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A food truck in Utah County answers to the Utah County Health Department first, then a fire inspector, then the city you park in. This guide follows that order, with the fees from the health department's 2026 fee schedule, what the state food truck law lets Provo, Orem and Lehi require, and how temporary event permits work.
Start with the Utah County Health Department: a mobile business plan review at $570, then an annual food truck permit at $350 (low-risk menu) or $500 (high-risk menu), plus a signed commissary agreement. Next comes a fire inspection and a city business license, such as Lehi's $100 mobile food vendor license. Under Utah Code 11-56, a current license, health permit and fire approval from one Utah city or health department have to be accepted by the others.
The order matters because each step asks for paperwork from the one before it. The health department will not issue a permit without plan approval, and Provo will not issue a license until you hold the health permit. Here is the sequence most Utah County trucks follow.
Utah's mobile food rule, R392-102, says a food truck business needs a permit from the local health department with jurisdiction over the area where most of its operations happen. For a truck that works Provo, Orem, Lehi and Springville, that is the Utah County Health Department's Environmental Health division. The number is 801.851.7525 and the email is [email protected].
The rule requires plans before you build a new truck, convert a vehicle or trailer, or change your menu or operations in a way that changes the risk. The plans include a menu list, expected food volume, equipment cut sheets, plumbing and mechanical schedules, a dimensional floor plan, a finish schedule and an equipment layout. Utah County's 2026 fee schedule says plan reviews are completed within 30 business days, which is about six weeks, so do not schedule a launch weekend until the approval is in hand. A plan review is not repeated at renewal unless the truck has been renovated or has changed owners.
The permit tier depends on the menu. Under R392-102, tier one is a menu with fewer than three foods that need time and temperature control and no raw animal products, and tier two is three or more such foods or any raw animal product. Tier one pays the lower fee.
| Utah County Health Department fee (2026 schedule) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Plan review, mobile business (food truck, trailer or cart) | $570 |
| Food truck primary permit, tier one (low risk foods) | $350 |
| Food truck primary permit, tier two (high risk foods) | $500 |
| Follow-up inspection | $140 |
| Food handler permit, valid 3 years | $15 |
| Change of ownership plan review | $260 |
At least one employee needs a food safety manager certification under R392-101, and every employee needs food safety training and a valid food handler permit under R392-103. The operator keeps those records and shows them on request. The county lists the food handler permit at $15 for three years.
Add up the schedule for a first year and a tier one truck pays $570 plus $350, or $920. A tier two truck pays $570 plus $500, or $1,070. The permit goes inside the truck where customers can see it, and the permit decal goes on the outside rear.
Utah County's schedule says an establishment that opens without a permit is assessed a double permit fee, and a plan establishment that finishes construction without submitting plans pays double the plan review fee and gets an on-site review. Late payments add 20% for each 30 days, and the permit is revoked 60 days past due, after which you apply and pay for a new one.
A commissary is a kitchen that Utah County Health Department permits, where the truck returns to prep and store food, fill potable water, dump wastewater and trash, wash equipment and plug in. The county's commissary agreement form has the kitchen owner and the truck owner both sign, and checks off the services the kitchen provides: potable water, a grease trap for wastewater, a three-compartment sink with a drying rack, a prep area, labeled refrigerator and dry storage space, and trash disposal.
You log every visit. The rule requires the date, time in, time out and initials, the log stays on the truck, not at home, and the records are kept for one year. The county sets how often the truck has to return. Both sides have to tell the health department if either stops using the arrangement. The county says that prepping food in a private home or other unpermitted space can bring a notice of violation and a suspended permit.
Under R392-102 the health officer can exempt a truck that does not use temperature controlled products and meets the rule's other conditions. In October 2026 Utah County published a Commissary Exemption Operator Guide and an Operational Service Plan form. The guide names specialty soda carts, smoothie trailers, soft-serve trucks, kettle corn vendors and hot dog carts as examples that may qualify, and says eligibility depends on the actual menu and equipment, not just the tier. You apply with a full menu and the service plan, the county inspects the truck, and you wait for written approval before operating without a commissary. Residential water filling is not approved, and secondary (irrigation) water is prohibited.
Each city runs its own license and inspection. Provo's city code requires a mobile food business to have a Provo business license before it operates, an annual fire inspection from the Provo Fire Marshal's Office, and a valid fire inspection submitted with the application or renewal. Each vehicle gets its own application and fee. The code also sets equipment requirements, including a currently tagged 5 pound ABC fire extinguisher, and no propane stored inside the cooking or passenger area. Provo's licensing FAQ says it cannot issue a business license until you hold the required health permit, and Provo's commercial license page puts processing at about 14 days. Provo 311 is at (801) 852-6000 for the fee.
Orem inspects food trucks that are licensed in Orem, Lindon or Vineyard, or that use a commissary licensed in one of those three. Inspections run Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Orem tells owners to bring proof, which is the previous year's business license, and charges a commercial inspection fee of $112.32 at the inspection if you cannot show it. Call the fire department at 801-229-7000 (56 N. State Street). Questions about the mobile food license itself go to Business Licensing at (801) 229-7198.
Lehi has a separate Mobile Food Vendor application in its Civic Review system, and the license costs $100. Lehi asks for a state-approved fire inspection of the truck, or a photo of the current inspection sticker. Our Lehi business license guide covers the rest of that application, and the Utah County business license guide covers the other cities.
Utah Code Title 11, Chapter 56 is the Mobile Business Licensing and Regulation Act. It was the Food Truck Licensing and Regulation Act until a 2023 bill changed the name, because it now covers food trucks, food carts, ice cream trucks and enclosed mobile businesses. The sections that matter to a truck owner are 11-56-103 through 11-56-106. We read the text on le.utah.gov today.
A truck that sells food collects sales tax, and the Utah State Tax Commission requires a sales tax license applied for online through TAP at tap.utah.gov, using the TC-69 application. For a one-time event, a seller needs a Temporary Sales Tax License and Special Return, form TC-790C, for that event, even when it holds a permanent license. Event questions go to the Special Events Unit at 801-297-6303. Our Utah County sales tax rates by city page lists what you charge in each city.
On the health side, R392-102 says a fixed-location operation of up to 14 consecutive days needs a temporary food establishment permit, and Utah County's schedule lists $102 for a 1 to 14 consecutive day event, with a $50 late fee if the application comes in less than four business days ahead. An extended temporary permit for tent vendors at places like farmers markets, harvest festivals and BYU sports is $310. The county also lists a temporary mass gathering permit at $300 for 1,000 to 1,999 people and $410 for 2,000 or more, doubled if the application comes less than 30 days before the event. Under Utah Code 11-56-105, an event organizer can obtain a city event permit on behalf of the trucks it invites.
Once the truck is licensed, set up a free Google Business Profile and add the truck to our Local Directory, where a listing is $99 a month. Our guide to restaurant marketing in Utah County covers the other channels.
We publish Provo FOMO, a free daily newsletter with about 3,100 Utah County subscribers, and we sell ads in it, so weigh this knowing that. A truck announcing a new location or a Friday lunch spot can run a single-issue ad for $99, and a truck rally or night market can post an event listing for $99. The advertise page has the plans, and This Weekend shows what local readers see each week.
