Each row is the verification state of one aspect for Tennessee, taken from the data we hold. A check does not mean every local amendment or county fee was individually reviewed.
These come from the FDA Food Code — a model code that nearly every state adopts and amends, with enforcement that varies by jurisdiction. Treat them as commonly required, not universal: your menu, your state’s adopted edition, and your local authority (AHJ) may impose different or additional requirements.
Labels flag how firm each item is — Common baseline core Food-Code expectation · Frequently required usual on plan review · Varies locally set by local/plumbing code · Verify with AHJ confirm the specifics locally. The finer details (drainboard count, which sanitation listings are accepted, interceptor sizing) are plan-review and plumbing-code matters that vary by jurisdiction; the notes below are FoodServiceNerd planning guidance, not a code citation.
Varies locally Also required in most kitchens: a mop/service sink, mechanical exhaust hood (Type I over grease/smoke), adequate hot water, indirect waste/air gaps on food & warewashing equipment, and a grease interceptor where local plumbing code requires it — which apply, and their sizing, are set locally.
Licensing authority: TN Dept. of Agriculture (state registration); county health depts for plan review and inspection; State Fire Marshal for fire. Regime: State registration + local permits; FIRE permit travels.
A clean example of why reciprocity must specify WHICH credential. NO statewide health reciprocity - TDA registers mobile food establishments under the TN Food Safety Act, but plan review and inspection are delegated to county health departments (Metro Nashville, Shelby, Knox, Hamilton) and each county AND city requires its own permit. HOWEVER the STATE FIRE PERMIT is accepted statewide: $300, annual State Fire Marshal inspection, and it removes the need for separate local fire inspections. Sales and use tax registration also travels. Fire permit conditions: working suppression if cooking with open flame or hot oil, Class K and ABC extinguishers aboard, hood cleaned and serviced every 6 months. TDA application needs business registration, a signed/dated/notarised lease, floor plan showing equipment, sinks and toilets, and well/spring water approval if not on a municipal source. Shelby County adds a Wastewater Disposal Agreement and a notarised Commissary Agreement. Commissary runs roughly $400-1,200/month in Nashville and Memphis. CITY RULES DIVERGE SHARPLY: Nashville runs a Mobile Food Vendor pilot via Metro Transportation; MEMPHIS PROHIBITS HOOKUP TO WATER OR POWER at vending locations; Chattanooga restricts operation to approved zones with reserved metered spots; Knoxville additionally requires a Utilities Board Grease Control Program number and both city and county business licences.
Mobile/food-truck reciprocity: SPLIT - no health reciprocity, but the STATE FIRE PERMIT is statewide
New builds and remodels almost always require a plan review and a pre-opening inspection. Submit your equipment layout early — the sink count, hood, and hot-water sizing are the usual sticking points.
State registration is via the Dept. of Agriculture, but plan review and inspection are handled by county health departments — confirm both, plus the State Fire Marshal permit.
Food-permit basics, inspection grading and your local health-department contact, county by county. Fees and plan review are set locally — find yours below.