Commissary Kitchen Requirements in Texas: What Every Food Truck Needs to Know (2026)

Every Texas food truck operator has to answer one question before anything else: where is your commissary? Without a signed, approved commissary agreement, no Texas health department will issue or renew your food truck permit. This is not a city-specific rule — it is baked into Texas Food Establishment Rules (25 TAC Ch. 228) and applies across the entire state.

This guide explains exactly what Texas requires, how it works city by city (Houston, Austin, Dallas, San Antonio), what a commissary agreement must contain, what it costs, and where to find one. We also cover the mistakes that get operators denied at inspection.

The Texas Commissary Rule

Texas requires all mobile food vendors to operate from an approved commissary kitchen. This is not optional, not a city preference, and not something you can work around. Under Texas Food Establishment Rules (25 TAC Chapter 228), a mobile food unit must operate from a licensed food establishment that serves as the base of operations for food preparation, equipment cleaning, wastewater disposal, and storage.

The practical consequence: your city or county health department will not issue or renew your food truck permit unless you have a signed commissary agreement on file. Show up to a permit inspection without one, and the inspection ends immediately. Apply without one, and your application is rejected before it is reviewed.

This rule applies regardless of city. Austin, Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Lubbock — all require it. What varies by city is which jurisdiction must approve your commissary, which we cover in detail below.

What a Texas Commissary Kitchen Must Provide

Under TFER (25 TAC Ch. 228), a valid Texas commissary must be a licensed food establishment and must provide at minimum:

• Licensed commercial kitchen: The commissary itself must hold a valid Texas food establishment license. Home kitchens, unlicensed shared spaces, and facilities without a current TFER permit do not qualify — period.
• Approved wastewater disposal: A three-compartment sink or a designated slop sink for dumping truck wastewater. This is where your greywater and cooking waste go at the end of each service day.
• Potable water fill station: A functioning, tested water source where you can fill your truck's fresh water tank before each service period.
• Food preparation surfaces: Licensed prep areas for any food work done off the truck (marinating proteins, batch cooking sauces, prepping cold items).
• Equipment storage: Covered, enclosed storage for truck supplies and equipment when not in use. Not every health department inspector flags absence of storage, but many inspectors in Houston and Austin do — have it documented in your agreement.

The commissary does not have to be exclusively for food trucks. Restaurants, catering companies, ghost kitchens, and institutional kitchens can all serve as commissaries — as long as they hold a valid TFER food establishment license issued by the same health authority covering your operating area.

City-by-City Commissary Approval Rules in Texas

This is where operators get tripped up. The commissary approval process is jurisdiction-specific. Your commissary must be approved by the same health department that licenses your food truck. Here is how that breaks down in the major Texas metros:

What a Texas Commissary Agreement Must Include

A valid Texas commissary agreement is a written document — not an informal handshake, not a text message, and not a simple lease. Most Texas health departments want it on commissary letterhead. At minimum, it must include:

• Commissary name, address, and license number: The full legal address and the commissary's current food establishment permit number from the relevant health authority (COHD, APH, DCHHS, etc.).
• Owner and operator names: Both the commissary owner (or authorized representative) and the food truck operator must be identified by name.
• Services included: Explicitly list what the commissary provides — food prep space, water fill station, wastewater disposal, cold storage, equipment storage. Inspectors will check that your agreement covers what your operation actually requires.
• Access hours and schedule: When you can access the facility. A commissary agreement that provides 24/7 access is worth more than one that restricts you to daytime hours only.
• Agreement term and renewal date: Month-to-month or annual. Most health departments prefer a defined term. You must notify your health department when you change commissaries.
• Commissary owner signature: The commissary operator must sign. An unsigned agreement is rejected immediately.

Ask the commissary for a copy of their current health department license to attach to your permit application. Inspectors in Houston and Austin commonly ask for it, and having it ready speeds up application review by days.

How Much Does a Commissary Kitchen Cost in Texas?

Commissary pricing varies significantly by metro. Austin is the most expensive — high demand, fewer licensed facilities relative to the number of food trucks. San Antonio and smaller Texas cities offer the best rates. Here is what to expect in 2026:

When comparing commissary rates, factor in what is actually included. A $350/month commissary with wastewater dumping, water fill, cold storage, and prep time is a better value than a $250/month facility that only offers water fill and a signature.

Types of Commissary Arrangements in Texas

Not all commissary arrangements look the same. Texas health departments will accept several types of arrangements as long as the facility holds a valid TFER license:

How to Find a Commissary Kitchen in Texas

Finding a commissary is the single most time-consuming step in the Texas food truck permitting process. Here are the most effective strategies, ranked by reliability:

• DSHS licensed establishment database: Search TFER-licensed food establishments by city and zip code. Filter for commissary kitchens or shared kitchen facilities. This is the authoritative source — if a facility is not in this database with a current license, it cannot serve as your commissary.
• Call your local health department: COHD, APH, DCHHS, Metro Health, and most county health departments will name approved commissary facilities over the phone. This is an underused shortcut — inspectors deal with new operators every week and often know exactly which commissaries have open slots.
• Texas Food Truck Association and city-specific Facebook groups: "Texas Food Truck Operators," "Houston Food Truck Network," "Austin Food Truck Community" — these groups have active commissary threads where operators share leads, warn about facilities with problems, and sometimes post available slots.
• Google / Yelp search: "Commissary kitchen [your city]" or "shared kitchen space [your city]." Look for facilities with food truck-specific language on their sites.
• Ask other food truck operators at parks: At any food truck park in Houston, Austin, or Dallas, at least half the operators will tell you their commissary if you ask. Operators in the same market are often willing to share information about facilities they trust.
• Local shared kitchen incubators: Central Texas Food Center (Austin area), The Kitchen DFW (Carrollton), Common Desk Kitchens (DFW), and several Houston-based culinary incubators are all TFER-licensed and commissary-capable.

Common Commissary Mistakes Texas Operators Make

These are the mistakes that result in permit denials, delays, and operator headaches across Texas every year:

Texas Commissary Kitchen FAQ

Related Texas Food Truck Guides

Ready to move beyond commissary basics? These city-specific guides cover the full permit process, fees, and inspection requirements for each major Texas market: