The Compact Mobile Food Operation Application Guidance Document is the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department (EMD) packet for vendors who want a public health permit for a Compact Mobile Food Operation (CMFO), such as a push cart, stand or other nonmotorized food conveyance. It combines the CMFO guidelines, an application checklist and the forms for FY 2026-2027, including the Application for Permit to Operate. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the original document is published by EMD at emd.saccounty.gov.
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What is Compact Mobile Food Operation Application Guidance Document – Sacramento County, CA?
The Compact Mobile Food Operation Application Guidance Document is the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department (EMD) packet that explains the rules for a Compact Mobile Food Operation (CMFO) and gathers the forms a vendor completes to apply for a health permit for it.
The packet exists because SB 972, signed on September 23, 2022 and effective January 1, 2023, changed the California Retail Food Code (CRFC) to let some sidewalk food vendors obtain public health permits. CRFC section 113831 defines a CMFO as a mobile food facility that operates from an individual or from a push cart, stand, display, pedal-driven cart, wagon, showcase, rack, or other nonmotorized conveyance. A CMFO is limited to prepackaged foods or Limited Food Preparation as the CRFC defines it.
The guidelines sort CMFOs into three categories, each with its own equipment requirements:
- prepackaged potentially hazardous food;
- nonprepackaged food with limited food preparation;
- limited food preparation with raw meat, raw poultry or raw fish.
After the guidelines and checklist, the packet contains the Application for Permit to Operate (FY 2026-2027), the Commissary or MSU Verification, the Out of County Commissary page, the MFF/CMFO Menu and Food Preparation Questionnaire, the Private Home Storage Endorsement, the MFF/CMFO Route Sheet, the Verification of Restroom, and the Procedures for Cleaning and Sanitizing of Food-Contact Surfaces/Utensils.
Who needs to file Compact Mobile Food Operation Application Guidance Document – Sacramento County, CA?
Vendors who sell food from an individual, a push cart, stand, pedal-driven cart, wagon, rack or other nonmotorized conveyance in Sacramento County use this packet to apply for a CMFO health permit. The permit stays within the CRFC limits: prepackaged foods or Limited Food Preparation only.
Conditions the packet attaches to specific pieces:
- Exemption: health permits and routine inspections may not apply to a CMFO that has less than 25 square feet of display space AND sells only non-potentially hazardous prepackaged food or whole, uncut produce.
- Restroom Verification: required when fewer than two employees operate the CMFO and it stays at one location for more than one hour. A CMFO with more than one employee does not need it.
- Private Home Storage Endorsement: only if you store the CMFO in a private home. A home may be endorsed for up to two CMFOs, for cart storage only, after a site evaluation by the Sacramento County Environmental Health Division.
- Out of County Commissary page: only if the commissary is outside Sacramento County; the local Environmental Health Department verifies it.
The owner, or an authorized representative of the owner, signs the Application for Permit to Operate. A local ordinance may prohibit storing a CMFO in a private home, so check with your city.
When to file Compact Mobile Food Operation Application Guidance Document – Sacramento County, CA
Complete the packet when you apply for a CMFO health permit; the Application for Permit to Operate in it is printed for FY 2026-2027. The packet sets no single calendar deadline for the application, but it does print these timing rules:
- The CMFO menu is submitted with the initial application and every year thereafter, and the MFF/CMFO Menu and Food Preparation Questionnaire is required for all new permit or renewal applicants.
- The commissary owner's signature on the Commissary or MSU Verification must be a wet (original) signature made within 30 days of applying for the permit; copies are not accepted.
- If you change your route or business location, you must notify EMD within 30 days.
- Permit fees are annual.
A private home must pass a site evaluation before it receives the storage endorsement, so request it before you rely on home storage.
Documents you need
- Application for Permit to Operate (FY 2026-2027): completed and submitted for the permit.
- Commissary or MSU Verification: completed with the commissary owner's wet/original signature made within 30 days of applying.
- Out of County Commissary page: only if the commissary is outside Sacramento County; signed by the local REHS.
- CMFO menu / MFF/CMFO Menu and Food Preparation Questionnaire: at the initial application and every year after.
- Private Home Storage Endorsement: only if a private home will store the CMFO.
- CMFO route sheet: completed and submitted.
- Restroom Verification form: only if fewer than two employees operate the CMFO and it stays at one location more than one hour.
- Procedures for Cleaning and Sanitizing of Food-Contact Surfaces/Utensils form: completed and submitted.
- A photograph of your CMFO.
- A copy of your Food Handler Card.
- Payment of the annual permit fees.
How to fill out Compact Mobile Food Operation Application Guidance Document – Sacramento County, CA
Review the guidelines and checklist
Read the CMFO guidelines, the three category tables and the application checklist to see which forms apply to you, such as the restroom verification or home storage endorsement.
Complete the facility section
On the Application for Permit to Operate, enter Business Name (DBA), Phone, Site / Commissary Address, City, State, Zip, Days of operation and Hours of operation.
Enter billing and owner details
Fill in Billing Name, Billing Address and Phone, then the Owner (Corp/LLC) Name, Address, Phone, Owner E-mail and Business E-mail.
Find the CMFO permit type
In the fee table, identify the COMPACT MOBILE FOOD OPERATOR line (PE 1637) as the permit you are applying for. Ask EMD for the current fee amount.
