Food Truck General Liability Insurance

A health department can clear a food truck to operate and a commissary can still refuse to sign a lease without proof of general liability insurance on file. Most commissary kitchens, most event organizers, and a growing number of city and county permit offices now require a certificate of insurance (COI) before they will hand over a key, a stall, or a stamped permit — so for a lot of operators this policy is a hidden prerequisite for inspection-day readiness, not a separate purchase to think about later. This guide covers what a general liability policy for a food truck actually covers, what it typically costs, and exactly when someone will ask you to prove you have it.

What Food Truck General Liability Insurance Covers

General liability (GL) is the base policy almost every mobile food vendor is asked for. It covers third-party claims that are not about your own vehicle or your own employees — the classic cases are a customer who slips near your truck, a bystander burned by hot equipment, or a rented venue damaged by a generator fire. It typically includes:

How This Ties Into Inspection Readiness

Health inspectors themselves generally do not check for insurance — that is a permitting and venue requirement, not a food-safety one. But the two run on the same clock: the commissary agreement a health department wants to see at inspection is usually the same document that required a certificate of insurance to get signed in the first place. Get the policy in place before you request the commissary letter, and you avoid a last-minute scramble that can delay both. Work through the free food truck inspection checklist and the permit cost guide alongside this page so insurance, permits, and inspection prep land in the right order.

Get quotes from at least two carriers that specialize in food trucks or general mobile vendors (search "food truck insurance" rather than generic small-business GL, since generic carriers often exclude cooking equipment) and confirm the certificate can name your commissary or event organizer as an additional insured before you buy.