Food Protection Course for Mobile Vendors

The Food Protection Course for Mobile Food Vendors teaches you how to keep food from New York City's food carts and trucks safe.

You need to apply for a mobile food license and sign up for the course. The license costs $50, and the course costs $53. You can read more about the Mobile Food Vending License in the additional resources section.

You must sign up for this course in person at the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Licensing Center. The class is offered in English and Bangla.

Frequency and duration

This is an eight-hour course over two days, four hours each day. Two English classes are held most weeks. One is on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and the other is on Thursdays and Fridays. The schedule for the Bangla class varies.

When you finish this class and pass the final exam, you will get your Mobile Food Vending License in the mail about a week later. If you fail the final exam, you must sign up and pay for the course again. There is no limit to the number of times you can take the course and final exam.

• Get your sales tax certificate: You need a New York State Certificate of Authority to Collect Sales Tax before you can register for the class and apply for a Mobile Food Vending License. The address on the certificate must match the address on your application.

• Apply for a Mobile Food Vendor License: When you register for the course, you must also apply for a Mobile Food Vending License.

  • Complete the license application and note the extra fee required.
  • You will be scheduled for a class when you submit the license application and separate payments for the course fee and the license fee.

• Provide a valid photo ID: You must provide a valid government-issued photo ID (e.g., driver's license, passport, employment authorization card).

• Pay the fee: The fee for the course is $53.00.

• Accepted payment methods:

  • Certified or government check (made payable to NYC DOHMH)
  • Money order (made payable to NYC DOHMH)
  • American Express
  • Discover
  • Mastercard
  • Visa

• On the day you start the class, go to:
  NYC Health Academy
  Riverside Health Center
  160 W. 100th St., 2nd Floor
  Manhattan

• Bring a government-issued photo ID to start the course.

• Attend all sessions and take the final exam.

  • You will not get a certificate or letter at the end.
  • The Health Academy will send the names of those who passed to the right offices.
  • You should get your Mobile Food Vending License in the mail about a week after passing the exam.

• If you do not pass the final exam:

  • You must re-register.
  • Pay another fee.
  • Take the course again before you can get a license.

• Taking the Mobile Food Vending Food Protection Course is not enough for licensure.
• You need other permits, licenses and approvals from City and State agencies.
• If you do not follow all rules, your permits may be suspended.
• To see the rules for this permit, see Title 24: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Chapter 21, Section 06, Mobile Food Vendor Protection Course, Fee.

Replacement requests

• If you need a new certificate, email healthacdmy@health.nyc.gov. Use "FPC replacement" in the subject line.
• If you took the class more than 10 years ago, you must retake the course and pass the final exam.

• Schedule an appointment at one of the following locations:

  • Licensing Center
    • 42 Broadway, Lobby New York, NY 10004
  • NYC Small Business Support Center
    • 90-27 Sutphin Boulevard, 4th Floor Jamaica, NY 11435

Email licensingappointments@dcwp.nyc.gov or call 212-436-0441. Provide your name, a phone number where you can be reached and your language of preference.