Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors, Arlington Heights

Arlington Heights maintains 88 local ordinances across all categories, and 2 of those deal specifically with food trucks & mobile vendors. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Arlington Heights falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.

Food Truck Permits

Arlington Heights requires a food vehicle license before operating any food truck in the Village under Municipal Code Section 11-601, with the Health Services Director inspecting each unit's refrigeration and heating equipment. The license carries a $105.00 fee, while a fuller mobile food operation license runs $315.00 under the Chapter 11 fee schedule.

Key details: Governing section: § 11-601, Chapter 11 Article VI. Food vehicle license fee: $105.00 (§ 11-704). Mobile food operation fee: $315.00 (§ 11-704). Enforcing agency: Health Services Director. Required equipment: Refrigeration and heating units (§ 11-603).

Section 11-901 fines any violation of Chapter 11 between $5.00 and $750.00 per offense, with each day a violation occurs or continues treated as a separate offense. Section 11-303 additionally allows the Village Manager to suspend a food vehicle license for failing to comply with Chapter 11's requirements after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending

Arlington Heights treats sidewalk food sales as peddling: Section 12-1005 bars soliciting on public streets or sidewalks without a permit, and Section 12-1008 limits any peddler to one hour in a spot before moving at least 1,000 feet away. Section 12-1009 folds food peddlers into Chapter 11's food-dealer licensing on top of the Article X permit.

Key details: Governing sections: §§ 12-1002, 12-1005, 12-1008, 12-1009. Permit required: Before any street/sidewalk vending. Time limit per spot: 1 hour on any single day. Relocation distance: At least 1,000 feet after 1 hour. Vending hours: 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., no Sundays.

Section 12-1014 fines any person, firm or corporation violating Article X's peddler and solicitor provisions, including the Section 12-1009 food-peddler rule, not more than $750.00 for each offense. Section 12-1013 separately allows the Village Manager to revoke a peddler's permit for any violation of the Article.

The Bottom Line

Arlington Heights's food trucks & mobile vendors rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Arlington Heights is broadly strict or permissive.

Keep in mind that Arlington Heights can amend these rules at any council meeting. For the most current version of any rule mentioned here, check the specific ordinance page, where we track updates as they happen.