Recent builds we delivered to Aurora
A 2019 Ford E350 box truck turned into a sealed taco kitchen with its own framing and an RV door.
A gluten free operation is a cross contamination problem before it is a menu problem, so the layout was built around that.
Building a food truck for Aurora? See what a fully-equipped, inspection-ready truck actually costs with our free build & cost calculator.
Aurora is the third biggest city in Colorado and one of the better food truck markets on the Front Range, with Anschutz Medical Campus, Buckley, Southlands and a long list of breweries and apartment communities. It also sits in three counties, which is where most of the confusion starts. This guide was rewritten in October 2026; an earlier version still referred to Tri-County Health, which no longer exists.
Which health department licenses you
Tri-County Health Department was dissolved at the end of 2022, and Arapahoe, Adams and Douglas counties each now run their own. The city’s mobile food brochure sends vendors to their county health department for the Colorado retail food license. In practice the county where your commissary is located licenses the truck; Adams County states that its licensed trucks must use a commissary in Adams County.
The license fee is set by state law under SB25-285: $481 for a full service mobile unit and $338 for prepackaged in 2026, which Adams County lists under fees set by the legislature. Plan review is a $155 application plus hourly review time, capped at $900 in Adams County and at $580 in Douglas County; Arapahoe County publishes the same $155 plus hourly structure. In Adams the license expires on 31 December each year whenever it was issued, so a truck licensed in November renews within weeks.
What the City of Aurora requires
Aurora has no separate food truck license. Section 146-3.3.6.K of the unified development ordinance requires an Aurora business license and a Colorado mobile retail food license, both displayed on the truck. The business license is renewed every two years, and it is also how the city sets you up to file Aurora sales tax.
Location rules
Trucks operate between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. They stay 175 feet from the public entrance of an open restaurant unless the restaurant or the common property owner agrees in writing, and 50 feet from a single family lot line unless the truck is serving a business’s patrons with permission and running no noisy generator. On private property and at schools you need the owner’s written permission, kept on the truck, a paved surface, and you stay out of fire lanes and sight triangles. City property, including parks, is off limits without a temporary use permit or vendor agreement. On the street you park legally and serve from the curb side only, with no tables, fixed equipment or amplified sound in the right of way. The city’s brochure also says trucks may not operate in residential zones.
Fire
Aurora Fire Rescue requires an operational permit and inspection for any mobile food vehicle that produces smoke or grease laden vapour, and the hood suppression system has to be inspected by a third party before the fire inspection. Aurora accepts Fire Marshals Association of Colorado certificates from other departments. Since 1 January 2026, HB25-1295 also makes a fire permit issued under the current fire code by a certified inspector valid statewide, as long as you email a copy to the local fire authority at least 14 days before operating, once a year. Aurora Fire Rescue’s life safety office is on 303-326-8998.
HB25-1295 and Denver licenses
Colorado’s 2025 mobile food law, effective 1 January 2026, made a Denver retail food license valid statewide after 14 days’ notice, and lets state and county licensed trucks operate in Denver. It did not create reciprocity between other counties, so a truck licensed in Arapahoe still needs an Adams license to work regularly in the Adams part of Aurora. Cities keep their zoning and ordinance powers, so Aurora’s location rules still apply. Our Colorado permits guide covers the law in detail.
Sales tax
Aurora’s city sales tax is 3.75 percent on top of the state’s 2.9 percent, RTD’s 1 percent and the cultural facilities district’s 0.1 percent. The county share differs, so the combined rate is 8 percent in the Arapahoe part of the city, 8.5 percent in Adams and 8.75 percent in Douglas, according to the city’s combined rate sheet. Check special districts for exact addresses with the state’s lookup tool.
In order
Pick your commissary, which decides your county. Submit the plan review to that county health department, pass the inspection and get the license. Get the suppression system inspected, then the Aurora Fire Rescue operational permit. Get your Aurora business license and Colorado sales tax license. Then line up private property locations with written permission.
