Florida Food Truck Inspection Checklist Requirements

Passing a Florida food truck inspection comes down to having your approved plans, license paperwork, vehicle construction, water system, food temperatures, employee certifications, and fire-suppression service tag all in order before the inspector arrives. The Florida Division of Hotels and Restaurants (DHR), within the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), runs the inspection under Chapter 509 of the Florida Statutes, and this Florida food truck inspection checklist walks through what the inspector actually checks and what you need ready on the unit.

Paperwork the Inspector Will Ask to See

Documents are the first thing checked and the easiest place to lose points. Have the following on the truck or immediately accessible:

Your stamped, approved plan review drawings. The DHR must review and approve plans for any newly built, converted, or remodeled food service establishment before you outfit the vehicle, and the inspector compares the finished unit against those drawings at the opening inspection. Plans are submitted on DBPR form HR-7006 and must show scaled drawings of equipment, plumbing, storage, a side view of the vehicle, and the gallon capacity of the potable water and wastewater tanks.¹²
Your current DHR food service license. Every public food service establishment must be licensed before operating; running without one is a second-degree misdemeanor. The mobile food dispensing vehicle license is $347 per year, or $178.50 if six months or less remain until the next renewal period, plus a one-time $50 application fee for new licenses.³⁴
A signed Commissary Services Notification (DBPR form HR-7022) unless your truck is fully self-sufficient. A truck counts as self-sufficient only if it carries a three-compartment sink, a separate handwash sink, adequate refrigeration, full power utilities, a potable water tank, and a liquid waste disposal system. If you rely on a commissary, confirm it holds a current DBPR license and that your agreement spells out which services it provides (waste disposal, potable water, utensil washing).⁵²
Proof of a certified food service manager. Florida requires at least one manager who has passed a test accredited by the Conference for Food Protection, and the inspector will ask to see the certificate at the opening inspection and during routine visits. If you are the sole operator, that manager is you.⁶
Employee food safety training records. Every food service employee must receive training and certification within 60 days of hire, valid for three years, and you must be able to produce proof showing each employee’s name, date of birth, date of training, and the approved program used.⁷

Vehicle Construction and Plumbing

Once paperwork is cleared, the inspector walks the physical unit against the approved plans.

Surfaces and Pest Protection

Floors, walls, and ceilings inside the unit must be smooth, non-absorbent, and easy to clean. Service openings and outer access points need weather protection to keep pests out of the food preparation area.² Materials should match what you listed on the plan review application.

Handwash and Three-Compartment Sinks

A separate handwash sink with running hot and cold water, soap, and single-service towels is mandatory on every mobile food dispensing vehicle. The inspector confirms it is both functional and conveniently located.²

If your truck is self-sufficient, it needs its own three-compartment sink for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing utensils, with drainboards or shelving for air-drying nearby. If the commissary provides that sink instead, you must carry enough already-sanitized backup utensils to get through a service period without returning mid-shift.

Water and Wastewater Tanks

Both tanks must be permanently integrated into the vehicle. The wastewater tank must be at least 15% larger in volume than the potable water tank, and both capacities should be listed on your drawings so the inspector can verify the differential.²

Thermometers and Commercial Equipment

Every refrigerator, freezer, and hot-holding unit needs an accurate internal thermometer. Inspectors check these against their own calibrated instruments, so test yours before the visit. Commercial cooking and storage equipment should carry NSF/ANSI certification: NSF/ANSI 4 for fryers, griddles, and ovens; NSF/ANSI 7 for commercial refrigerators and freezers; and NSF/ANSI 2 for sinks, shelving, and prep tables.⁸ Residential-grade equipment raises red flags.

Food Handling and Temperature Control

Temperature control is the single biggest operational concern during inspection. All time/temperature control for safety (TCS) foods must be held at 135°F or above when hot, 41°F or below when cold. Keep a properly calibrated stem thermometer accessible; the inspector will likely ask you to demonstrate it.

Cross-Contamination Points

Cross-contamination issues are the most common preventable violations. The inspector looks for:

Raw animal products stored below and away from ready-to-eat foods. Raw chicken belongs on the lowest shelf, every time.
All food stored at least six inches off the floor on clean shelves, racks, or dollies.
Cleaning supplies and sanitizers kept separate from food and food-contact surfaces.
A chemical test kit on the unit to verify sanitizer concentration. Inspectors run their own test and expect your readings to match.

