Food Truck Permit Requirements in Omaha, NE

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. Nebraska Department of Revenue — Sales and Use Tax Permit

   Any business selling taxable goods or taxable services in Nebraska must hold a sales tax permit from the Nebraska Department of Revenue and collect tax at the combined state and local rate for the delivery location. Register online through the Department's business registration service or by filing paper Form 20; NebFile is the separate system used to file returns once you are registered, not the registration tool. Local city sales and use taxes are layered on top of the state rate and change by quarter, so use the Department's Sales Tax Rate Finder for the exact rate at each address rather than assuming a flat figure.

   Official government source

   $0 — the Nebraska Department of Revenue charges no fee to register for a sales and use tax permit, online or by paper Form 20.·Registering online, you are either assigned a Nebraska ID number at the time of registration or contacted by the Department within five business days for additional information. Allow about two weeks for a paper Form 20.

   $0 — the Nebraska Department of Revenue charges no fee to register for a sales and use tax permit, online or by paper Form 20.

   Registering online, you are either assigned a Nebraska ID number at the time of registration or contacted by the Department within five business days for additional information. Allow about two weeks for a paper Form 20.

2. Certified Food Protection Manager (ANSI-accredited certification)

   Nebraska has adopted the FDA Food Code by reference as part of the Nebraska Pure Food Act, which requires food establishments to have a certified food protection manager. The certification itself is not issued or priced by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture — you earn it by passing an exam from an ANSI-CFP accredited program (for example ServSafe, Prometric, National Registry of Food Safety Professionals or 360training) and the provider sets the course and exam price. In Douglas County, the Douglas County Health Department separately enforces Omaha Municipal Code sections 11-264 through 11-273 covering Certified Food Protection Managers and food handler permits, so Omaha operators should check its requirements as well.

   Official government source

   Set by the private ANSI-accredited exam provider you choose, not by any Nebraska agency — the state charges no certification fee. Budget for the provider's course and proctored exam separately.·Exams are offered on demand by accredited providers; certificates are typically issued shortly after passing and are usually valid five years. NDA does not publish a processing time because it does not issue the certificate.

   Set by the private ANSI-accredited exam provider you choose, not by any Nebraska agency — the state charges no certification fee. Budget for the provider's course and proctored exam separately.

   Exams are offered on demand by accredited providers; certificates are typically issued shortly after passing and are usually valid five years. NDA does not publish a processing time because it does not issue the certificate.

1. Douglas County Health Department — Mobile Food Unit Permit

   Food trucks and pushcarts operating in Omaha must obtain a mobile vendor sticker permit from the Douglas County Health Department. You must operate out of a licensed commissary (commercial kitchen) and, if you are not the commissary's permit holder, submit a notarized Commissary Kitchen Certification form. Call your assigned inspector to schedule a pre-opening inspection; the application, fees, and paperwork must be approved before you begin operating. Sticker permits are non-transferable and all permits expire March 31 each year. Operating inside Omaha city limits also requires a City of Omaha mobile food vendor permit through Park Omaha (402-444-7275) and a peddler permit from Omaha Permits and Inspections (402-444-5350).

   Official government source

   Douglas County Health Department 2026-27 mobile permit fees: $583 mobile food and drink vendor (plus $200 initial fee); $249 mobile drink-only vendor (plus $100 initial); $168 mobile retail vendor (plus $50 initial); ice cream pushcarts $189 (1-10 carts) or $284 (11+), plus a one-time Nebraska Department of Agriculture state ID fee. Confirm the current year's fees with DCHD.·Schedule the pre-opening inspection with your assigned DCHD inspector; the permit is issued only after the application, fees, and inspection are approved. All mobile sticker permits expire March 31 annually.

   Douglas County Health Department 2026-27 mobile permit fees: $583 mobile food and drink vendor (plus $200 initial fee); $249 mobile drink-only vendor (plus $100 initial); $168 mobile retail vendor (plus $50 initial); ice cream pushcarts $189 (1-10 carts) or $284 (11+), plus a one-time Nebraska Department of Agriculture state ID fee. Confirm the current year's fees with DCHD.

   Schedule the pre-opening inspection with your assigned DCHD inspector; the permit is issued only after the application, fees, and inspection are approved. All mobile sticker permits expire March 31 annually.

2. City of Omaha Business Licensing (no general business license)

   Omaha does not require a general business license. The city's Finance Department administers occupation taxes only on specific categories (restaurant/bar, telephone, hotel/motel, tobacco), and there is no City Clerk business license for ordinary businesses. Most trades on this list — food truck, handyman, tattoo parlor, personal trainer, HVAC, pet sitting, real estate, cleaning, grooming, salons, electrical, plumbing, fitness, massage, home bakery, pest control, auto repair, catering, notary, photography, barber, landscaping, tutoring, yoga, wedding planning, pressure washing, daycare, insurance — instead need a category-specific approval: a Douglas County Health Department food permit, a state professional license, Nebraska Department of Labor contractor registration, or a city building/trade permit.

   Official government source

   $0 — Omaha issues no general business license·Not applicable — there is no general license application; timelines depend on the category-specific permit you actually need

   $0 — Omaha issues no general business license

   Not applicable — there is no general license application; timelines depend on the category-specific permit you actually need

3. Commissary Agreement (Douglas County Health Department)

   A mobile food unit permitted in Douglas County must operate out of a licensed commissary — a commercial kitchen used for food preparation, storage, warewashing and waste disposal. If you are not the permit holder for that commissary, you must submit a completed and notarized Commissary Kitchen Certification Form, and the form must be notarized before your mobile sticker permit is issued. Moving to a new commissary requires a new form; DCHD allows one commissary switch per year (March to March) free of charge, though the Nebraska Department of Agriculture permit fee still applies. If the commissary is outside Douglas County, you must also show its current Nebraska Department of Agriculture permit. Mobile Unit applications must additionally include a Certified Food Protection Manager certificate and an intended menu.

   Official government source

   No government fee for the commissary agreement itself. Renting space in a licensed commercial kitchen is a private-market cost set by the kitchen operator, not by DCHD, and should not be presented as a permit fee. One commissary change per year is free; a change of commissary does trigger the one-time NDA state ID permit fee, which DCHD collects and forwards.·The notarized Commissary Kitchen Certification Form must be complete before your mobile sticker permit is issued, and applications must be received at least 14 days before your intended opening date or Certificate of Occupancy inspection.

   No government fee for the commissary agreement itself. Renting space in a licensed commercial kitchen is a private-market cost set by the kitchen operator, not by DCHD, and should not be presented as a permit fee. One commissary change per year is free; a change of commissary does trigger the one-time NDA state ID permit fee, which DCHD collects and forwards.

   The notarized Commissary Kitchen Certification Form must be complete before your mobile sticker permit is issued, and applications must be received at least 14 days before your intended opening date or Certificate of Occupancy inspection.

Official Sources

• Omaha / Douglas County Health Department
• Nebraska Department of Revenue — Sales Tax Permit

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