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Welcome to Mobile Food Vendors

The Fresno County Environmental Health Consumer Food Program permits and inspects mobile food vendors. Whether starting or running a mobile food business, this page provides the essential permit and compliance information.

Mobile Food Preparation Unit (MFPU)

Fresno County Mobile Food Vendor Permit & Inspection Checklist

Mobile Food Facilities (MFF)

Cottage Food Operation (CFO)

Compact Mobile Food Operation (CMFO)

Our Commitment

The team at the Environmental Health office can be your biggest ally in this process. We’re always available to help answer questions, consult with you about proposed changes, and occasionally offer onsite consultations. Our staff lives and works in Fresno County, so we want to see these types of businesses succeed and grow in a manner that protects our community’s health and safety.

Announcements

Mobile Round-Up (MRU) is at the Fresno Fairgrounds again, but in a new location!

Enter Gate 7 from Butler to find MRU!

2025-mru-map

MRU will be held on the following dates:
Monday, March 17th to Friday, March 21st
Monday, March 24th to Friday, March 28th

Remember to pay your 2025 permit fee(s) before calling us at 559-600-3357 to schedule your MRU inspection appointment.

If you do not complete the inspection and permitting process to obtain your 2025 permit sticker before the end of Mobile Round-Up then your mobile must cease operations on or before March 31, 2025. Fresno County Ordinance Code has been updated to include a penalty of twice the permit fee for operating without a health permit. Beginning April 1, 2025 all permit renewal inspections will be conducted by appointment only on Tuesday and Thursdays in downtown Fresno. Each reinspection conducted after MRU will be charged a reinspection fee of $113. Contact our office at 559-600-3357 to schedule an inspection appointment with the inspector assigned to your commissary.

2025 MRU Packet

2025 Commissary Authorization Form

2025 MRU Map

Annual Permit Notice for Mobile Food Vehicles 2025-2026 – English and Spanish translation

2025 Notice to all Vehicle Owners and Operators

Mobile Menu

Payment instructions – English and Spanish

Required Updates to Fire-Suppression Systems:
An update to the California Retail Food Code, the California Mechanical Code, and the California Fire Code now requires mechanical exhaust ventilation and automatic fire-suppression systems to be installed over ALL mobiles equipped with cooking equipment that produces grease-laden vapors, including equipment on Mobile Food Facilities (MFF).

Terminology

Potentially Hazardous Foods
Food products that will support the growth of infectious or toxic bacteria. These items often require specific handling, cooking, or storage instructions for safety. Examples of potentially hazardous foods are meat, poultry, seafood, dairy products, cut tomatoes, cut melons, and raw seed sprouts. Learn more in CalCode Section 113871.

Non-Potentially Hazardous Foods
Food products that will not support the growth of infectious or toxic bacteria. Examples of non-potentially hazardous foods are chips, candies, and baked goods.

Mobile Food Vehicles
Any conveyance from which food or drinks are distributed to the consumer. This includes, but is not limited to, trucks, trailers, vans, carts (i.e., carts on caster wheels, push carts, tow-behind carts, etc.), and most any other motorized or non-motorized motorized or not motorized portable units. There are three classifications of food vehicles: Compact Mobile Food Operations (CMFO), Mobile Food Facilities (MMF), and Mobile Food Preparation Units (MFPU).

Note: Roll-off trailers are typically not considered food vehicles since they cannot visit their commissary at least once each operating day.

Compact Mobile Food Operation (CMFO)
A CMFO is a mobile food facility that operates from an individual, pushcart, stand, display, pedal-driven cart, wagon, showcase, rack, or other non-motorized conveyance.  CMFO can be stored at your residence after an evaluation by the health inspector, however, produce must be washed and/or food must be prepared in a permitted permanent food facility.  A CMFO can only conduct “limited food preparation,” as defined in California Retail Food Code 113818.

LEARN MORE ABOUT COMPACT MOBILE FOOD OPERATIONS (CMFO).

