is inspected before the permit is issued. The City of Indianapolis does not issue this permit and has no "Environmental Health" licensing office of its own.

   Official government source

   MCPHD does not publish a mobile food unit fee online — confirm the current fee with Food and Consumer Safety at 317.221.2222 or [email protected].·Not published — allow time for plan review and a pre-opening inspection of the unit; confirm scheduling with MCPHD before committing to an opening date.

   MCPHD does not publish a mobile food unit fee online — confirm the current fee with Food and Consumer Safety at 317.221.2222 or [email protected].

   Not published — allow time for plan review and a pre-opening inspection of the unit; confirm scheduling with MCPHD before committing to an opening date.

2. Indianapolis Department of Business and Neighborhood Services — Business License

   Indianapolis (Marion County) has no general business license and no product called a 'Commercial Zoning Certificate.' DBNS licenses only specific business types by ordinance (e.g., massage establishments $177, kennels/pet shops/stables $200, hotels, pawnbrokers). Most business types listed here do not require any Indianapolis business license — check DBNS's Business Licenses list for your specific type.

   Official government source

   N/A for most business types; specific licensed types have individual fees (e.g., $177–$200)·N/A

   N/A for most business types; specific licensed types have individual fees (e.g., $177–$200)

   N/A

3. Marion County — Commissary Agreement for a Mobile Food Unit

   A mobile food unit in Indianapolis/Marion County operates from an approved commissary — a licensed commercial kitchen used for food preparation, storage, and cleaning — and the commissary arrangement is part of what the Marion County Public Health Department's Food and Consumer Safety program reviews when it permits and inspects the unit. Arrange the commissary before you apply, and confirm with MCPHD (317.221.2222, [email protected]) exactly what commissary documentation it requires for your unit.

   Official government source

   Commissary access is a private rental arrangement, not a government fee, and no official source publishes a rate — get quotes from licensed commercial kitchens rather than relying on a stated range. MCPHD does not publish its mobile food unit permit fee online either.·Arrange the commissary before applying for the mobile food unit permit; MCPHD inspects the unit before it is permitted.

   Commissary access is a private rental arrangement, not a government fee, and no official source publishes a rate — get quotes from licensed commercial kitchens rather than relying on a stated range. MCPHD does not publish its mobile food unit permit fee online either.

   Arrange the commissary before applying for the mobile food unit permit; MCPHD inspects the unit before it is permitted.

Official Sources

• Indianapolis / Marion County Health Department
• Indiana Department of Revenue — Registered Retail Merchant Certificate

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