Food Truck Permit Requirements in Shreveport, 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. Caddo Parish / City of Shreveport — Mobile Food Unit Permit

   All food trucks operating in Shreveport must obtain a Mobile Food Establishment permit from the Louisiana Department of Health's Retail Food Program (Bureau of Sanitarian Services, permit unit 225-342-7522) — a centralized state program, not a Caddo Parish or City of Shreveport 'Environmental Health' department, which does not exist as a food-permitting agency. A plans review and a pre-opening inspection are required. A mobile unit permitted in one parish does not need another permit to operate in another parish, though a city may still require its own application before issuing an occupational license. A City of Shreveport occupational license also applies. Annual renewal required.

   Official government source

   Mobile units follow the LDH retail food schedule: $150 for a first permit, $112.50 for the second through fourth, $75 for each after the fourth, plus a $100 standard (or $1,000 expedited) plans-review fee. The City of Shreveport occupational license is separate and gross-receipts based.·LDH plans review is 10 or fewer business days for the $100 standard fee, or 5 or fewer business days for the $1,000 expedited fee. No overall issuance timeline is published; the permit follows a successful pre-opening inspection.

   Mobile units follow the LDH retail food schedule: $150 for a first permit, $112.50 for the second through fourth, $75 for each after the fourth, plus a $100 standard (or $1,000 expedited) plans-review fee. The City of Shreveport occupational license is separate and gross-receipts based.

   LDH plans review is 10 or fewer business days for the $100 standard fee, or 5 or fewer business days for the $1,000 expedited fee. No overall issuance timeline is published; the permit follows a successful pre-opening inspection.

2. City of Shreveport Revenue Division — Occupational License

   Shreveport requires an Occupational License for all businesses operating within city limits, administered by the Department of Finance (318-673-5500). A Certificate of Occupancy must be obtained first. The license must be renewed annually and displayed at your place of business.

   Official government source

   Varies by business type: professionals pay 1/10 of 1% of gross receipts; retailers $50-$6,200/year; wholesalers $50-$7,500/year. A new business pays $50 if it opens in the first half of the calendar year, or $25 from July 1, pro-rated on projected gross sales.·Not published. Shreveport issues a temporary license covering the first 30 days of business, after which you complete an update for the permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January and are due before March 1.

   Varies by business type: professionals pay 1/10 of 1% of gross receipts; retailers $50-$6,200/year; wholesalers $50-$7,500/year. A new business pays $50 if it opens in the first half of the calendar year, or $25 from July 1, pro-rated on projected gross sales.

   Not published. Shreveport issues a temporary license covering the first 30 days of business, after which you complete an update for the permanent license. Annual tax notices are mailed in December or January and are due before March 1.

3. Commissary Agreement (required for the Louisiana Department of Health mobile food permit)

   A mobile food unit operating out of Shreveport is permitted by the Louisiana Department of Health's Retail Food Program under the Louisiana Sanitary Code, not by a city or parish health department. The truck must operate from an approved commissary or base of operations — a permitted commercial kitchen used for food preparation and storage, potable water supply, wastewater disposal, and cleaning and servicing of the unit. A signed commissary agreement identifying that facility is submitted with the plan review and permit application, and the regional LDH sanitarian inspects both the unit and the commissary before the permit issues. Under LDH's fee schedule, a mobile unit permitted in one parish does not need a second permit or fee to operate in another parish, though a city or parish may require its own application and vehicle inspection before issuing its occupational license — in Shreveport that license comes from the Finance Department's Revenue Division.

   Official government source

   The commissary agreement itself carries no government fee; what you pay is whatever the host kitchen charges under a private rental arrangement, which LDH does not publish or regulate, so '$200-$700/month' has no official source. The permit costs LDH publishes are $150 for a first retail food permit, $112.50 for the second through fourth and $75 for each after the fourth (mobile units use the same schedule as restaurants), plus a plans-review fee of $100 standard or $1,000 expedited. A special event or temporary permit is a flat $25, and seasonal permits run $15 per month with a $15 minimum.·The commissary must be secured before you apply, because the signed agreement is part of the application package. LDH plans review is 10 business days or fewer for the $100 standard fee and 5 business days or fewer for the $1,000 expedited fee, followed by inspection of the unit and commissary by the regional sanitarian; LDH publishes no overall issuance time.

   The commissary agreement itself carries no government fee; what you pay is whatever the host kitchen charges under a private rental arrangement, which LDH does not publish or regulate, so '$200-$700/month' has no official source. The permit costs LDH publishes are $150 for a first retail food permit, $112.50 for the second through fourth and $75 for each after the fourth (mobile units use the same schedule as restaurants), plus a plans-review fee of $100 standard or $1,000 expedited. A special event or temporary permit is a flat $25, and seasonal permits run $15 per month with a $15 minimum.

   The commissary must be secured before you apply, because the signed agreement is part of the application package. LDH plans review is 10 business days or fewer for the $100 standard fee and 5 business days or fewer for the $1,000 expedited fee, followed by inspection of the unit and commissary by the regional sanitarian; LDH publishes no overall issuance time.

Official Sources

• Shreveport / Caddo Parish Health Department
• Louisiana Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Registration

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