As of July 1, 2026, every food truck, trailer, and cart in El Paso needs a DSHS Mobile Food Vendor License — the city says MFV permits "will be issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) instead of the City of El Paso." New this year: the El Paso Fire Marshal's annual Fire License Inspection (LFIR) for any vehicle with cooking equipment that produces smoke or grease-laden vapors. Verified from official elpasotexas.gov pages.
Yes — one state license, plus whatever El Paso still handles locally. Since July 1, 2026 the health license for every Texas mobile food vendor is the DSHS Mobile Food Vendor License (House Bill 2844, Health & Safety Code Chapter 437B). Cities and counties no longer issue the health permit. Fire, zoning/location, food handler, and event rules can still be local. Here is how that breaks down in El Paso:
Required for every mobile food unit. Type I, II, or III — apply through DSHS Online Licensing.
Replaced. "Starting July 1, 2026, all mobile food vendor (MFV) permits will be issued by ... DSHS instead of the City of El Paso."
New. Required for all Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles operating in city limits, effective July 1, 2026 (2021 IFC).
City page: you may keep operating on an existing license if your state application is submitted and fees paid — carry a printed copy of the pending application on the vehicle.
Not sure which box you fall in? Call or text (956) 592-2896 — you'll talk to a Texas operator who deals with DSHS every week, not a call center.
If you're opening a new truck in El Paso and don't hold a current Texas license, you can't operate until DSHS issues yours. Doing things in this order keeps you from calling the wrong office or paying for the wrong permit. New to the state law? Start with the complete HB 2844 guide.
Beginning July 1, 2026, every mobile food vendor operating in El Paso and El Paso County must hold a license issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services. A separate DSHS license is required for each food vending vehicle. Here is what El Paso's own government says about it:
“Starting July 1, 2026, all mobile food vendor (MFV) permits will be issued by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) instead of the City of El Paso.”— City of El Paso — Code Enforcement · official source · read 2026-09-29
The same page says mobile food vendors "may continue operating with their existing license as long as they have submitted a state application and paid applicable licensing fees," keeping "a printed copy of their pending state application on their food vending vehicle." (The city page lists the Type I application fee as $308; DSHS's own guide says $309 — go by DSHS.)
Sells prepackaged food only. $309 DSHS application fee. No pre-licensing inspection fee. Examples: packaged snacks, bottled drinks, prepackaged meals.
Minimal food prep or ROP items. $618 application + $400 inspection = $1,018 in government fees. Examples: snow cones, hot dogs, deli items.
Cooks and serves made-to-order food. $876 application + $500 inspection = $1,376 in government fees. Examples: taco trucks, burger rigs, BBQ trailers.
CPF (commissary) rules are DSHS rules — the same statewide. Most Type II and III units need a licensed CPF or must qualify for the exemption. Read the CPF requirements →
HB 2844 moved the health license to the state. It did not touch fire codes, zoning, food handler programs, or event permits. This is what El Paso and El Paso County still run themselves — pulled from their official pages, with the source on every item.
The Fire Marshal's Office states that "an annual Fire License Inspection (LFIR) will be required for all Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles (MFPVs) that are vending/operating within the City of El Paso limits." An MFPV is a vehicle "that contain[s] cooking equipment that produce[s] smoke or grease-laden vapors." The inspection follows the 2021 International Fire Code. Fees: $125.00 annual LFIR · $72.00 per re-inspection (Fire Marshal's Office page). The office references a 2026 MFPV Inspector Guide and requirements document — ask for both when you call.
Local news reporting from July 2026, citing the El Paso Fire Department, adds that operators should have their DSHS license (or application) and the city fire license available at the inspection, and that running without a valid fire-license inspection can draw enforcement action. That detail comes from the news report, not the Fire Marshal's page — confirm it when you call.
The city's (undated, pre-DSHS) Mobile Requirements document required a CPF with an annual inspection score of 85+, potable water filling and wastewater disposal at the CPF, and a notarized CPF letter. Under DSHS the CPF rules are the state's — see our commissary guide — but expect El Paso inspectors and property owners to still be familiar with the old form.
El Paso regulates mobile food vendors under El Paso Municipal Code Chapter 12.46, Mobile Food Vendors. City applications and fees for the local side are filed at the One Stop Shop, 811 Texas Avenue. Verify with the One Stop Shop which city license and location rules currently apply to your truck now that health licensing has moved to the state.
El Paso's 2009 ordinance that barred vending within 1,000 feet of a restaurant, grocer, or convenience store was repealed in 2011 after a court challenge (as reported by the Institute for Justice, which litigated the case). We could not locate a current published distance rule on an official page — confirm location rules with Code Enforcement before you commit to a spot.
City temporary event requirements: events cannot exceed 14 consecutive days; apply at the One Stop Shop (811 Texas Ave.); each individual booth owner/operator submits their own application. The document predates DSHS and does not address trucks holding a state license.
Fire permit, step by step: El Paso food truck fire permit — fees, process, inspection points →
Verified against official El Paso / El Paso County / DSHS pages on 2026-09-29. Local rules change without notice — if you were told something different, call us and we will check it with the source. See also: why the state permit doesn't cover fire inspections · how to get your Texas food truck permit, step by step.
The DSHS pre-licensing inspection covers 28 items. One deficiency means a failed inspection — and DSHS confirmed there's no re-inspection fee for routine corrections, so what it really costs you is time. Back in the queue while your truck sits, and operators are already reporting waits of several months. We review your operation in advance so you pass the first time.
Questions before you buy? Call or text (956) 592-2896 — you'll talk to an actual Texas operator, not a call center.
Whether you need a clear action plan or full-service filing, we work with El Paso food truck operators at every stage of the DSHS process. Already have your truck? See the DSHS licensing plans. Still shopping? Get the truck audited before you buy.
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