Food Truck Permit Requirements in Baton Rouge, LA

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. Louisiana Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling taxable goods or services in Louisiana. The Louisiana state sales tax rate is 5%. Sellers must apply for a sales tax certificate with the Louisiana Department of Revenue. Louisiana also has parish- and municipal-level sales taxes collected separately by local collectors, so the combined rate varies by parish and you must register with each applicable local collector in addition to the state.

   Official government source

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.·Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

   No registration fee is published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue.

   Not published by the Louisiana Department of Revenue; the '1-5 business days' figure has no official source.

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

   Louisiana requires a certified food safety manager for retail food establishments, including caterers and mobile food units. LDH-approved providers teach an eight-hour Food Safety Manager course and proctor an ANSI-accredited exam (e.g. ServSafe); the resulting certification is then submitted to LDH's Retail Food Program for the state 'gold seal' Food Safety Manager Certificate. Food handler certificates, out-of-state manager certificates and course completion certificates are not accepted.

   Official government source

   Course/exam fees are set by the private LDH-approved provider and vary; LDH charges a separate fee for the state certificate, payable by company check, money order or credit card. Confirm both with your provider and LDH — the $80–$150 figure is unverified.·The approved course is eight hours; LDH does not publish a processing time for issuing the state certificate.

   Course/exam fees are set by the private LDH-approved provider and vary; LDH charges a separate fee for the state certificate, payable by company check, money order or credit card. Confirm both with your provider and LDH — the $80–$150 figure is unverified.

   The approved course is eight hours; LDH does not publish a processing time for issuing the state certificate.

1. Louisiana Department of Health — Mobile Food Unit (MFU) Permit

   Food trucks operating in Louisiana, including Baton Rouge, are permitted by the Louisiana Department of Health's Retail Food Program (Bureau of Sanitarian Services) — a state agency, not a city or parish 'Environmental Health' department. Submit the Mobile Food Establishment Plans Review Questionnaire, pass a plans review, and have the unit inspected before the permit is issued. A unit permitted in one parish does not need a second LDH permit to operate in another parish, though a city occupational license and local inspection may still be required.

   Official government source

   Mobile units are charged on the same schedule as restaurants: $150 for a first permit, $112.50 for the second through fourth, and $75 for each permit after the fourth. Since July 1, 2025 a plans-review fee also applies to new or substantially renovated units — $100 standard or $1,000 expedited. Special event/temporary permits are a flat $25.·Plans review is 10 business days standard or 5 business days expedited, followed by inspection; LDH does not publish an overall issuance time.

   Mobile units are charged on the same schedule as restaurants: $150 for a first permit, $112.50 for the second through fourth, and $75 for each permit after the fourth. Since July 1, 2025 a plans-review fee also applies to new or substantially renovated units — $100 standard or $1,000 expedited. Special event/temporary permits are a flat $25.

   Plans review is 10 business days standard or 5 business days expedited, followed by inspection; LDH does not publish an overall issuance time.

2. City of Baton Rouge / Parish of East Baton Rouge Department of Finance — Business License

   All businesses in East Baton Rouge Parish must obtain an Occupational License from the Finance Department's Revenue Collection Division (225-389-3084), renewed annually and posted at the place of business. Some businesses additionally need approval from Permits & Inspections and/or the health authority, and a zoning clearance or Certificate of Occupancy carries a separate fee. Certain categories are exempt by ordinance (for example manufacturers except on retail sales, and several enumerated professions).

   Official government source

   A one-time registration fee of $50 if the business opens January 1–June 30 or $25 if it opens July 1–December 31. The annual tax is computed from gross receipts using the classification tables in the Occupational License Tax Ordinance and can exceed $500 for larger businesses — it is not a $50–$500 band.·Apply at least one month before opening. A temporary certificate is mailed after processing; after 30 days of operation you report gross receipts and the permanent license issues. Renewals are due January 1 and delinquent after March 1 (5% penalty per 30 days to a 25% maximum, plus 15% annual interest).

   A one-time registration fee of $50 if the business opens January 1–June 30 or $25 if it opens July 1–December 31. The annual tax is computed from gross receipts using the classification tables in the Occupational License Tax Ordinance and can exceed $500 for larger businesses — it is not a $50–$500 band.

   Apply at least one month before opening. A temporary certificate is mailed after processing; after 30 days of operation you report gross receipts and the permanent license issues. Renewals are due January 1 and delinquent after March 1 (5% penalty per 30 days to a 25% maximum, plus 15% annual interest).

3. Commissary Agreement

   Mobile food units in Louisiana must operate from an approved commissary — a licensed commercial kitchen for food prep, storage and cleaning — and a signed commissary agreement is submitted with the permit application. Commissary agreements are reviewed by the Louisiana Department of Health's Retail Food Program (Bureau of Sanitarian Services, permit unit 225-342-7522), not by Baton Rouge Permits and Inspections, which handles building, zoning and trade permits rather than food safety.

   Official government source

   Commissary rental is a private commercial arrangement with no published government fee; the '$200-$700/month' figure has no official source. The LDH permit itself follows the retail food schedule ($150 for a first permit) plus a $100 standard plans-review fee.·Must be arranged and signed before the LDH permit application is submitted. LDH plans review is 10 or fewer business days ($100 standard) or 5 or fewer business days ($1,000 expedited).

   Commissary rental is a private commercial arrangement with no published government fee; the '$200-$700/month' figure has no official source. The LDH permit itself follows the retail food schedule ($150 for a first permit) plus a $100 standard plans-review fee.

   Must be arranged and signed before the LDH permit application is submitted. LDH plans review is 10 or fewer business days ($100 standard) or 5 or fewer business days ($1,000 expedited).

Official Sources

• Baton Rouge / East Baton Rouge Parish Health Department
• Louisiana Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Registration

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