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Mobile Food Vending Unit Permit (the truck / cart): New York City restaurant guide

NYC DOHMH

What it is

The DOHMH permit decal for the vehicle or cart itself. You cannot sell food from a pushcart, stand or truck without a valid unit permit, and the unit must be cleaned, serviced and stored daily at a DOHMH-approved commissary or depot.

When a restaurant needs it

Operating any food truck or cart in NYC.

How to apply

Year-round citywide and non-Manhattan permits are issued only to holders of a Supervisory License; DOHMH contacts eligible applicants from its list and gives instructions (Local Law 18 of 2021 — at least 2,200 supervisory license applications offered each year starting July 1, 2026). After applying, call 212-676-1600 within a week to schedule the unit inspection at 1235 Zerega Avenue, Bronx; the unit must pass within six months.

Documents you’ll need

Fee
$200 for a full-term (two-year) permit where food is prepared on the unit; $75 where food is pre-packaged; veterans no fee
Processing time
Years on the waiting list for most permit types; inspection scheduled within about a week once you are invited to apply
Renewal
Every 2 years
Who files
Only a person holding a Supervisory License may apply; DOHMH initiates contact.

Good to know

This is the hard part of food trucks in NYC: full-term permits are capped and waitlisted. Many operators rent a permitted unit or buy a business that already holds one; seasonal (April 1–October 31) and restricted-area permits are the alternatives. Trucks are letter-graded like restaurants.

Official source

NYC Business — Mobile Food Vending Unit Permit (full-term) · DOHMH — Mobile food vendors (commissary map, grading)

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Last reviewed 2026-10-06. Guidance only, not legal advice.