Cheyenne is the state capital, home to F.E. Warren and Cheyenne Frontier Days, and a steady food truck town the rest of the year. This guide was rewritten in October 2026 from the health department’s guide and the city code; an earlier version quoted fees we could not support.
Plan review, handled. Before Cheyenne Laramie County Public Health licenses a truck, it wants a plan review: the layout, the equipment list, and the water and wastewater plumbing. We provide the build documentation, plumbing schematics and equipment specs your health department asks for, and we build to pass the inspection the first time. Most of our Wyoming trucks are built at our Denver shop, Mile High Food Trucks; see their Cheyenne food truck builder page and the Wyoming permits guide. Call or text 719-722-2537.
Building a food truck for Cheyenne? See what a fully-equipped, inspection-ready truck actually costs with our free build & cost calculator.
The health license
The state food license under W.S. 35-7-124 is $200 new and $100 a year to renew, runs one year from the date it is issued, and comes from either the Wyoming Department of Agriculture or a local health department. You need one license, not two.
In Laramie County the license comes through the Cheyenne Laramie County Health Department. Its guide asks for a plan review worksheet at least 30 days before you open, requires the hood and suppression system to be approved by the city fire department or the State Fire Marshal, and sends grey water to a dump site approved by the Board of Public Utilities. Pushcarts can only get temporary permits, not an annual license. On the fee schedule effective July 2025, plan review for a self contained mobile unit is $277 for a simple menu or $364 for a complex one that cools, reheats or cooks raw meat, with extra review time at $87 an hour. The license itself is the state $200 new and $100 to renew, paid at the opening inspection, and routine inspections run at least every six months. Laramie County also requires the person in charge to hold a Food Protection Manager Certification from any ANAB accredited program before the truck opens, unless it sells only prepackaged food; we found no food handler card requirement. Environmental Health is on 307-633-4090.
The Cheyenne city permit
The City Clerk issues a $75 a year food truck license, which needs your health department application, a sales tax license and a Cheyenne Fire Rescue inspection first. Cheyenne’s food truck rules sit in section 8.40.110 of the city code, as amended in 2025.
Where you can and cannot park
Trucks stay 100 feet from a restaurant’s entrance unless the restaurant agrees in writing, 15 feet from fire hydrants, and 10 feet from crosswalks, loading zones and transit stops. No alleys, no operating or parking in the right of way between 3 and 5 a.m., and residential zones only for private events. A truck that serves onto a sidewalk is limited to an 18.5 foot kitchen, and downtown monthly parking is $60.
Fire inspection
Your hood and suppression system have to be approved by the Cheyenne Fire Department or the State Fire Marshal before the health license is issued. Inspectors look for a Type I hood with a UL 300 suppression system serviced every six months, Class K and ABC extinguishers, propane cylinders secured outside the cab with leak tested lines, and a propane alarm.
Sales tax
Wyoming’s state rate is 4 percent plus county tax. Laramie County’s rate has changed with its voter approved specific purpose tax, so check the Department of Revenue’s current rate chart before you set prices.
Where trucks sell in Cheyenne
Cheyenne Frontier Days in late July is the biggest week of the year. Food concessions run through Frontier Days’ contracted concessionaire, and booth vendors apply through the official application on the Frontier Days site; the 2027 application is open, with returning vendors due by 1 December. Scam applications have circulated, so only use the official site. The city’s Fridays on the Plaza series downtown also takes food vendor applications each spring. The rest of the year, trucks work F.E. Warren, the state office crowd at lunch, breweries, the downtown events and private catering.
In order
Submit the plan review worksheet at least 30 days ahead. Get the hood and suppression approved and pass the Cheyenne Fire Rescue inspection. Pass the health inspection, then get the $75 city food truck license from the City Clerk and register for sales tax.
Common Reasons Food Trucks Fail Cheyenne Inspections
- Plan review submitted without a commissary letter. CLCPH won’t accept the plan review without it. The letter must be on the commissary’s letterhead with their license number.
- Wastewater tank undersized. 15 percent rule. We’ve seen plan reviews come back with this flagged on the second day.
- Hood doesn’t extend 6 inches beyond the cooking surface. The fire marshal will reject the install if the hood overhang is short.
- Suppression tag past six months. Easy to forget. Get on a calendar with your suppression contractor.
- K-Class extinguisher mounted behind the cookline. Has to be accessible without crossing fire.
- Generator exhaust dumping into the customer queue area. Not directly cited in the food code, but the fire marshal flags it under general safety.
- Operating without the city business license. CLCPH license alone isn’t enough. The city ordinance requires the separate vendor license. Code enforcement does run sweeps during Frontier Days.
- Operating in downtown 2-hour parking spots without a CLCPH permit. Cheyenne has a specific provision allowing permitted mobile food trucks to exceed the signed 2-hour limit, but only with the CLCPH permit visible.
Frequently asked questions
Who licenses food trucks in Cheyenne?
The Cheyenne Laramie County Health Department, which issues the state food license in Laramie County. You do not need a second license from the state.
How close can a food truck park to a restaurant in Cheyenne?
100 feet from the restaurant’s entrance, unless the restaurant agrees in writing.
How do I sell at Cheyenne Frontier Days?
Food concessions run through Frontier Days’ contracted concessionaire, and booth vendors apply through the official vendor application on the Frontier Days site. The 2027 application is open, and returning vendors apply by 1 December. Ignore scam applications that circulate online.
Do I need a certified food manager for a Cheyenne food truck?
Yes. Cheyenne and Laramie County require the person in charge to hold a Food Protection Manager Certification from an ANAB accredited program before opening, unless the truck sells only prepackaged food. There is no food handler card requirement that we could find.
Related guides
Wyoming food truck permits · Casper · Laramie · Gillette · Rock Springs · Sheridan · Jackson
Building a truck for Cheyenne
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 leak detector. Wyoming winters are hard on trucks, so we heat and insulate water lines and tanks on every Wyoming build. We delivered a bowl truck for Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. Custom food trucks start at $55,000 and trailers at $40,000. Call or text 719-722-2537 with your menu.
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.