Mobile Food Preparer / Mobile Food Dispenser License (food truck): Chicago restaurant guide
Chicago BACP / CDPH
What it is
The city license for a food truck or cart. A Mobile Food Preparer cooks on the vehicle; a Mobile Food Dispenser only sells pre-prepared, fully enclosed portions.
When a restaurant needs it
Any food truck, trailer or cart operating in Chicago, in addition to your restaurant's licenses.
How to apply
Submit initial business information, complete the full application naming your commissary (with a letter of intent dated within 30 days), attend the CDPH consultation, pay, pass the City debt check, pass the final CDPH vehicle inspection, get the CFD Fire Safety Permit if the truck has a generator, propane, CNG, hood or suppression system, and receive the license and decal.
Documents you’ll need
- Signed commissary letter of intent dated within the last 30 days
- Vehicle details and GPS provider
- City of Chicago Food Service Sanitation Certificate (Preparers)
- Shared Kitchen User license for food prepared at a licensed brick-and-mortar location
- Fire Safety Permit (if applicable)
Good to know
Trucks must carry a working GPS, can park up to 4 hours in one block, can't sell within 200 feet of a restaurant's main entrance (except midnight–2 a.m.), can't sell 2–5 a.m. except at designated stands, and may carry at most 40 lb of propane. The business name and license number must be painted on both sides.
Official source
BACP — Food truck licensing · BACP — Mobile food vendor licenses
Answer a few questions about your space and get every permit in order, with a timeline, a cost range, walkthroughs, and every application filled in for you to sign with Open.
Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Guidance only, not legal advice.