In this guide · 7 sections
Short answer
A food truck needs an SFA Food Shop Licence as a Mobile Food Wagon (S$195 a year), with landowner approval for each location and a licensed backup kitchen. A pop-up stall at a fair is covered by the organiser's Temporary Fair Permit, with stall licences processed through them.
Which SFA licence does a food truck or pop-up need?
SFA's page on businesses that need a food retail licence says preparing and selling food to consumers generally needs a licence or permit, and lists mobile food wagons and food stalls within temporary fairs among the activities covered. Operating a food retail business without an SFA licence is an offence.
| How you sell | SFA licence or permit | Fee (SFA, Sep 2026) | Who applies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Food truck with a full kitchen | Food Shop Licence (Mobile Food Wagon) | S$195 a year | You, through GoBusiness |
| Stall at a fair or mall event | Temporary Fair Food Stall Licence | No extra fee beyond the permit | Through the fair operator |
| Running the fair itself | Temporary Fair Permit | S$60 per permit | The organiser |
| Stall inside a coffeeshop or food court | Food Stall Licence | S$32 a year or S$64 for 2 years | You |
| Cooking at home, selling online | No SFA licence today | - | Follow home-based business rules |
If you start at home and move to events later, the rules change: SFA says licensed food businesses may only sell food prepared on their licensed premises or obtained from other licensed businesses, not from home-based kitchens. Our home-based food business guide covers the starting stage.
What SFA asks for before licensing a food truck
SFA's licence requirements page defines Mobile Food Wagons as vehicles with full-fledged food preparation kitchens, and lists extra pre-licensing requirements on top of the normal Food Shop rules:
Food truck pre-licensing documents
The backup kitchen must be in an SFA-licensed establishment and is used every day to dispose of wastewater and top up drinking water. SFA says complete applications are reviewed within 7 working days, and applications needing a pre-licensing inspection must book a slot at least 5 working days ahead.
Pop-up stalls at fairs and mall events
For a temporary fair, the organiser holds the SFA Temporary Fair Permit. SFA says each stall that prepares food or drinks for sale also needs a licence, processed through the fair operator, so you do not apply separately. Your documents go to SFA through the main operator no later than 3 working days before you start.
- A copy of your NRIC (individuals) or ACRA Business Profile from the last 3 months (companies).
- A list of the food and drink items you will sell.
- Proof that all food handlers meet WSQ Food Safety Course Level 1 requirements.
- Agreement to the licence conditions in the application form, such as rules for cut fruit, grills and chilled items.
Ask the organiser for their deadline, which is usually earlier than SFA's, and keep a ready folder of these documents so you can say yes to last-minute events.
Telling customers where you are today
A moving business lives or dies on whether people can find it. Social posts are fast but get buried; a simple web page with your schedule is what people bookmark and what Google shows when they search your name.
Publish one schedule page
A landing page with this week's locations, times and a map pin for each. Update it from your phone in under a minute.
Keep your Google Business Profile current
Use your service area and opening hours, and post the week's locations as updates so they appear in Google search.
Post the same schedule on social
Instagram stories and a pinned post with the week's stops, linking back to your schedule page.
Announce changes in one place first
Rain or a cancelled event? Update the web page, then share it. Customers learn to check one link.
Collect a WhatsApp or email list
Ask regulars to opt in for location alerts, and record their consent. Under the PDPA, only message people who agreed.
Online pre-orders and payments
Pre-orders cut queues and let you prep the right amount. Keep it simple: a short menu, a pickup slot, and payment upfront so no-shows do not cost you food.
Pre-orders work well for
- Office lunch stops with a predictable crowd
- Limited items that sell out, like a daily special
- Event catering and bulk orders
- Reducing waste on slow days
Walk-up only works for
- Night markets and festivals with impulse buyers
- Very short menus served in under a minute
- Locations with patchy mobile signal
For payment, a dynamic PayNow QR from a payment provider shows the exact amount and confirms payment automatically, which matters when a scammer can paste a fake QR over yours. As of October 2026, HitPay's pricing page lists in-person PayNow at 0.4% (minimum S$0.10). Our guide to QR ordering and SGQR for hawkers and cafes explains how to check payments safely.
Send a receipt with every order: date, items, amount and your business name and UEN. If you are GST-registered, receipts must meet IRAS tax invoice rules.
Do it yourself or get help?
You can run a food truck with an Instagram account and a static QR code. Help is worth it once you have regular stops, pre-orders and catering enquiries, because the schedule page, ordering and payments need to work together on a phone.
IT Sorted is a Singapore-based team of developers with over 10 years of experience. A Landing Page (S$690) gives you a fast, mobile-first page for your schedule and menu with a WhatsApp button, and Online Payment Setup (S$290) sets up PayNow, cards and payment links with branded receipts. Licensing questions go to SFA.
Frequently asked questions
SFA licenses food trucks as Mobile Food Wagons, which fall under the Food Shop Licence at S$195 a year. Before licensing, SFA asks for LTA vehicle documents, landowner approval letters for each location, a schedule of operations, SCDF approval for LPG where applicable and an approval letter from your licensed backup kitchen.
No. SFA requires an approval letter from the landowner of each location where the wagon will operate and a schedule listing the days, times, locations and approving agencies. Operating somewhere not covered by your approvals can breach your licence. Get the landowner's agreement and update your schedule before moving to a new spot.
Each stall preparing food or drinks for sale at a temporary fair needs an SFA licence, but SFA processes it through the fair operator, so you do not apply separately. Submit your documents through the organiser no later than 3 working days before the start date. There is no extra fee beyond the organiser's permit.
No. SFA says licensed food businesses may only sell or supply food prepared on their licensed premises or obtained from other licensed food businesses. Home-based and online food businesses are not licensed by SFA, so a licensed food truck cannot source dishes from a home kitchen, even your own.
A short online menu with pickup slots and payment upfront works for most trucks. Use a dynamic PayNow QR or payment link from a provider, so each order shows the exact amount and is confirmed automatically. Post your schedule on one web page and link to it from social media and your Google Business Profile.