Food Truck Permit Requirements in Nashua, NH

Complete permit and license guide for starting a food truck in Nashua, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.

Verified 2026-09-06 6 stops $600–$1,500 est. 3–6 weeks to obtain all permits and pass inspections
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Not legal advice. Requirements may change — always verify with your local government authority before applying. Key agencies and fees on this page were re-checked against official government sources on .

Federal — start here

1 stop

  1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

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

    Official government source

    FreeImmediate (online application)

State of New Hampshire

2 stops

  1. New Hampshire — No Sales Tax

    New Hampshire has no state sales tax and no local sales taxes, so businesses need no sales tax permit or resale registration for sales tax purposes. Businesses may instead owe the Business Enterprise Tax and the Business Profits Tax, both administered by the NH Department of Revenue Administration; BET paid can be credited against BPT. Restaurants, caterers and lodging operators separately collect the Meals and Rooms (Rentals) Tax and must hold a DRA license for it. Filing and payment are handled through DRA's Granite Tax Connect portal.

    Official government source

    No fee to register for business taxes with DRA. For taxable periods beginning on or after January 1, 2025, a BET return is due from any enterprise with more than $298,000 in gross receipts or an enterprise value tax base above $298,000; the BET rate is 0.55%Immediate — registration and filing are done online through Granite Tax Connect

  2. New Hampshire — Certified Food Protection Manager

    RSA 143-A:11-a requires each food service establishment licensed by the state to have a person in charge trained as a certified food protection manager, through a program approved by the Conference for Food Protection or an equivalent industry standard (ANSI-accredited). Establishments with five or fewer food employees on duty need only one certified manager on staff, available but not necessarily present. New Hampshire's self-inspecting cities, including Manchester, Nashua and Concord, apply their own equivalent requirement.

    Official government source

    Course and exam cost is set by the training provider, not the StateMost approved courses and exams are completed in 1–2 days

City of Nashua / Hillsborough County

3 stops

  1. City of Nashua Environmental Health Department — Mobile Food Service License

    Nashua is one of New Hampshire's fifteen self-inspecting jurisdictions. To operate a food truck or trailer in Nashua you need a Nashua Mobile Food Service License from the Environmental Health Department plus a Hawkers and Peddlers permit from the City Clerk's Office, and a fire safety inspection from the Fire Marshal's Office. A signed commissary agreement with a licensed kitchen must be submitted, and a plan review and inspection are completed before the license is issued. Hillsborough County has no role.

    Official government source

    $125 one-time Health Department plan review fee, $200 annual mobile food vendor fee, and $100 annual City Clerk hawkers and peddlers permitAllow time for plan review plus coordinated health and fire inspections; confirm with the Environmental Health Department (603-589-4530)

  2. City of Nashua — No General Business License

    The City of Nashua does not require a general business license. The City Clerk's Office licenses only specific enumerated activities: chauffeurs (taxi drivers), taxicabs, pawnbrokers and secondhand dealers, itinerant vendors and hawkers/peddlers, amusement devices, and shows such as carnivals and concerts, plus separate permits for raffles, tag days and public events. A business outside these categories does not need a Nashua business license; confirm with the City Clerk (603-589-3010) if unsure.

    Official government source

    Not applicable for most businesses; enumerated categories are published: taxicab $100/year, chauffeur $80/year, pawnbroker/secondhand dealer $50/year, shows $50, vendors $10/day, $25/week or $100/year, raffles $10, tag days freeNot applicable

  3. Commissary Agreement (Nashua mobile food units)

    Nashua requires every food truck to have a commissary kitchen where the mobile unit is serviced, and a signed commissary agreement must be submitted with the Mobile Food Service Vendor Application. If the commissary is in Nashua the facility owner signs the City's commissary agreement form; if it is outside Nashua, submit the signed agreement plus a copy of that commissary's food service license. The level of service required is set during plan review. A plan review, an Environmental Health inspection and a Fire Marshal inspection follow, then the Environmental Health Department issues the Mobile Food Service License and the City Clerk issues the Hawkers and Peddlers Permit.

    Official government source

    Commissary rent is a private cost set by the kitchen you contract with, not a government fee. The City's related charges are a $125 one-time plan review fee, a $200 annual mobile food vendor license and a $100 annual Hawkers and Peddlers permitArrange the commissary and submit the signed agreement with the application, before plan review

Terminus

Open for business — est. $600–$1,500 · 3–6 weeks to obtain all permits and pass inspections

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