Common Inspection Failures to Avoid
After working with hundreds of food truck owners across Colorado, we have seen the same mistakes derail Aurora inspections repeatedly. The most frequent failure is inadequate hot water supply at handwashing stations. Inspectors test the temperature on the spot, and anything below 100F is an automatic fail. Another common issue is missing or expired fire extinguisher tags, which the fire prevention bureau checks every time.
Improper food storage temperatures account for roughly 30% of health inspection failures in Aurora. Invest in a reliable digital thermometer and log your temperatures twice daily. Other frequent problems include gaps in the floor-to-wall seal that allow pests, missing sneeze guards at the serving window, and failure to maintain a current food handler certification for all employees working the truck.
On video: more trucks we built for Aurora
Frequently asked questions
Who issues the health license for a food truck in Aurora?
Your county health department, not the city. Aurora spans Arapahoe, Adams and Douglas counties, and the county where your commissary is located normally licenses the truck; Adams County says so outright. Tri-County Health, which older guides mention, was dissolved at the end of 2022.
Does Aurora have a food truck license?
Not a separate one. Aurora’s development code requires an Aurora business license and a Colorado mobile retail food license, both displayed on the truck, plus a fire operational permit for trucks that cook with grease.
How close can a food truck park to a restaurant in Aurora?
175 feet from the public entrance of an open restaurant, unless the restaurant or the property owner gives written permission. Trucks also stay 50 feet from single family lot lines and operate between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Is a Denver food truck license valid in Aurora?
Yes, since 1 January 2026. Under HB25-1295 a Denver retail food license is valid statewide once you give 14 days’ notice. There is no reciprocity between other counties, so an Arapahoe license does not cover you in Adams.
What does the health license cost in 2026?
The Colorado mobile retail food license is $481 for full service and $338 for prepackaged in 2026, set by state law. Plan review is $155 plus hourly time, capped at $900 in Adams County and $580 in Douglas County.
Related guides
Colorado food truck permits 2026 · Denver · Colorado Springs · Lakewood · Boulder
Building a truck for Aurora
We build every truck to pass the plan review, the health inspection and the fire inspection on the first visit: a Type I hood with suppression installed by a licensed company, a three compartment sink and a hand sink with hot water, tanks sized for a full day, and propane in secured cylinders with a detector. Custom food trucks start at $55,000 and trailers at $40,000. Call or text 719-722-2537 with your menu and where you plan to sell.
Jacob Varghese
Zion Foodtrucks
719-722-2537
Zion Foodtrucks builds custom food trucks, trailers, and concession trailers from our shop in Monument, Colorado and delivers them ready to pass inspection across the Mountain West. Owner Jacob Varghese and our team work with first-time owners every day, sourcing the vehicle and handling the full build so you do not have to. Questions about permits or your build? Call or text Jacob at 719-722-2537 or see our custom build services.
Free Food Truck Permit & Inspection Checklist
We put together a printable checklist covering every permit and inspection a mobile food business typically needs. Tell us where to send it and it is yours.
Next steps: free build & cost calculator · 2026 food truck cost guide · food truck financing
Already Have a Truck? We Do the Compliance Work Too
Passing an inspection is one thing, staying current is another. We handle the recurring items out of our Colorado shop:
- LP gas pressure testing, $350. Required annually, and again after any modification.
- Fire suppression inspection and service, $300. The code interval is every 6 months, not annual, which catches a lot of operators out.
- Hood and exhaust cleaning, with the written report and logbook entry inspectors ask to see.
Booked together they are one visit and one day off the road instead of three. Call or text 719-722-2537.
Ready to build your truck?
We design and build custom food trucks and trailers compliant with the regulations on this page. From a single phone call to keys-in-hand in 6 to 8 weeks for most builds.
Built in Woodland Park, Colorado. Delivered to operators in CO, AZ, NE, MT, and WY.