You will likely need to submit schematics to your local health department in order to demonstrate that the cart you have selected meets with your local health departments requirements. Health departments have standards for the number of available sinks and other structural details.

This permit may cost between $50.00 and $250.00 depending on the county.
Check out this web site for local health departments.

Also keep in mind that you may be required to take a course in food handling. This is actually a good idea even if it is not a legal requirement. These food handling courses may range from 4 hours in length to a couple of full work days. Either way, it would fully inform you of all of the local county health requirements for your hot dog cart. Plan on paying a separate fee for this course. It may be offered by the health department directly or by an authorized food service company.
The health authorities may ask you to submit details regarding your hot dog cart specifications. They want to check that the hotdog cart will meet all of their local health codes. These details, drawings and specifications can be downloaded from our web site in the Cart Selection section that shows the pictures of all the various hot dog carts.

Some county health departments will ask if the hotdog cart is NSF approved. The NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) is a quality assurance agency that certifies that food equipment meets certain standards of design, operation and materials of construction. As a leader in hotdog cart design and manufacture, this approval is not a problem for a reputable hot dog cart vendor. Because it involves extra time and work, NSF approval is a chargeable option the hot dog cart you decide to buy. If NSF certification is required by your county, you must mention this when ordering so that the proper certification paperwork and procedures will be done on your selected hotdog cart.