Baltimore County, MD Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Baltimore County Code § 21-8-101 defines a food truck as a self-contained, self-propelled mobile vehicle that sells food from its curb side to customers on the curb side of a public street. Under § 21-8-103, a person must be licensed by the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections before operating one anywhere in the county. The application required by § 21-8-104 must list the applicant's contact information, the truck's make, model, registration and commercial license plate number, proof of insurance, evidence of a County Health Department inspection, the name of the certified food service manager Level I who will be on duty whenever the truck operates, and the truck's food service facility permit from the Health Department.

The County Administrative Officer sets the license fee. A license runs from May 1 to April 30 of the following year under § 21-8-106, and renewal requires paying that same fee again. Farmers and growers selling their own raw agricultural products are exempt from the title under § 21-8-102(b), and a licensee cannot also hold a hucksters and peddlers license for the same truck under § 21-8-102(a). Section 21-8-108 requires a licensee to comply with all county zoning, health and parking regulations and to keep the area around the truck free of trash and debris.

Section 21-8-109 bars parking within 200 feet of the front entrance of an open, operating restaurant, on a sidewalk, or on private property without the owner's permission, and prohibits attaching a trailer (other than a canopy or menu display) or playing music through an outside speaker. The Department can deny, suspend, revoke or refuse to renew a license under § 21-8-107 for violations, falsified applications, failure to report changes within 14 days, repeated parking citations, or a conviction under the title.