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A food cart answers to the city or municipal health office: you need a sanitary permit, and everyone who serves needs a health certificate. FDA licensing does not cover street food. The rule many owners miss: a roving cart may sell only bottled drinks, biscuits, candy and other pre-packed food. Cooking fishballs or siomai means a fixed spot.[1,2,3]
Fixed cart vs roving cart
Under the PD 856 food establishment rules, ambulant or roving vendors may sell only bottled drinks, biscuits, confectionery and other pre-packed food. If you cook, fry or assemble food at the cart, plan for a fixed stall.[1]
This one rule shapes your menu. A cart selling kwek-kwek, burgers or shakes needs a spot it is allowed to stay in, while a roving cart is limited to sealed snacks and drinks.
Where to put your cart
The rules say food carts should preferably be located inside the fast-food area.[1]
Ask your city's BPLO whether it has a vendor permit for carts. If you set up in a mall, terminal or school, the lessor will have its own rules. Ask the building and the BPLO before you sign, and ask the barangay about sidewalk use.
Franchise carts and your own permits
Buying a cart franchise gives you a brand and supplies, not permits. You still register the business and get your own sanitary permit and health certificates. Compare brands in the franchise finder, and read the franchise contract on who handles permits.
Before you roll out your cart
- Decide if your cart will cook food or sell only pre-packed items.
- Get the mall, school or terminal's rules for carts in writing.
- Book health certificates for everyone who will man the cart.
- Set up a covered container for food and a separate one for trash.
- Bring clean water for handwashing to each shift.
- Keep permits and health certificates at the cart for inspections.
Questions people ask
- Does a food cart need an FDA license?
- No. AO 2014-0029 does not cover street food, which is under the LGU.
- Can I sell fishballs from a roving cart?
- The PD 856 rules limit roving vendors to bottled drinks, biscuits, confectionery and other pre-packed food. Cooked fishballs would need a fixed stall.
- Do my cart staff need health certificates?
- Yes. Every employee of a food establishment needs a health certificate, renewed at least yearly.
- Does a franchise cover my permits?
- No. The permits are in your name. Ask the franchisor what help they give with paperwork.
Sources
Checked 13 November 2026. We link the agency's own page for every requirement. Rules change; confirm with the office before you pay.
- Implementing Rules and Regulations of Chapter III, Food Establishments, of P.D. No. 856 · Department of Health (text via Supreme Court E-Library) · 29 December 1995
- Presidential Decree No. 856 (Code on Sanitation of the Philippines) · Lawphil (text of PD 856) · 23 December 1975
- Administrative Order No. 2014-0029: Rules and Regulations on the Licensing of Food Establishments and Registration of Processed Food, and Other Food Products · Department of Health / FDA (text via FAO FAOLEX) · 8 September 2014
The extra permits, in one table
| Permit or registration | Agency | When it applies | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanitary permit[1] | City/municipal health office (LGU) | always | set by city/municipal ordinance (IRR Sec. 3(a)3); no national amount |
| Health certificate for every food handler/employee[2] | City/municipal health office (LGU) | always | set by the city or town |
| Annual renewal of employee health certificates[1] | City/municipal health office (LGU) | always | Not published |
| Food cart location rule (preferably inside the fast-food area)[1] | City/municipal health office (LGU) | always (IRR food cart provision) | Not published |
| Ambulant (roving) vendor limit: only bottled drinks, biscuits, confectionery and pre-packed food[1] | City/municipal health office (LGU) | if selling ambulant (roving) rather than from a fixed stall | Not published |
Rules and exemptions
What a food cart business does not need
- FDA licensing (AO 2014-0029) does not cover canteens, restaurants, caterers, water refilling stations or street food; these are under LGUs[3]