Vending machine license and permits in North Dakota

Short answer: North Dakota licenses vending machines through Health and Human Services: $40 a year plus a $100 fee on your first application, unless the machine sells only packaged snacks, canned drinks or gumballs. You also need a sales and use tax permit.

Checked against official sources on October 1, 2026 · Not legal or tax advice

Sales tax registration: Sales and use tax permit, from the North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner
Vending machine license: State vending license from Health and Human Services, $40 a year, except packaged snacks and canned drinks
Food and health: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging Unit; some cities, such as Bismarck, license food locally
City and county: Fargo · Bismarck

01

Sales tax registration in North Dakota

Sales and use tax permit — North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner.

Needed if you sell taxable goods; apply in ND TAP about 30 days before opening. Unless a written agreement splits receipts with the venue, the machine owner owes the tax on machine sales. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

How vending sales are taxed

Vending receipts are always taxable, even food exempt over a counter, such as fruit or plain water; items 15 cents or less are exempt. Back tax out by dividing receipts by 1 plus the combined state and local rate. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

02

Is there a vending machine license in North Dakota?

Health and Human Services issues a vending license: $40 a year, plus a $100 administration fee on your first application. File one application per machine; licenses expire June 30 and must be displayed near the machines. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

03

Food and health permits

Who regulates it: North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Lodging Unit; some cities, such as Bismarck, license food locally.

Machines selling only prepackaged non-TCS snacks, bottled or canned soft drinks, or gumballs are excluded. The rules cover freezers holding prepackaged food, so ice cream machines need the license; cotton candy and frozen-drink machines are not excluded. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

Cotton candy, ice cream and frozen-drink machines prepare or hold food, so they are the ones most likely to need a permit where a packaged-snack machine does not. Check the classification for your exact machine before you place it.

04

City and county rules

Fargo

Fargo has no general business license. Fargo Cass Public Health licenses and inspects food businesses in Fargo and West Fargo under the FDA Food Code. Fargo and Cass County add local sales tax. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

Bismarck

Bismarck has no general business license, but its Environmental Health Division requires a city food license for a vending machine selling temperature-controlled food, such as cold sandwiches. Source (official page, opens in a new tab)

The license goes where the machine sits, not where you live: a machine in another town means that town’s rules.

05

Sources

Checked on October 1, 2026 against these official pages:

What we could not confirm: The sales tax permit fee is not stated, and HHS fee schedules found online conflict with the $40 in N.D. Admin. Code 33-33-03-02 (amended January 1, 2026), which we used; it does not say whether $40 is per machine. We did not confirm whether Fargo Cass Public Health or the state licenses vending machines in Fargo.

Agencies change their rules and their websites. Confirm with the office before you rely on this page, and tell us if something here is out of date.

06

What we've signed in North Dakota

We’ve placed 0 machines in North Dakota and sign new venues every week. If nothing is open right now, tell us what you are placing and we will go and find one.

You handle the permits. We find the venue and sign it for you.

Have us find one in North Dakota See vending locations in North Dakota →

07

Common questions

Do I need a license to put a vending machine in North Dakota?

Health and Human Services issues a vending license: $40 a year, plus a $100 administration fee on your first application. File one application per machine; licenses expire June 30 and must be displayed near the machines. Separately, you need the sales and use tax permit from the North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner.

Do I need a health permit for a vending machine in North Dakota?

Machines selling only prepackaged non-TCS snacks, bottled or canned soft drinks, or gumballs are excluded. The rules cover freezers holding prepackaged food, so ice cream machines need the license; cotton candy and frozen-drink machines are not excluded.

How is sales tax charged on vending machine sales in North Dakota?

Vending receipts are always taxable, even food exempt over a counter, such as fruit or plain water; items 15 cents or less are exempt. Back tax out by dividing receipts by 1 plus the combined state and local rate.

Does the venue need the permits, or do I?

You do. The venue provides the space and the power under the host agreement; the sales tax registration, licenses and health permits attach to whoever operates the machine.