Bare-Hand Contact and Hygiene

Employees must wash hands properly, avoid bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods (use gloves, tongs, or deli tissue), and wear effective hair restraints. Bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food is one of the violations inspectors cite most often.

Consumer Advisory

If any menu item contains raw or undercooked animal food served ready-to-eat, such as rare steak, runny eggs, or raw oysters, a written consumer advisory must appear on every menu listing those items and must inform customers of the increased health risk. Items where a customer would not expect a raw ingredient, like Caesar dressing made with raw eggs, require specific disclosure as well.⁹ Raw oysters require Florida’s specifically worded oyster warning advisory visible wherever oysters can be ordered.

Fire Suppression, Extinguishers, and Propane

Fire safety is enforced by the local Fire Marshal rather than the DHR, but you need to pass both inspections to operate, and these items get checked on the truck:

Cooking equipment that produces grease-laden vapors (fryers, griddles, charbroilers) installed under a ventilation hood meeting NFPA 96 standards, with an automatic fire-extinguishing system protecting the cooking surfaces.¹⁰
A current service tag on the hood suppression system. The system must be professionally inspected and serviced at least every six months. An expired tag is one of the fastest ways to get shut down at an event.¹¹
A portable fire extinguisher selected and installed per NFPA 10, plus a Class K extinguisher rated for grease fires if you have a deep fryer.¹⁰

LP Gas

Propane systems must comply with NFPA 58. Main shutoff valves on the container must be accessible without tools. New or modified piping systems require pressure testing, and a flexible connector is required between the regulator outlet and the fixed piping.¹⁰ An operational propane leak detection device is expected on units using LP gas, and tanks must be mechanically secured and positioned where they are protected from vehicle damage and cooking-equipment heat. Visually inspect the entire gas system daily before service.

Critical Violations and What Happens Next

Violations are classified as critical or noncritical. Critical violations are those most likely to directly cause foodborne illness, like improper holding temperatures or bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat food. Many operators correct violations on the spot during the inspection, and inspectors often allow that. When they are not corrected immediately, the DHR follows up with callback inspections, administrative action, or in serious cases, closure. The division can also refuse to renew a license for an establishment that is not constructed and maintained in compliance with its rules.³

After the opening inspection, the DHR returns on a risk-based schedule of one to four visits per year depending on your menu and compliance history, and can inspect at any other time it deems necessary to protect public health.¹²¹³ Most trucks that cook and cool food fall into the two-inspection-per-year tier.

What the State Inspection Does Not Cover

Passing the DHR inspection does not clear you with the city or county. Florida preempts local governments from charging separate food truck license fees, but municipalities and counties keep full authority over zoning and operational rules: where you can park, distance from fire hydrants or restaurants, time-of-day limits, and noise.¹⁴ Check the local planning or code enforcement office for the ordinances that apply to the spots you want to work.

Insurance is a separate matter as well. Florida does not set a single statewide minimum insurance requirement for food trucks, but many municipalities, event organizers, and commissary operators require a Certificate of Insurance showing general liability coverage before they let you operate on their property. Commercial auto covers the vehicle on the road and while parked, and Florida requires workers’ compensation for businesses with four or more employees.

1
MyFloridaLicense.com. Hotels and Restaurants – Plan Review
2
Department of Business and Professional Regulation. DBPR HR-7006 – Plan Review for Mobile Public Food Service Establishment
3
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 509.241 – Licenses Required; Exceptions; Division Online Accounts and Transactions
4
MyFloridaLicense.com. Hotels and Restaurants – Food Service Fees
5
Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation. DBPR HR-7022 – Commissary Services Notification
6
The Florida Legislature. Florida Code 509.039 – Food Service Manager Certification
7
Florida Senate. Florida Code 509.049 – Food Service Employee Training
8
NSF. Food Equipment Standards
9
MyFloridaLicense.com. Industry Bulletin – Consumer Advisory Requirements
10
National Fire Protection Association. Food Truck Safety Fact Sheet
11
National Fire Protection Association. NFPA 96 Standard for Ventilation Control and Fire Protection of Commercial Cooking Operations
12
MyFloridaLicense.com. Risk-Based Inspection Frequency
13
Florida Senate. Florida Code 509.032 – Duties
14
Florida Senate. Florida Code 509.102 – Mobile Food Dispensing Vehicles; Preemption