Permits
Coffee and cart permits in Mississippi
To sell coffee in Mississippi, you work with your county health department for food and mobile vending permits, then add a business license and state tax registration. Pick your county below for the department that handles your area and the steps to open.
82 counties in Mississippi. 7 have a detailed permit page below. For any other county, check your ZIP and we will point you to the right health department.
Statewide rules in Mississippi
In Mississippi, food establishment permits, including mobile food units and coffee shops, are issued electronically by the MSDH Division of Food Protection statewide, not through county offices.
- Food & vending permits
- MSDH Division of Food Protection, retail food facility permit
- Sales tax permit
- Sales and use tax registration (TAP), MS Dept. of Revenue
- Sales tax rate
- 7% state base rateTypical combined range: 7%-8%Counties, cities, and special or transit districts add local sales tax on top, so your combined rate depends on your exact address.Mississippi DOR sales tax rates
- Food safety cards
- A Food Manager Certificate is required; a copy must be submitted with the permit application.
Typical license fees
Mississippi State Department of Health issues all food permits statewide. Annual permit fees are set by risk level, which MSDH assigns to each facility based on its menu and food-handling complexity during plan review.
- Brick and mortar cafe with seats
- About $198 a year
- Counter or kiosk with no seats
- $40 to $132 a year
- Mobile cart, trailer, or truck
- About $198 a year
- Catering
- $198 to $265 a year
- Pop-up or farmers market vendor
- $40 to $132 a year
A one-time plan review fee of $224 is required before any new facility opens and must be paid online before MSDH begins the review. All permit payments are processed online. The four annual tiers are Risk 1 at $40, Risk 2 at $132, Risk 3 at $198, and Risk 4 at $265. Exact statutory amounts are $40.00, $132.25, $198.00, and $264.50. MSDH assigns the tier during plan review and may reassign it at each annual inspection. Sales tax registration with the Mississippi Department of Revenue is free.
Fee schedule, last verified July 14, 2026.
Official links, last verified July 14, 2026. Requirements vary by city and change over time.
Confirm the current steps and fees before you apply.