Mobile Food Facilities (MFF)
A MFF can sell prepackaged foods and unpackaged potentially hazardous foods. Examples would include chips, candy, churros, shaved ice, bottled drinks, etc. Vehicles, food, equipment, or utensils used for retail operations may not be stored, used, prepared, or serviced at private homes. A MFF can also engage in “Limited Food Preparation.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE FOOD FACILITIES (MFF).

Mobile Food Preparation Units (MFPU)
A MFPU is a fully enclosed vehicle with cooking, hot holding, mechanical refrigeration equipment, and electrical generator. All food preparation must be done on the vehicle or at commercial kitchens permitted as commissaries. Vehicles, food, equipment, or utensils used for retail operations may NOT be stored, used, prepared, or serviced at private homes.

LEARN MORE ABOUT MOBILE FOOD PREPARATION UNITS (MFPU).

Commissary

All mobile food vehicles must operate from a commissary and visit the commissary at least once each operating day. A commissary is a currently permitted food facility that is capable of and has agreed to let food vendors use their facilities for the storage, servicing, and cleaning.

Vehicles, food, equipment, and utensils used for MFF and MFPU operations may NOT be stored, used, prepared, or serviced at private homes.

Commissaries are where food vendors…

  • Park their vehicle or cart during non-operating hours
  • Empty wastewater tanks into a sewer connection
  • Fill freshwater tanks from potable water supply
  • Clean the vehicle inside and out
  • Service or maintain vehicle’s food equipment
  • Obtain ice (Note: Ice for consumption must come from indoor ice machines at your commissary or to be purchased from an approved source)
  • Store food and related supplies
  • Supply food products (food vendors must obtain food from approved sources only)
  • Use of utensil washing and food preparation facilities


 

Step-by-Step Guide to the Permitting Process

  1. Plan Review

    PLAN REVIEW
    It is required to receive plan approval prior to starting any new construction or remodeling of a food vehicle. Plans are reviewed in order of submittal, and the initial review will be completed within twenty (20) business days. 

    This process is separate from plan review and construction approval conducted by the State Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of Codes and Standards to obtain an HCD Insignia for occupied mobiles. (See “Permit to Operate” section for more details.)

    Building, Remodeling, or Updating Mobile Food Vehicles
    Please contact our office prior to building or remodeling a food vehicle.

    Plans, operational statements, and a full menu must be submitted for all new or remodeled food vehicles before construction starts. This step is designed to help ensure your plans comply with all Health and Safety Code requirements, so you can stay on track to be permitted and avoid costly mistakes. 

    Mobile Food Preparation Units (MFPU) General Construction Guidelines

    Purchasing Mobile Food Vehicles
    If you are planning on purchasing a mobile food vehicle, please consider having an inspector—based on your chosen commissary—evaluate the vehicle prior to purchase. This evaluation will provide you with information about what corrections may be necessary to obtain a permit depending on your proposed operation. (See the “Permit to Operate” section below.)

  2. Permit to Operate

    All mobile food vendors that plan to operate in Fresno County must obtain a permit and pass a vehicle inspection by Fresno County Environmental Health prior to the business opening.

    The Permit Covers Three Components

    the_vehicle.jpg

    THE VEHICLE
     Documentation of the specific vehicle and equipment at the time the permit is issued.
    the_permit.jpg

    THE PERMIT HOLDER
     Information about the person or entity who is the business owner.
    the_operation.jpg

    THE OPERATION
     Outline of the menu and procedures for preparing all food items, including how the food is served to customers and where food will be served.

    This is not an all-inclusive list, but the main documentation for obtaining a Permit to Operate includes:

    Commissary Authorization
    In order to be permitted as an MFPU or MFF, you must have a commissary agreement. A commissary is a currently permitted food facility that is capable of and has agreed to let you use its facilities for the storage, servicing, and cleaning of your unit. 

    If the facility that you are interested in is not currently permitted as a commissary, then an inspection may be required to determine if the facility can support your vehicle activity needs and be permitted as a commissary. 

    For information about currently permitted commissaries, contact the office at (559) 600-3357.

