The law hasn't changed, but the way it's being applied has. Since the HB 2844 switch on July 1, 2026, DSHS has told us by phone that Category 1 operators can keep operating while their application is pending, that a local permit held within the last year still qualifies you, that routine re-inspections carry no fee, and that no temporary permits are being issued. Fire permits stayed local. Category 2 operators still cannot operate until they pass inspection.
Operator groups are still arguing about the same handful of questions, and most of the answers are scattered across separate reports. This page puts them in one place. Nothing here was newly verified today. Every item below carries the date of the call or source it came from, and anything we have not been able to confirm is listed at the end.
What DSHS Has Confirmed Since July 1
These are statements made to Texas Food Truck Permits by DSHS representatives by phone, plus what is in the statute. They are not published policy.
What Changed Locally
HB 2844 made DSHS the single licensing authority for the health side. It did not touch fire. Fire permits are still issued by each city or county, still billed separately, and still the step many operators learn about last.
- City health permits are gone for new applicants. Local health departments stopped issuing new mobile food vendor permits, and Houston's medallion was retired July 1, 2026. See the Houston report.
- No temporary permits. DSHS says none are being issued. Houston says the same for mobile food vendors after June 30, 2026.
- Fire comes first, then health. We built a page for each city below, sourced to the official fire-department pages and dated, with fees as published.
- Houston: fire permit guide · en español
- San Antonio: fire permit guide · en español
- Dallas: fire permit guide · en español
- Austin: fire permit guide · en español
- McAllen: fire permit guide · en español
- El Paso: fire permit guide
- Corpus Christi: fire permit guide
- Brownsville: fire permit guide
We do not have a page for Fort Worth because we could not find a published food-truck fire program there, and Laredo's city pages would not load when we checked on September 30.
Corrections We Made on This Site
When we got something wrong, we fixed it and dated it. Original publish dates were left alone.
Re-inspection fee. Two pages said a failed inspection costs $400–$500 to reschedule. DSHS says routine re-inspection has no fee. Both pages now say so.
Private events and temporary permits. Two operator Q&A pages suggested private-only events might not need the license and that a temporary permit might be an option. DSHS says the license follows the unit and no temporary permits are being issued. Both pages were updated.
Houston addresses. The Houston Fire Marshal's Office is at 7427 Park Place Blvd., while permits are bought at the Permitting Center at 1002 Washington. We clarified both on the Houston report.
What We Are Still Verifying
- How many applications are still pending. DSHS gave us a submission figure in July, not a backlog figure.
- Current processing time. DSHS said about six weeks in late July. Operators were reporting about four months. We have not re-verified either number since.
- Whether one city honors another city's fire clearance. HB 2844 standardized the health license, not fire.
- Whether a single-event permit path exists for nonprofits. We do not have a confirmed answer and will not guess.
- Whether DSHS refunds application fees for units that clearly cannot pass. Raised informally on a call. Not stated policy, so do not rely on it.
What to Do Right Now
If you held a local permit within the last year and haven't applied: apply. Make sure the application is complete, because corrections restart your wait. Keep your proof of the local permit and your application receipt on the vehicle.
If you already applied: keep your documents on the truck and keep operating if you qualify as Category 1.
If you never had a local permit (Category 2): you cannot operate until you pass. Use the time to get inspection-ready with our free 28-point checklist.
Everyone: start your city's fire permit early, since that step is separate from DSHS.
Not sure which category you are, or what your city needs? Call or text (956) 592-2896 and we'll talk through your situation, or start with the $99 review.
Common Questions
Can I still apply for a Texas food truck license if I missed the July 1 deadline?
If you held a local Texas health permit within the last year, even if it has expired, DSHS told us by phone (July 13, 20 and 24, 2026) that you still qualify as Category 1 and that no cutoff date exists. If you never had a local permit, you are Category 2 and cannot operate until your pre-licensing inspection is passed and your license is issued. This is phone guidance, not a published rule change.
Is there a fee if I fail my DSHS inspection and have to be re-inspected?
DSHS told us by phone (call logged July 23, 2026) that there is no additional fee for a routine re-inspection after normal corrections. The $400 and $500 inspection fees apply to complaint-triggered inspections after licensing and to the annual inspection. The real cost of failing is time in the queue.
Can I get a temporary permit for an event?
No. DSHS told us no temporary permits are being issued, and Houston's own guidance says it is no longer giving temporary permits to mobile food vendors after June 30, 2026. Whether any single-event path exists for nonprofits is something we have not been able to confirm.
Does my DSHS license cover the fire marshal?
No. DSHS confirmed fire clearance is a separate agency, a separate fee, and issued locally. Whether one city honors another city's fire clearance is still unanswered.
Compiled: October 10, 2026 from calls and sources logged July–September 2026. Nothing in this roundup was newly verified on the compile date. Statements labeled phone guidance reflect what DSHS representatives told us, not published policy.
Sources: Direct phone conversations with DSHS representatives (July 13, 20, 23, 24, 2026); Texas Health & Safety Code Ch. 437B; official city fire-department pages as linked on each city report (read September 30, 2026); Houston official guidance on mobile food vendor permits.
Updated by: Texas Food Truck Permits Editorial Team