City Permit Browser

Aurora's Chapter 25 Mobile Food Unit ordinance is one of the strictest in Chicagoland — trucks must stay 100 feet from any brick-and-mortar restaurant (property line to property line) and 200 feet from schools during school hours, may only serve between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., and cannot operate on vacant property even with the owner's consent. The city license is $500/year through Finance & Revenue Collection ($40 for a 2-day event), and on top of that you need a county Mobile Food Unit health permit — issued by whichever of Kane, DuPage, Will, or Kendall County your commissary is licensed in.

Austin's mobile-vending process is mid-transition: Austin Public Health issues Mobile Food Vendor permits only through June 30, 2026, then Texas HB 2844 moves all permitting to the state on July 1, 2026. Until then you apply in person — walk-in only, Tuesdays and Thursdays 7:45–11am — and any propane or grease-producing unit also needs an Austin Fire Department inspection.

Chicago issues two motorized food-truck licenses (MFD or MFP) plus a separate CDPH plan review and a Chicago-specific food manager certificate. Expect 2–3 months end-to-end and $7K–$9.5K in first-year regulatory cost.

Houston's mobile-food permitting is being handed to the State of Texas. As of May 15, 2026 the Houston Health Department no longer accepts new Mobile Food Unit plan-review applications, City of Houston medallions stop being valid after June 2026, and the statewide DSHS permit under HB 2844 takes over July 1, 2026. The legacy city process: a $708 Mobile Food Unit medallion, a fire LP-gas certificate, and a mandatory Central Preparation Facility (commissary).

Joliet runs a special-event-only food-truck regime — Chapter 5 of the city code prohibits any direct sale of food from a truck inside Joliet without a Special Event Permit from the City Clerk's office for that specific event. The ordinance defines a special event broadly enough to cover gatherings on private property that 'significantly impact the city,' so there is no routine 'park anywhere on private property' pathway the way Naperville offers. Before the City Clerk will issue the permit, you have to show proof of Will County (or Kendall County) Health Department compliance and Illinois sales tax registration.

Los Angeles food trucks clear two separate inspections before they can serve: a California HCD state insignia on the vehicle, then the LA County Department of Public Health Mobile Food Facility (MFF) permit via a plan-check process. A signed commissary agreement is mandatory — and at $800–$2,000/month, LA commissary rent is the single biggest cost of operating here.

Naperville is unusually permissive on private property — the city has no zoning or permitting regulations for food trucks operating on private property (swim clubs, schools, residences, commercial lots, etc.) as long as you have the property owner's consent. The $100 annual Mobile Food Vendor license only applies if you vend in the public right-of-way, and you're capped at 15 minutes parked per stop. Events that close a street or use City/Park District land go through a separate Special Events Permit with a 2-month minimum lead time, and you still need a DuPage County Health Department mobile food permit and signed commissary letter to operate anywhere.

Nashville layers two permits: a Metro Public Health mobile food permit (health, commissary, inspections) and — if you want to vend in the Downtown Core public right-of-way — a separate NDOT Mobile Food Vendor permit at $55 every two months, restricted to posted zones and hours. Tennessee requires a notarized commissary agreement and a TDH-approved food safety certificate before you apply.

Portland food carts are licensed by Multnomah County Environmental Health, which raised fees ~33% on January 1, 2026 — the first increase in five years. The classic Portland trap is the food-cart-pod System Development Charge: ~$4,979 per cart that solo operators on private lots never pay. Plan review runs up to 15 business days, then you must pass inspection within 30 days of approval.

Rockford layers three permit holders: the City of Rockford (Mobile Food Vendor License plus a separate ROW Vending Permit if you'll work in the public right-of-way), the Winnebago County Health Department (annual Mobile Food Vendor permit, with renewals mailed in October and due December 15), and the Rockford Fire Department Fire Prevention Division (mandatory annual fire inspection). The city application also requires a background check, which is rare among Illinois suburbs. Most trucks anchor around the Friday-evening Rockford City Market (116 N. Madison St., May–September), and operators routinely report $500+ in first-year county fees alone.

Schaumburg is one of the few suburban Cook County municipalities that runs its own Environmental Health Division — your truck is inspected by the Village (not Cook County) for an $88 inspection fee. The catch is zoning: trucks can only operate on private property in the B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, M-1, and M-P districts (or at an approved special event), are capped at 3 hours per day at any one property, and no more than 3 trucks may be on a property at once. On top of that, the host property owner must hold their own annual permit listing contracted vendors — and the truck operator needs an Out-of-Town Business License from the Village.

Seattle food trucks are permitted by Public Health – Seattle & King County, but the step that trips up almost everyone is Washington's Labor & Industries (L&I) insignia: your unit must pass an L&I electrical/plumbing/propane inspection and get a metal plaque BEFORE the county will approve your plan review. You also juggle two business licenses (state + city), a Seattle Fire permit, and — if you ever park in the public right-of-way — an SDOT street-use vending permit. King County permit years run April 1–March 31 and are prorated, and a signed commissary agreement is one of the first documents an inspector asks for.