    HCD Insignia (if applicable)
    If your vehicle is the type that you step inside of or onto in order to operate, then your vehicle must have an insignia from the State Department of Housing and Community Development, Division of Codes and Standards. This does not apply to pushcarts or other unoccupied vehicles. 

    For more information, contact staff in the Riverside office at (951) 782-4420.

    Food Manager Certification (if applicable)
    If your vehicle is a MFPU, one person per facility that handles unpackaged potentially hazardous food must provide documentation of a Food Manager Certification.

    California Food Handler Card
    Every food handler on your vehicle must have a California Food Handler Card at the time of your inspection or must obtain the California Food Handler Card within thirty (30) days of being hired.

    Operational Statement
    This is required for anyone building, remodeling, or updating mobile food vehicles; however, some new or unique businesses may also require a completed operational statement. This operational statement will help you think through some details you may not have considered, including items on your menu, vehicle details, route information, locations where you’ll be selling food, and other operational information. 

    Essentially, this statement provides a complete picture of your business so the county will be able to determine what your requirements will be and how to evaluate your vehicle. Keep in mind that this form was designed to encompass many different types of food vehicles, so not everything on the form is going to apply to all vehicle operations. 

    Contact your inspector to see if this will be required for your operation. 

  3. Inspection

    In order to obtain a Permit to Operate, you must schedule an appointment with an inspector. The location of your commissary determines who your inspector will be. 

    It is required to bring your vehicle(s) to the inspection appointment fully functioning and ready to operate, including hot water in the sinks, steam tables at 135°F or above, mechanical refrigeration at 41°F or below, all equipment in place, etc. 

    Prior to the inspection appointment, the owner/operator must complete and/or submit the above documentation, an Environmental Health Application and pay fees. 

    Zoning Laws

    All mobile food vendors must comply with zoning laws at all of the locations they choose to operate. Zoning laws typically do not allow for mobiles to be set up in parking lots, street corners, or empty dirt lots. Staying in one location, even when you do not have customers, requires proper land use entitlements.

    For more information, please contact the zoning department with jurisdiction over the location(s) you are considering:

Unpermitted Food Vendors

Food safety is a huge priority in Fresno County! If you observe an unpermitted food vending operation, we ask that you report the incident to our office. If possible, please provide the date, time, and location where the unpermitted operation was observed, as well as the business name and type of food they were serving, if possible. Other identifying characteristics such as make, model, and license plate number of vehicles and any photos of the operation are also helpful when filing a report. However, be sure only to collect information if or when it can be done safely.

Report an Unpermitted Food Vending Operation Call (559) 600-3357

Compact Mobile Food Operation (CMFO)

Compact Mobile Food Operations are mobile food facilities that operate from an individual, pushcart, stand, display, pedal-driven cart, wagon, showcase, rack, or other non-motorized conveyance. These facilities are allowed to be stored at private residences after a health inspection is complete. However, produce must be washed and prepared in a permitted food facility.

Cottage Food Operation (CFO)

Cottage Food Operates are home-based businesses allowed to prepare, package, store, and handle certain low-risk foods in private homes and sell them to the public.

Fresno County Mobile Food Vendor Permit & Inspection Checklist

It is required to receive plan approval prior to starting any new construction or remodeling of a food vehicle. Plans are reviewed in order of submittal, and the initial review will be completed within twenty (20) business days.

Mobile Food Facilities (MFF)

Mobile Food Facilities are trucks, trailers, vans, carts, or any portable units that sell prepackaged food and unpackaged non-potentially hazardous foods.

Mobile Food Preparation Unit (MFPU)

Mobile Food Preparation Units are fully enclosed vehicles with cooking, hot holding, mechanical refrigeration equipment, and an electrical generator. All food preparation must be done on the vehicle or at a commercial kitchen permitted as a commissary.

Hours

  • Sunday Closed
  • Monday
    • 08:00 AM–05:00 PM
  • Tuesday
    • 08:00 AM–05:00 PM
  • Wednesday
    • 08:00 AM–05:00 PM
  • Thursday
    • 08:00 AM–05:00 PM
  • Friday
    • 08:00 AM–05:00 PM
  • Saturday Closed

(Closed 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)

Contact Us

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