Certify and sign the application
Print your name, then sign and add Title/Position and Date to certify that you are the owner or the owner's authorized representative. Leave the OFFICIAL USE ONLY block blank.
Complete the commissary verification
Mark the facility type as CMFO, enter your business, owner and commissary details, and mark Y / N for each service the commissary provides. Obtain the commissary owner's original signature, and use the Out of County Commissary page if the commissary is outside Sacramento County.
Fill in the menu questionnaire
List menu items, cooking equipment on the CMFO and at the commissary, where food is prepared or cooked, and where ingredients and supplies are stored, then sign and date.
Complete the cleaning procedures form
List your food-contact surfaces and utensils, describe how you keep clean utensils during the day and how you clean and sanitize at day's end, then sign and date. Keep this procedure on the CMFO.
Fill in the route sheet
Enter the CMFO name, license plate, operator, cell phone, how refrigeration is powered away from the commissary, and each location with days and start and end times. Sign and date it.
Add restroom and home storage forms
If the restroom verification applies, enter the CMFO details, the restroom business and its signed confirmation. If you store the CMFO at a private home, complete the Private Home Storage Endorsement with the homeowner's signature.
Review, sign and download the PDF
Check every form against the application checklist, including the photograph, Food Handler Card copy and fees. Download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and deliver it as described under How to submit.
How to submit Compact Mobile Food Operation Application Guidance Document – Sacramento County, CA
The packet does not print a separate delivery channel for the permit application. It gives the EMD contact points below, and you should confirm with Environmental Health how to deliver the complete package.
- Office: Environmental Management Department, 11080 White Rock Road, Suite 200, Rancho Cordova, CA 95670.
- Phone: Environmental Health (916) 875-8440; Environmental Protection (916) 875-8550.
- Route changes: revised route information may be sent by fax to (916) 875-8513, by email to [email protected], or by U.S. mail.
The checklist lists what goes with the application: the commissary verification, menu, route sheet, cleaning and sanitizing procedure form, a photograph of your CMFO, a copy of your Food Handler Card and payment of the annual permit fees, plus the restroom verification and private home endorsement when they apply. A fee applies; the amounts are in the fee table on the Application for Permit to Operate, and EMD can confirm the current figure at (916) 875-8440. The packet does not state accepted payment methods. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Submitting a photocopy of the commissary owner's signature; it must be a wet/original signature made within 30 days of applying, with no copies.
- Using a commissary that is not approved; the form warns that an unapproved facility can lead to revocation of your permit to operate.
- Skipping the Restroom Verification when fewer than two employees run the CMFO and it stays in one place for over an hour, or offering a porta-potty, which is not approved.
- Assuming the exemption applies when the CMFO has 25 square feet or more of display space or sells anything beyond non-potentially hazardous prepackaged food or whole, uncut produce.
- Not sending the menu at the initial application and again every year thereafter.
- Not notifying EMD within 30 days after changing your route or business location.
- Storing a CMFO in a private home without the Private Home Storage Endorsement, or without checking whether a local ordinance prohibits it.
- Taking CMFO utensils home to clean and sanitize them; the cleaning procedure says this is not allowed.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Compact Mobile Food Operation (CMFO)?
A CMFO is a mobile food facility that operates from an individual or from a push cart, stand, display, pedal-driven cart, wagon, showcase, rack, or other nonmotorized conveyance, as defined in California Retail Food Code section 113831. It is limited to prepackaged foods or Limited Food Preparation.
Is this the same as a Sacramento County business license?
No. This packet is for a public health permit issued through the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department. It does not mention a business license, and the route sheet warns that additional agency approval, such as code enforcement or zoning/planning, may be required for your operating locations.
Do I need a health permit for my food cart in Sacramento County?
Usually yes. The packet says health permits and routine inspections may not apply only to a CMFO with less than 25 square feet of display space that sells only non-potentially hazardous prepackaged food or whole, uncut produce. Both conditions must be met.
What documents do I need to apply for a CMFO permit?
The checklist lists the Application for Permit to Operate, commissary verification, menu, route sheet, cleaning and sanitizing form, a photograph of your CMFO, a copy of your Food Handler Card and the annual permit fees. The restroom form and home storage endorsement are added only when they apply.
Can I store my food cart at home?
Possibly. SB 972 allows storing a CMFO in a private home when the Sacramento County Environmental Health Division endorses it after a site evaluation. A home can be endorsed for up to two CMFOs, for cart storage only, and a local ordinance may still prohibit it.
Do I need a restroom verification form?
Only if fewer than two employees operate the CMFO and it stays at one location for more than one hour. An approved restroom must then be within 200 feet, and porta-potties are not approved. A CMFO with more than one employee does not need the form.
What if I change my route or location?
Notify the Environmental Management Department within 30 days. The route sheet says revised route information may be sent by fax to (916) 875-8513, by email to [email protected], or by U.S. mail.
Is there a fee for the CMFO permit?
Yes, permit fees are annual and are on the checklist. The amounts are printed in the fee table on the Application for Permit to Operate; call Environmental Health at (916) 875-8440 to confirm the current figure and how to pay.
Can I fill out this application online on FillingPDF?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is an independent service, not affiliated with Sacramento County, and it does not submit or file your application; you deliver it to EMD yourself.
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