Most states and counties require a food truck to work from a commissary: a licensed fixed kitchen, sometimes called a central preparation facility or base of operations, where the truck comes back to for supplies, cleaning, fresh water and emptying its waste. The rules for it sit in the state's food code and come down to four things: the truck reports to the commissary, often daily; you show the health department a letter from the commissary if you don't own it; the truck carries what it needs to run between visits, sinks and labeled water and waste tanks; and the commissary has a proper servicing area to fill and empty them. A truck that sells only prepackaged food often needs less. Texas, the example's state, writes this into its retail food rule, 25 Texas Administrative Code 228.221: a mobile food unit operates from a central preparation facility or other fixed food establishment and reports there daily, and at the initial permitting inspection shows a certified food manager's certificate, the commissary's letter of authorization, a copy of the commissary's latest inspection report kept on the truck, and the menu. In the example below, an Austin taco truck gets ready for its inspection. Below are the rules, Texas's version, the example, and a free checklist.
The short version
- Most places require a food truck to work from a licensed commissary.
- The truck reports back for supplies, cleaning, water and waste, often daily.
- A letter from the commissary, if you don't own it, goes to the health department.
- The truck carries sinks and labeled water and waste tanks.
- The commissary needs a servicing area to fill and empty them.
- Texas: report to the central preparation facility daily.
- Texas: at the permit inspection, a food manager certificate, the letter, the commissary's latest inspection report, the menu.
- TaroStack keeps the commissary's and the truck's stock apart. More below.
The rules
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| A base of operation | A licensed commissary or other fixed food establishment |
| Reporting back | For supplies, cleaning, water and waste; daily in a lot of codes |
| The letter | From the commissary, if someone else owns it |
| On the truck | A three-compartment sink, a handwashing sink, labeled water and waste tanks |
| Servicing area | Overhead cover, water and waste kept apart, a surface that drains |
| Prepackaged only | Often fewer requirements |
The commissary's letter is in commissary letter for food truck, and what it costs in commissary kitchen cost. State rules build on FDA's model Food Code. This is general information, not legal advice.
Texas's version
| Rule | 25 Tex. Admin. Code 228.221 |
|---|---|
| Central preparation facility | The unit operates from one, or another fixed food establishment, and reports there daily for supplies, cleaning and servicing (b) |
| Initial permitting inspection | The unit comes to a place the health department names, fully operable (a)(4) |
| Documents | Certified food protection manager certificate; the facility's signed authorization letter if you don't own it; a copy of its latest inspection report kept on the unit; a servicing area letter if asked; the menu (a)(4) |
| Sinks | A sink with at least three compartments, and a handwashing sink (a)(6) |
| Water | Tank and fill hose labeled "Potable Water" (a)(8) |
| Waste | A permanent tank labeled "waste water", with connections different from the water's, never emptied while moving (a)(9) |
| Servicing area | Overhead protection; waste flushing apart from water and food loading; a smooth surface graded to drain (c) |
| Prepackaged only | A roadside vendor selling only prepackaged food is exempt from the water and wastewater rules (a)(10) |
The rule is 228.221. Florida's way of licensing trucks, with local permits preempted, is in food truck license.
An example: an Austin taco truck
Lavaca Street Tacos, a made-up taco truck in Austin, Texas, I use in these examples, preps at a rented commissary in East Austin and works downtown lunches and breweries at night:
| Layer | Status |
|---|---|
| Central preparation facility | Rented; the truck reports back every night |
| Authorization letter | Signed January 5, 2026, for the year |
| Commissary inspection report | Copy of the August 12, 2026 report in the truck's binder |
| Food manager certificate | The owner, November 2025 |
| Menu | Tacos, quesadillas, aguas frescas |
| Sinks | Three-compartment and handwashing sinks |
| Water and waste tanks | Labeled "Potable Water" and "waste water", different fittings |
| Servicing area | The commissary's covered pad, water and waste on separate sides |
| Commercial auto and general liability insurance | Renews January 1, 2027 |
The commissary's inspection report goes in the truck's binder every time the commissary is inspected; an old one is the easiest thing to fail on. The truck's numbers are in food truck business plan.
Get the checklist
Download the food truck commissary requirements checklist. One sheet: each layer, who issues it, what it is, whether you need it, the cost, the date done and the renewal date; the status and the total cost fill in. It's an ordinary Excel file with no macros, and it works in Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers.
Where this stops working
Every night the truck comes back, unloads, restocks and leaves in the morning: the commissary's stock and the truck's change twice a day, and a checklist doesn't count either.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps the commissary's stock and the truck's apart, and each batch's lot.
Two sites. The commissary and the truck are two sites, each with its own stock; the morning load is a transfer out and what comes back is a transfer in. More than one site is on Standard at $99 a month.
Prep as batches. The carnitas and salsas are batches from recipes, taking ingredients off stock from their lots.
Counts and waste. Counting at close works on a phone with no signal, and food thrown out is written off with its reason and cost.
| The job | Notebook | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| What's on the truck | Go and look | Stock at the truck's site |
| Which lot of pork went out | Not recorded | The lot on its batch |
| What waste cost this month | A guess | Write-offs with reasons |
Counting, lots, recipes, batches and waste with reasons are on every plan, from $49 a month; more than one site is on Standard at $99. The first 30 days are free, with no credit card. If you'd like a hand setting up, ask, and we'll do it with you.