Short answer: Yes, a food truck or trailer that cooks in a way that produces grease-laden vapors needs a Type I hood and an automatic fire-extinguishing system. The IFC's mobile food vehicle section (2018 IFC §319) and NFPA 96 both require it. In the City of St. Louis, every food truck and trailer must register with and pass an annual inspection by the Building Division's Fire Safety Unit, and you'll need a current semiannual suppression inspection report to pass.
STL Kitchen Suppression is an independent referral resource, not a contractor. With your consent, we'll pass your request to an independent fire protection provider that serves your area, and that provider installs, inspects, or recharges the system.
What the Codes Say About Mobile Kitchens
NFPA doesn't publish a standard written only for food trucks. Mobile cooking falls under NFPA 1 (§50.7) and NFPA 96, which covers it in Chapter 17 of the 2024 edition (an annex in older editions). The International Fire Code handles it in Section 319, "Mobile Food Preparation Vehicles." Under the 2018 IFC, which the City of St. Louis enforces:
- §319.2 requires an operational permit.
- §319.3 requires a kitchen exhaust hood per Section 607.
- §319.4.1 requires an automatic fire-extinguishing system per §904.12.
- §319.4.2 requires a portable fire extinguisher per §906.4.
- §319.10 covers maintenance of those systems.
In the 2021 IFC, used by many St. Louis County and St. Charles County jurisdictions, Section 319 points to §904.13 for the suppression system instead. The rules apply to vehicles whose cooking produces smoke or grease-laden vapors. A truck that only reheats packaged food may not need a hood system, but let your fire official make that call.
NFPA's food truck fact sheet adds practical items: portable extinguishers selected under NFPA 10, solid-fuel appliances protected by listed equipment, workers trained to use the extinguishers and the suppression system and to shut off fuel, at least 10 feet of clearance from buildings, other vehicles, and combustibles, and no public seating inside the truck. For how the two main standards divide the work, see NFPA 96 vs. NFPA 17A.
City of St. Louis: Fire Safety Unit Registration and Inspection
The City requires all food trucks and trailers doing business inside city limits to register with and be inspected by the Fire Safety Unit every year. The City's posted requirements document says this applies on public streets, private property, in parks, and at one-day or special events, and whether or not the vehicle uses propane. Registration starts online through the City's permit portal, and an inspector schedules the inspection afterward. A passing vehicle gets an operational permit certificate and window decal, valid for one year. Trucks found operating without one can be issued a stop work order. The fire safety certification is also one of the documents the Street Department asks for before it issues a street vending permit.
For vehicles that cook in a way that produces grease-laden vapors, the City's requirements document lists:
| Item | What the City asks for |
|---|---|
| Hood and suppression | A Type I hood and an automatic fire-extinguishing system. |
| Suppression inspection report | A copy of the semiannual inspection report, dated within the six months before your Fire Safety inspection, from a licensed contractor registered with the City. |
| Hood cleaning | Exhaust hood professionally cleaned and tagged every six months. |
| Class K extinguisher | Installed and serviced annually by a City-registered contractor. |
| ABC extinguisher | Required on all food trucks: at least a 5 lb. 2-A:10-B:C unit, serviced within the past 12 months. |
| Propane | An LP gas leak test dated within 30 days before the inspection, tanks secured and labeled, size and count limits, and a listed LP-gas alarm inside the vehicle. |
The same document covers securing appliances for travel, fryer covers, generators and fuel cans, wood or charcoal ash, flame-retardant awnings, and 10 feet between trucks. The version we read is a 2020 file, so check the Fire Safety Unit's current forms before you schedule. Our St. Louis City page has more on how the Fire Department and Building Division split fire code work.
Clayton and the Regional Model Ordinance
Outside the City, each fire department or fire protection district sets its own rules. Clayton's fire department, in St. Louis County, says mobile food vendors must meet the St. Louis Metro Fire Marshal's Association model food truck ordinance, which is based on the 2018 IFC. Vendors that don't have the City of St. Louis fire safety certificate need a Clayton Fire Department operational permit instead. Clayton also limits where trucks can operate. As we understand it, the model ordinance calls for an operational permit for each deployment or location and an event permit when three or more trucks operate on one property, but individual departments decide whether and how they've adopted it.
If you work events in St. Charles County or the Metro East, call the fire department or district for each event location before you go. In Illinois, the state requires suppression service to be done by an OSFM Class 2K licensed technician working for a Class B licensed distributor; confirm current rules with the Office of the State Fire Marshal.
New Truck Builds and Conversions
Truck systems are designed like restaurant systems, just in less space. Some manufacturers market systems for mobile kitchens; Kidde, for example, publishes food truck literature for its WHDR system. Things to settle with the provider before you build out:
- Every grease-producing appliance under the hood is covered, including anything you plan to add later.
- Appliances are secured so they stay under their nozzles while the truck is moving.
- The manual pull station can be reached from the work area and the exit.
- The system shuts off propane or power to the cooking equipment, and the reset is manual.
- The Class K extinguisher has the placard saying to activate the system first.
The kitchen fire suppression installation page covers design and UL 300 in more depth, and our Class K extinguisher guide covers placement and signage.
Keeping the Truck Inspection-Ready
Trucks get bounced around, so parts work loose faster. Do a monthly check that the system is armed, the pull station is clear, seals and caps are in place, and the service tag is current. Schedule the semiannual fire suppression inspection so its report lands inside the City's six-month window. Metal-alloy fusible links are replaced at least every six months under NFPA 17A/NFPA 96 and manufacturer guidance; some code texts set an annual minimum. If the system ever discharges, the truck can't cook until it's serviced; see hood system recharge and repair.
What Affects the Price
The price drivers for trucks and trailers mirror those for restaurant kitchens: the number of appliances and nozzles, the system brand, propane versus electric shutoff, how much of the build-out is new, and whether the provider can do the work where the truck is parked. See what fire suppression costs for how to compare quotes.
Sources: City of St. Louis Mobile Food Vehicle Requirements; City of St. Louis Fire Safety Unit food truck registration; City of St. Louis food truck permits; Clayton Fire Department mobile food vending; NY DOS bulletin on IFC §319; NFPA food truck fact sheet; Kansas State Fire Marshal hood suppression fact sheet; ANSUL R-102 Owner's Guide; Illinois OSFM fire equipment employee license application. Requirements vary by jurisdiction; confirm with your local fire official.