Check the compliance items before you check the engine. Under HB 2844, DSHS licenses mobile food vendors statewide, and the requirements are specific: a three-compartment sink big enough to fully submerge your largest pan, a separate handwash sink with hot water, a wastewater tank at least 15% larger than your potable tank, 16-mesh screening at ventilation openings, smooth cleanable light-colored interior surfaces, and a unit that stays readily movable. A used truck that was built before these rules — or built for another state — can fail every one of them while being mechanically perfect. And the seller's old permit does not transfer to you.
Here's the pattern we see over and over. Somebody finds a truck on Facebook Marketplace. It looks great. Low miles, clean kitchen, seller says it was permitted and running last year. They pay for it, feel good about it, and then start the DSHS application.
That's when they find out the wastewater tank is the same size as the fresh tank, the three-comp sink is too small for the pans they cook with, there's no separate handwash sink, and the interior walls are dark wood.
None of that shows up on a test drive. All of it costs money to fix. And by then they already own it.
A permit does not come with the truck. Your DSHS Mobile Food Vendor license is issued to you as the operator — it isn't attached to the vehicle and it doesn't transfer with a sale. "It was permitted last year" tells you the truck passed somebody else's inspection under whatever rules applied at the time. It is not a guarantee that it passes yours.
The Compliance Checklist to Run Before You Pay
Walk the truck with this list. Every item here is something DSHS actually looks at, and every one of them costs real money to correct after the fact.
1. Three-compartment sink — bring your biggest pan
Each compartment has to be large enough to fully submerge your largest utensil for a complete wash, rinse, and sanitize cycle. Don't eyeball it. Bring the actual pan you plan to cook with and put it in the sink.
Why it's expensive: Replacing a three-comp sink isn't just the sink — it's plumbing, counter modification, and sometimes moving other equipment to make room.
2. Separate handwash sink with hot water
It has to be its own sink, not one of the three compartments, and it has to reach handwashing temperature from the unit's own water heater. Turn it on and let it run.
Why it's expensive: If there's no handwash sink, you're adding plumbing. If the water heater can't hold temperature, that's a separate replacement.
3. Wastewater tank at least 15% larger than potable
Find both tanks and read the capacities off them. Equal-size tanks are one of the most common problems on older builds, and on trucks built for states with different rules.
Why it's expensive: Tanks are often mounted in tight spaces. Upsizing one can mean relocating it, rebuilding the mount, or re-running lines.
4. Run every system on the truck's own power and water
Not on a garden hose, not on shore power. Fill the tank, run the pump, heat the water, cool the refrigeration. A truck that's been parked on a fixed hookup for two years often has a pump nobody has tested since.
Why it's expensive: Pumps, water heaters, and refrigeration are each their own repair — and you won't find out until inspection day if you don't test now.
5. 16-mesh screening at ventilation openings
Easy to miss, cheap to fix, and a guaranteed citation if it's absent. Check every vent and opening.
Why it matters: Low cost, but it's a failed inspection and another trip through the scheduling queue if you miss it.
6. Interior surfaces — smooth, cleanable, light-colored
Look for exposed wood, textured surfaces, dark paneling, or anything porous. Custom builds and DIY conversions are the usual offenders.
Why it's expensive: Redoing interior surfaces means stripping and refinishing the whole workspace. This one can get big fast.
7. Is it actually readily movable?
The unit has to be operational and movable at inspection, with no permanent utility connections. If it's been hard-connected and sitting for years, that's a real question — and possibly a sign it belongs on a different permitting path entirely.
Why it matters: A unit that can't travel to meet an inspector can't be inspected. There's a separate local-permit route for genuinely stationary units.
8. Does the truck match the food you plan to cook?
Your MFV type is set by what you prepare, not by what the truck has. If you're cooking raw protein, you're Type III, and the equipment requirements are the highest of the three. A truck built for a snow cone operation won't get you there. Find your type in about a minute here.
Why it's expensive: This is the one that turns a good deal into a gut renovation. Buy the truck that matches your menu, not the truck that's on sale.
Send us the truck before you send the money.
We'll go through the listing, photos, and a live video walkthrough with you, and tell you what it will actually take to make that specific unit permittable in Texas. Written findings, not a hunch.
(956) 592-2896Call or text first — a working Texas operator, not a call center. Tell us about the truck and we'll tell you straight whether it's worth auditing.
START THE $297 AUDIT →What You Find Is Also What You Negotiate With
Every problem on that list is a number. A sink that has to be replaced, a tank that has to be upsized, surfaces that have to be redone — those are real quotes you can get in writing.
That list is your negotiating position. "This truck needs a compliant three-comp sink, a larger wastewater tank, and the interior redone before the state will license it. Here's what that costs. My offer reflects that."
Sellers who genuinely didn't know usually take it seriously. Sellers who did know usually stop arguing. Either way, you stop being the person guessing and start being the person with a documented list.
This is why we tell people the audit pays for itself before they ever open the truck for business. Find one real gap and you've made the money back on the first counteroffer.
Questions to Ask the Seller
- Was this unit ever licensed in Texas, and under which type? Type I, II, and III have very different equipment standards.
- Do you have the last inspection report? If they do, the deficiency list tells you a lot in ten seconds.
- Who built it and when? Pre-HB 2844 builds and out-of-state builds are the usual sources of surprises.
- What's been replaced or modified? DIY plumbing and electrical are where problems hide.
- Can I run every system while I'm here? If the answer is no, that's your answer.
- Why are you selling? "I couldn't get it permitted" is a real answer people give.
Two Numbers to Know Before You Shop
Your menu sets your MFV type, which sets your equipment requirements and your DSHS fees. And the truck price is only one line in your actual startup cost.
Not sure what type you are? Take the free quiz — about a minute. Still deciding what kind of truck you should even be looking for? Start with our Before You Buy guide.
Common Questions
Can a used food truck fail Texas DSHS inspection?
Yes, and it happens regularly. Many used trucks were built before HB 2844 or built to another state's standards. Sinks, tanks, water heaters, screening, and interior surfaces are the recurring failure points.
Does the permit transfer when I buy the truck?
No. The DSHS Mobile Food Vendor license is issued to the operator, not the vehicle. A previously permitted truck gives you no permit and no guarantee it still meets current requirements.
How much does it cost to make a used truck compliant?
It depends entirely on what's missing — a screening fix is minor, redoing interior surfaces is not. The only way to know your number is to price the specific gaps on the specific unit, which is exactly what the audit is for.
Should I buy new instead?
Not necessarily. Plenty of used trucks are fine, and some new builds have problems too. The point isn't used versus new — it's knowing what you're buying before the money moves.
Last verified: September 4, 2026.
Sources: Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 437B; 25 Texas Administrative Code Chapter 226; DSHS Mobile Food Vendor Guide. Equipment requirements described here reflect published DSHS standards. Individual determinations are made by DSHS at inspection.
Written by: Texas Food Truck Permits Editorial Team