Permits
Coffee and cart permits in Tennessee
To sell coffee in Tennessee, 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.
95 counties, 2 with a direct health department link on file so far.
Statewide rules in Tennessee
In Tennessee, retail food and mobile food unit permits are issued directly by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) Consumer and Industry Services division.
- Food & vending permits
- TDA, retail food establishment permitTDA, mobile food establishment permit
- Food safety cards
- A Certified Food Protection Manager at every retail food establishment; nationally accredited certifications accepted.
Official links, last verified July 14, 2026. Requirements vary by city and change over time.
Confirm the current steps and fees before you apply.
Counties in Tennessee
- Davidson CountyDept link
- Shelby CountyDept link
- Anderson County
- Bedford County
- Benton County
- Bledsoe County
- Blount County
- Bradley County
- Campbell County
- Cannon County
- Carroll County
- Carter County
- Cheatham County
- Chester County
- Claiborne County
- Clay County
- Cocke County
- Coffee County
- Crockett County
- Cumberland County
- Decatur County
- DeKalb County
- Dickson County
- Dyer County
- Fayette County
- Fentress County
- Franklin County
- Gibson County
- Giles County
- Grainger County
- Greene County
- Grundy County
- Hamblen County
- Hamilton County
- Hancock County
- Hardeman County
- Hardin County
- Hawkins County
- Haywood County
- Henderson County
- Henry County
- Hickman County
- Houston County
- Humphreys County
- Jackson County
- Jefferson County
- Johnson County
- Knox County
- Lake County
- Lauderdale County
- Lawrence County
- Lewis County
- Lincoln County
- Loudon County
- Macon County
- Madison County
- Marion County
- Marshall County
- Maury County
- McMinn County
- McNairy County
- Meigs County
- Monroe County
- Montgomery County
- Moore County
- Morgan County
- Obion County
- Overton County
- Perry County
- Pickett County
- Polk County
- Putnam County
- Rhea County
- Roane County
- Robertson County
- Rutherford County
- Scott County
- Sequatchie County
- Sevier County
- Smith County
- Stewart County
- Sullivan County
- Sumner County
- Tipton County
- Trousdale County
- Unicoi County
- Union County
- Van Buren County
- Warren County
- Washington County
- Wayne County
- Weakley County
- White County
- Williamson County
- Wilson County
Not sure of your county?
Enter your ZIP and we will point you to the right county health department and the documents you need.
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