Aurora, IL — Food truck permit
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.
Commissary rent ($400–$1,200/mo) and general-liability insurance dominate first-year cost. Excludes the truck build itself.
Licenses
| License | Who needs it | Fee | Term |
|---|---|---|---|
City of Aurora Mobile Food Unit — Annual License | Any truck or trailer doing business in Aurora year-round. Issued by Finance & Revenue Collection under Chapter 25, Art. XII. | $500 | 1 calendar year |
City of Aurora Mobile Food Unit — Event License | Vendors at one-off Aurora events instead of operating year-round. | $40 Covers up to two concurrent days at a single event. | Per event (up to 2 consecutive days) |
County Mobile Food Unit health permit | All mobile food units. Required by the county whose health department licenses your commissary. | Varies Typically $350–$600/year (Kane County applies an annual CPI/COLA adjustment effective Jan 1). The exact tier depends on menu risk, and you apply in the county where your commissary is licensed — Kane, DuPage, Will, or Kendall. | 1 year |
Illinois Certified Food Protection Manager (CFPM) | At least one certified manager must be on-site during all hours of operation. | $99 Approximate cert cost; ServSafe and other ANAB-accredited courses vary. Replaced the old FSSMC in 2018 (existing FSSMC cards are still honored). | 5 years |
Illinois Food Handler Certificate | Every non-manager staffer who handles food. | $7 Typical online cost ~$7–$15. | 3 years |
Illinois Business Registration (Form REG-1) | All food sellers in Illinois. | Varies Free; registers you with the Illinois Department of Revenue to collect sales tax. | Ongoing |
Requirements
- Signed commissary letter
Illinois requires every mobile food unit to use a licensed commercial commissary for prep, potable water fill, wastewater and grease disposal, overnight storage, and cleaning. Home kitchens do not qualify. The signed commissary letter must be in hand before you can apply for the county MFU health permit.
- Stay 100 ft from any brick-and-mortar restaurant
Aurora measures the buffer from property line to property line, not door to door. Many otherwise-good locations are disqualified, so check the parcel map before you commit to a spot.
- Stay 200 ft from schools during school hours
Distance is measured from the school property. Operating during school hours within the buffer is grounds for an immediate license issue.
- Private Property Consent Form (for private-property setups)
If you'll operate on private property, the owner's signed Private Property Consent Form must be submitted with payment. Vacant property is prohibited regardless of consent — the lot must have an existing legal use.
- Operate only 7 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Aurora caps mobile food service hours. Plan late-night events accordingly; the cap applies even at private parties open to the public.
- Move to an appropriately zoned location when not in operation
You cannot leave the unit overnight in its operating spot. Store it at the commissary or another properly zoned lot.
- General liability insurance
Aurora requires proof of insurance with the license application; the certificate should name the City of Aurora as additional insured.
Realistic timeline
| Phase | Duration | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-application | Week 1–2 | Form the business with the state, register with IDOR (REG-1), pick a commissary and get the signed commissary letter, and start CFPM training. Stall: Picking a commissary in the wrong county for your routes — your MFU health permit comes from the commissary's county. |
| County health permit + plan review | Week 2–5 | Submit plans (menu, equipment, water tank sizing, commissary letter) to the county health department where your commissary is licensed. Pass the unit inspection. Stall: Submitting without the commissary letter — the application can't be processed. |
| City of Aurora MFU license | Week 4–6 | Apply to Finance & Revenue Collection with the county health permit, IDs, certificate of insurance, and either the route plan (for street locations) or the Private Property Consent Form (for private-lot operations). Stall: Picking a spot within 100 ft of a restaurant or on a vacant lot — the application gets denied. |
| Final checks + open | Week 6–8 | Confirm insurance is on file, post your license on the unit, and start service inside the 7 a.m.–10 p.m. window. Move the unit to a zoned location at the end of each day. |
Common rejection / stall reasons
- The 100-ft restaurant buffer is property-line to property-line
Aurora doesn't measure door-to-door. Many otherwise-perfect curb locations are disqualified once you measure the parcel correctly, and applicants who don't pre-check reapply.
- Vacant property is off-limits even with owner consent
Aurora explicitly bars MFU operation on vacant lots. Plenty of flexible event sites in the city are vacant lots and can't legally host a truck.
- Aurora straddles four counties for the health permit
The city sits in Kane, DuPage, Will, and Kendall. Your MFU health permit comes from the county where your commissary is licensed — misidentifying that county costs weeks.
- Commissary letter is a hard prerequisite
Illinois requires a licensed commercial commissary for water, wastewater, prep, and storage. The signed commissary letter must accompany the county MFU application, and home kitchens never qualify.
- Operating hours capped at 7 a.m.–10 p.m.
Late-night festival service is off the table inside Aurora. Build your revenue model around the cap rather than betting on a waiver.
- Overnight parking in the operating spot is not allowed
Aurora requires the unit to be moved to an appropriately zoned location when not in operation, typically the commissary or another zoned lot.
Official sources
- City of Aurora — Mobile Food Unit Rules, Regulations & Information
- City of Aurora — MFU License Application (PDF)
- City of Aurora — Operating a Mobile Food Unit (trifold PDF)
- City of Aurora — Code of Ordinances
- Kane County Health Department — EH Permit Fees
- Kane County Health Department — Mobile Vendor Requirements (PDF)
- Illinois Department of Public Health — CFPM / FSSMC
- Illinois Department of Revenue — Business Registration (REG-1)
Contacts
- City of Aurora — Revenue Collection (Finance)
- 44 E. Downer Pl., Aurora, IL 60507
- Kane County Health Department
- kanehealth.com (Environmental Health, food permits)
FAQ
- How close can my food truck be to a restaurant in Aurora?
- No closer than 100 feet, measured from property line to property line. Aurora measures the buffer between parcels — not from your serving window to the restaurant's door — so a spot that looks fine at street level can still violate the rule. Check the parcel map before you commit.
- What does it actually cost to permit a food truck in Aurora?
- The City of Aurora Mobile Food Unit license is $500/year, or $40 for a 2-day event. Add the county MFU health permit (typically $350–$600/year from Kane, DuPage, Will, or Kendall — whichever county licenses your commissary), an Illinois CFPM cert (~$99 every 5 years), and food handler certs (~$7–$15 per staffer). Ongoing commissary rent and insurance usually cost far more than the permits.
- Can I operate on a vacant lot if the property owner says yes?
- No. Aurora explicitly prohibits MFU operation on vacant property — owner consent does not override the rule. The lot must have an existing legal use, and you still need the signed Private Property Consent Form with your license application.
- What hours can I actually serve?
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The cap applies citywide, including private events open to the public. Build your revenue model around that window rather than counting on after-hours sales.
- Aurora is in four counties — which one issues my MFU health permit?
- Whichever county your commissary is licensed in. Aurora sits in Kane, DuPage, Will, and Kendall, but the county MFU permit follows the commissary, not the spot where you park. Confirm the commissary's county before you submit any plan-review packet.