Food Truck Launch Insurance Checklist

1. 1

   Confirm your NAIC code: 722330 (Mobile Food Services)

   The standard NAIC for food trucks is 722330. Carriers use this code to price coverage. Don't accept being misclassified as 722511 (Full-Service Restaurants) — the rating factors are different and you'll either overpay or get hit with audit-time premium recalculation.

   Read our Food Truck guide for full pricing context →

2. 2

   Get General Liability with $1M per-occurrence / $2M aggregate minimum

   Virtually every event venue, festival, brewery, and private property where food trucks operate requires proof of $1M+ General Liability before granting permission. This is non-negotiable for the work to exist.

   Some upscale venues (corporate events, weddings) ask for $2M per-occurrence — easy to add as an endorsement.

3. 3

   Commercial Auto — and inland marine for the BUILD-OUT

   Standard Commercial Auto covers the truck itself plus owned vehicles used in the business. But the food-prep equipment INSIDE the truck (range, fryer, generator, fridge) is typically covered under an Inland Marine or Equipment Floater endorsement — NOT auto.

   Verify your quote includes both. A fire that destroys the cooking equipment but leaves the truck drivable is the most common claim — and the most common coverage gap.

   💡 Tip: Make sure your auto policy classifies the truck as commercial-use, not personal. Personal auto policies EXCLUDE commercial food service operations.
4. 4

   Workers Comp — required in 49 states with one or more employees (Texas is the only opt-in state)

   The moment you hire a single employee (W-2), Workers Comp becomes mandatory in nearly every state. Most food-truck operators start solo; the trigger comes when you bring on a second person to staff lunch service or events. State requirements vary substantially — consult our Workers Comp guide for state-by-state matrices cited from NAIC.

   💡 Tip: Hiring "independent contractors" to staff events is the most-audited misclassification trap in food service. State DOL aggressively reclassifies food-service workers as employees, often retroactively.
5. 5

   Product Liability + Foodborne Illness coverage

   The General Liability policy you bought in step 2 typically INCLUDES products-completed operations coverage, which covers foodborne illness claims (someone gets sick from your food). Verify this is on your dec page — some carrier forms exclude it for food-service operations.

   If excluded, request a Foodborne Illness endorsement specifically.

6. 6

   Liquor Liability — required IF you serve or sell alcohol

   Beer or wine sales at a brewery event, mobile bar service, or BYOB-handling triggers Liquor Liability requirements. Standard GL EXCLUDES alcohol-related claims. Liquor Liability is a separate endorsement or policy.

   💡 Tip: Many breweries and event venues require you to carry your OWN liquor liability if you serve THEIR beer from your truck. Confirm in writing before the event.
7. 7

   Spoilage / Equipment Breakdown — protect inventory and equipment

   Generators fail. Refrigeration goes down mid-event. An Equipment Breakdown endorsement covers the cost of spoiled inventory + equipment repair after a mechanical failure. Often a few hundred dollars per year and pays for itself the first time it triggers.

8. 8

   Event-specific Additional Insured endorsements

   Festivals, weddings, corporate events, and farmers' markets will ask you to add them as an Additional Insured on your GL policy for the duration of the event. Most carriers handle this with a same-day endorsement at no extra premium (or modest one-time fee).

   💡 Tip: Many event venues want a Blanket Additional Insured endorsement instead of named-each-time. Ask your agent if your policy supports it — saves admin time across a busy season.
9. 9

   Health-department + commissary compliance proof

   Not insurance per se, but the local health department and your commissary kitchen will require proof of food-handler certifications + commissary agreements alongside your COI. Have these ready as a packet — many event applications ask for all three in one upload.

10. 10

    Compare quotes from food-truck-friendly carriers

    Not every commercial carrier writes food trucks. Carriers with explicit appetite for mobile food services include certain regional carriers, specialty programs, and food-truck-specific MGAs. Generic Hartford / Travelers quotes for food trucks are often non-competitive — specialty markets are where the value lives.

    Compare quotes through our network →

11. 11

    Talk to a licensed agent in your state before opening day

    This checklist is educational. State health-department rules, alcohol-service licensing, and NCCI Workers Comp class codes for food service vary by state. Use this to arrive at your conversation with an agent prepared — not to skip the conversation.