The commissary agreement

Before a health department issues a mobile food permit, it wants proof that a licensed kitchen has agreed to be your base. That proof is the commissary agreement: one or two pages, signed by the kitchen owner and usually by you.

What's usually on it

Your business name, the unit's license plate or permit number, and your contact details.
The commissary's name, address, permit number and contact.
Which services you'll use: water, wastewater and grease disposal, cleaning, cold or dry storage, food prep, overnight parking.
Start and end dates, and sometimes your weekly schedule. Denver's affidavit asks how you'll record your time there.
Signatures. Nashville requires the form to be notarized; Southern Nevada wants a clause requiring 5 business days' written notice before the arrangement ends.

What each place calls it

Jurisdiction	What they ask for
Los Angeles County	A written statement signed by the commissary owner saying the unit will be stored and serviced there.
Orange County	Commissary approval is part of the mobile food facility permit.
Riverside County	A Commissary Agreement Letter, available from the commissary, any DEH office or the DEH website.
San Bernardino County	Commissary Agreement Form A, signed by both the commissary owner and the mobile food owner.
Sacramento County	Commissary approval is part of the permit; call EMD for the current form.
Alameda County	A commissary agreement; commissaries and kitchens outside Alameda County must have the agreement signed by that county's health inspector.
Sonoma County	Provide a copy of the Commissary Agreement.
Houston	Commissary/servicing letter per DSHS; to use a commissary not on Houston's list, call 832-393-5100 to schedule a pre-opening inspection.
San Antonio	The commissary must be a licensed food establishment that meets the Texas Food Establishment Rules and is approved by Metro Health.
Marin County	Marin County commissary agreement.
San Luis Obispo County	Commissary approval through Environmental Health.
San Diego County	Commissary letter DEH: FH-273, signed by both the facility owner and the commissary owner. "This letter must be renewed annually."
Tacoma-Pierce County	"Each business using your kitchen must submit a signed Commissary Agreement form with their Health Department Plan Review application."
King County (Seattle)	Confirm with the Food Safety Program.
Chicago	The license application includes the commissary's latest inspection report and, for commissaries outside Chicago, a labeled plan and business license.
Denver	Affidavit of Commissary, signed by the operator and the commissary operator, listing the services used and agreement dates. A new affidavit is needed when you change commissaries.
New York City	Proof of commissary use with the permit application.
Maricopa County (Phoenix)	Commissary Agreement plus a Commissary Visits Log Sheet.
Southern Nevada (Las Vegas)	A signed commissary/service depot letter with the facility's permit number, services and a termination clause requiring 5 business days' written notice to the health authority.
Nashville (Davidson County)	A notarized Mobile Food Unit Agreement Form for Commissary / Servicing Area, signed by the unit owner and the commissary operator.
Dallas	Dallas Commissary Approval Form completed by the commissary owner (notarized if the owner isn't present).

Jurisdiction

What they ask for

Los Angeles County

A written statement signed by the commissary owner saying the unit will be stored and serviced there.

Orange County

Commissary approval is part of the mobile food facility permit.

Riverside County

A Commissary Agreement Letter, available from the commissary, any DEH office or the DEH website.

San Bernardino County

Commissary Agreement Form A, signed by both the commissary owner and the mobile food owner.

Sacramento County

Commissary approval is part of the permit; call EMD for the current form.

Alameda County

A commissary agreement; commissaries and kitchens outside Alameda County must have the agreement signed by that county's health inspector.

Sonoma County

Provide a copy of the Commissary Agreement.

Houston

Commissary/servicing letter per DSHS; to use a commissary not on Houston's list, call 832-393-5100 to schedule a pre-opening inspection.

San Antonio

The commissary must be a licensed food establishment that meets the Texas Food Establishment Rules and is approved by Metro Health.

Marin County

Marin County commissary agreement.

San Luis Obispo County

Commissary approval through Environmental Health.

San Diego County

Commissary letter DEH: FH-273, signed by both the facility owner and the commissary owner. "This letter must be renewed annually."

Tacoma-Pierce County

"Each business using your kitchen must submit a signed Commissary Agreement form with their Health Department Plan Review application."

King County (Seattle)

Confirm with the Food Safety Program.

Chicago

The license application includes the commissary's latest inspection report and, for commissaries outside Chicago, a labeled plan and business license.

Denver

Affidavit of Commissary, signed by the operator and the commissary operator, listing the services used and agreement dates. A new affidavit is needed when you change commissaries.

New York City

Proof of commissary use with the permit application.

Maricopa County (Phoenix)

Commissary Agreement plus a Commissary Visits Log Sheet.

Southern Nevada (Las Vegas)

A signed commissary/service depot letter with the facility's permit number, services and a termination clause requiring 5 business days' written notice to the health authority.

Nashville (Davidson County)

A notarized Mobile Food Unit Agreement Form for Commissary / Servicing Area, signed by the unit owner and the commissary operator.

Dallas

Dallas Commissary Approval Form completed by the commissary owner (notarized if the owner isn't present).

Before you sign

Confirm the kitchen is approved for your type of unit. Sacramento and San Luis Obispo approve some facilities only for prepackaged units.
Ask what the monthly fee covers and whether parking is included.
Check the hours. If your county expects a daily visit, a kitchen that closes at 6 p.m. won't work for a late-night truck.
If you change commissaries, you'll usually file a new agreement. Denver says so explicitly.

Always use the current form from your health department; the names above are summaries.