Food Trucks: Compliance Resources
Compliance tools for food trucks in Texas that prepare food. (Not intended for single-service food concessions that only sell prepackaged food.)
Retail food establishments, including food trucks, are primarily regulated by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) under Title 25 of the Texas Administrative Code (25 TAC) Part 1, Chapter 288. There may be parts of your business that are also regulated by TCEQ. You should always contact local authorities before starting a food truck business to find local ordinances that apply to the Food Truck industry. Many cities, including Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, El Paso, and Lubbock, have websites to help you comply with these local requirements.
If your food truck is a “mobile” establishment, air regulations do not apply. TCEQ does not regulate mobile air sources. However, if your food truck is at a fixed location (“non-mobile”), there may be air regulations that apply to your business.
You may be classified as De Minimis for Air Emissions. De minimis means there will be no significant contamination of the air. For example, food preparation for direct and immediate retail food sales are considered de minimis sources. De minimis facilities or sources do not require registration or authorization from TCEQ.
If you do not meet the requirements to be a de minimis facility, you may qualify for a Permit by Rule (PBR). The following PBRs may apply to your facility:
- 30 TAC 106.242 – Food Preparation
- 30 TAC 106.243 - Smokehouses
- 30 TAC 106.244 – Ovens, Barbecue Pits, and Cookers
A complete list of PBRs can be found in 30 TAC 106.
If you use water from a private well for your food truck, you may be a public water system (PWS) and would be regulated by TCEQ. Our guide, You're a Public Water System…Now What? (RG-496) can help you understand the rules and regulations for PWSs.
Sewage waste
- Wastewater from toilet or urinal flushing and sinks used for food preparation must be disposed of properly. These wastes must be:
- Disposed of at a permitted wastewater treatment facility. (Contact your local authority to see if you can connect to its sanitary sewer system), or
- Contained and transported for disposal to a permitted wastewater treatment facility. Sewage waste must be transported by a TCEQ registered transporter.
If you are able to connect to your local sanitary sewer system, you should help prevent unnecessary grease build up in the sewer lines and reduce sanitary sewer overflows by following a few easy tips found in Let’s Tackle the Grease in this Kitchen! (English version) or ¡Ataquemos a la Grasa en Esta Cocina! (Spanish version).
Graywater
- Graywater includes wastewater from handwashing sinks and sinks that are used for disposal of waste, such as mop water from floor cleaning and wastewater from cleaning kitchen and service areas. Graywater does not include wastewater that has come in contact with toilet waste, or from sinks used for food preparation or disposal.
- Graywater may be pumped and hauled to a permitted wastewater treatment facility for disposal. TCEQ does not require a license or registration for transporters of graywater.
- You may be able to reclaim and reuse your graywater. See Beneficial Re-Use of Graywater and Alternative Onsite Water to find out if you qualify for this option.
Wastes generated from food truck businesses typically include food scraps; packaging materials such as cardboard, paper, and plastic; and grease from cooking. These wastes are considered municipal solid waste and do not require approval from TCEQ to be disposed of in a permitted municipal solid waste landfill.
Your local city and county authorities may have regulations that affect your waste management practices. Contact your local authority to determine if your business is required to comply with local ordinances for the waste it generates. Before disposing of grease or cooking oils in a landfill, contact the landfill to make sure they are able to manage this type of waste.
- Waste from Grease Traps, Grit Traps, and Septic Tanks: Questions and Answers (RG-389) - This guide discusses some of the requirements for businesses that generate waste cooking oil and grease.
- Recycling: Am I Regulated? - Requirements for Texas operations that recycle materials diverted from municipal solid waste streams.
- Resource Exchange Network for Eliminating Waste (RENEW)
- Composting and Mulching: Am I Regulated? - Requirements for composting or mulching source-separated materials, and materials diverted from a municipal solid waste stream.
- Sustainable Management of Food Basics
- Find a Composter
- Contact the Texas DSHS
- Check with your local authority for ordinances that may affect your business.
- TCEQ's Small Business and Local Government Assistance section offers free, confidential help to small businesses and local governments working to follow state environmental regulations. Call us at 800-447-2827 or visit our webpage at www.TexasEnviroHelp.org .
- Contact the National Food Truck Association: Visit their webpage at nationalfoodtrucks.org , call 202-644-8830, or email info@nationalfoodtrucks.org.