Tips, how-to guides, and resources for food truck vendors and craft fair vendors.
A vendor-focused comparison of the best PDF form fillers for permit and application forms. We rank tools by the one thing that matters when you file the same info across many cities and markets: saving your details once and auto-filling any form — including scanned ones.
Austin Public Health stops issuing food truck permits June 30, 2026. What the ~540 Austin-area trucks need to know: the new DSHS fees vs the old $239–$309 city permit, the four-step transition if you hold a current APH permit, and the fire-inspection and location rules Austin keeps enforcing. Verified June 2026.
Chicago's two food truck licenses differ by $300 and one question: does any preparation happen on board? The official definitions, a menu-by-menu decision table, the gray zones (coffee, hot dogs, ice cream), and why guessing wrong costs weeks — not just money.
The complete Illinois food truck playbook: the three-layer permit stack (state, county health, city), real costs from $50K starter builds to $9.5K first-year compliance, the commissary-letter trap, and how Chicago, Aurora, Naperville, Joliet, Schaumburg, and Rockford each treat trucks differently. Verified June 2026.
On July 1, 2026, Texas replaces city-by-city food truck permits with one statewide DSHS license. The three license types, the real fees ($309–$1,376 up front), the 7-day itinerary rule, and exactly how to transition if you already hold a city permit. Verified against DSHS in June 2026.
A field-tested breakdown of the Chicago food truck permit process — the two license types, the 4–8 week timeline, the commissary-letter trap, the GPS rule, the 200-foot rule, and exactly what goes on the application. Verified against BACP and CDPH for 2026.
Everything you need to know about applying to craft fairs and art shows as a vendor. Covers common form fields, insurance requirements, booth selection, and tips for getting accepted.
Practical tips for completing vendor permit and event applications more efficiently. Covers common mistakes, time-saving strategies, and how automation tools can help.