Market Vendor permits in Austin, Texas

Applies when the market or event sits on land outside Austin city limits in unincorporated Travis County. It is the same agency and the same application as the Austin permits above, just a different fee column and a county-only payment method, since Austin Public Health serves as the county health authority by interlocal agreement.

Issued by

Austin Public Health EHSD, acting as Travis County's health authority under Travis County Code Chapter 247

Fee

The same permits at a county rate: a Temporary Food Event permit is $52 per booth for 1 to 14 days, and the Farmers Market Vendor permit fee for the county is not published, so confirm it with EHSD at 512-978-0300. County applications are paid by cash or check only.

Renewal

Same structure as the Austin permits

Processing

Same 10-calendar-day rule

This is the one-off path for a booth that cooks, samples, or serves food or drink to the public at a festival, fair, or pop-up (model D). For an organized event, the event organizer, not the individual vendor, is legally responsible for pulling a permit for each booth. A recurring vendor at a certified farmers market usually uses the annual permit below instead.

Issued by

Austin Public Health, Environmental Health Services Division

Fee

$62 per booth for 1 to 14 days in Austin and its inter-local cities such as Bee Cave, Lakeway, Manor, and Sunset Valley (FY 2025-26, effective October 1, 2025), or $52 per booth in unincorporated Travis County. Filing less than 10 days out adds a $120 late fee in the Austin jurisdiction. An older application PDF still shows the pre-October tiered pricing, so confirm the current fee with EHSD before you pay.

Renewal

Per event, not annual. One person or organization is capped at 6 permits or 84 event days a year.

Processing

Apply at least 10 calendar days before the event; the permit is picked up in person, not mailed

The recurring-market path for a vendor selling beyond the exempt basics (models A, C, and D at a market). Class A covers prepackaged foods, covered self-serve beverages, and packaged frozen food with no prep; Class B adds baked goods, bulk-dispensed items, served beverages, and sampling. You do not need it at all if you sell only whole uncut produce, shelf-stable prepackaged goods, cottage foods, properly labeled small-operation honey, or free samples.

Issued by

Austin Public Health EHSD, under Austin City Code 10-3-97

Fee

$100 a year for Class A or Class B within Austin and its inter-local cities. A raw-egg seller is fee-exempt in Austin but still holds the permit. One permit covers every TDA-certified farmers market in that jurisdiction; a separate permit is needed for another jurisdiction.

Renewal

Annual, valid one year from approval

Processing

Submit at least 10 days before your first market day, with a notarized Central Preparation Facility agreement

Usually the organizer's job, not the vendor's. If a market operates on a city park, street, sidewalk, or other public right-of-way, the organizer pulls the underlying special event, right-of-way, or parks concession permit for the whole market. A vendor selling on their own in the public right-of-way outside an organized market would instead need their own right-of-way vendor permit.

Issued by

Austin Center for Events, Transportation and Public Works, and Parks and Recreation

Fee

Varies by event size, venue, and duration, and is generally the market organizer's cost rather than an individual vendor's. Confirm with the Austin Center for Events.

Renewal

Per event; a parks temporary concession runs 1 day to 6 months

Processing

Special event lead times range from about 2 weeks to several months by size

Austin ordinance requires every Farmers Market Vendor permit holder to keep a notarized agreement with a registered Central Preparation Facility where food, utensils, and equipment are stored between markets, even if it is only emergency backup. A private home cannot serve as the facility, which catches a lot of home-based vendors off guard.

Issued by

Austin Public Health EHSD

Fee

No fee for the agreement itself. Registering a new facility as a Central Preparation Facility costs $150.

Renewal

Must stay on file for the life of the Farmers Market permit; report any change of facility to EHSD right away

Processing

Submitted with the Farmers Market permit application

Under Austin City Code 10-3-97, a Class B farmers market vendor must have every employee and volunteer complete a state-certified food handler course, though no certified food manager is required. This is stricter than the statewide rule, which exempts vendors in DSHS-jurisdiction areas, because Austin runs its own health authority. The code references a Class C tier for on-site prep that needs a certified manager, but Class C is not in the current fee table, so confirm with EHSD if you run a hot-food booth.

Issued by

State-accredited providers deliver the course; enforced locally under Austin City Code 10-3-97

Fee

No separate Austin Public Health charge beyond the underlying permit; the course fee is a statewide cost.

Renewal

Per the state course cycle, about every 2 years for the food handler card

Processing

In place by the time you apply for or renew a Class B permit; the food handler list is submitted with the renewal