Arlington County, VA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing authority
- Arlington County Manager
- Annual fee
- $40 per Mobile Food Unit
- MFU renewal due
- June (not December)
- Late fee
- $50 after June 30
- Required equipment
- hand sink, three-compartment sink
- Base of Operation
- must hold its own Food Establishment License
Summary
Arlington County requires every mobile food unit and limited-service mobile food unit to hold an annual Food Establishment License from the County Manager before operating, per Arlington County Code § 9.2-10. The license costs $40 a year, cannot be transferred, and for mobile units is due each June rather than December. A $50 late fee applies to renewals filed after June 30, and the fee is never prorated.
A. No person shall operate a Food Establishment who does not have a valid License issued to him by the County Manager. Only a person who complies with the requirements of this chapter may be entitled to receive or retain a License. Licenses are not transferable. B. An application or annual License renewal fee of forty dollars ($40.00) shall be assessed for each licensed Food Establishment, Limited Food Establishment, Limited Service Mobile Food Unit, and Mobile Food Unit... The annual fee specified above for Mobile Food Units basis and Limited Service Mobile Food Units shall be due and payable in the month of June or upon initial application. Neither an application fee nor a License renewal fee shall be prorated. An additional fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) shall be assessed for Food Establishment and Limited Food Establishment renewal applications received after December 31, and for Mobile Food Unit and Limited Service Mobile Food Unit renewal applications received after June 30 of the then-current calendar year.
Full Breakdown
A, no person may operate a Food Establishment, including a Mobile Food Unit or Limited Service Mobile Food Unit, without a valid License issued by the County Manager; licenses are not transferable. Subsection B sets the application or annual renewal fee at $40 for every licensed Food Establishment, Limited Food Establishment, Limited Service Mobile Food Unit and Mobile Food Unit. Fixed establishments renew each December, but the annual fee for Mobile Food Units and Limited Service Mobile Food Units is due in June or upon initial application; a $50 late fee applies to Mobile Food Unit and Limited Service Mobile Food Unit renewals received after June 30.
Neither the application fee nor the renewal fee is prorated. C. 2-9 requires it to operate from a licensed Base of Operation, a Food Establishment that supplies the equipment and storage the unit needs; the County Manager may accept a Base of Operation outside Arlington if it meets basic sanitation standards and is licensed by another jurisdiction. 2-7 further requires a hand sink and a three-compartment sink on board, though the County Manager may waive the three-compartment sink if the menu needs little preparation and the base has one, and may waive the hand sink for prepackaged-only limited units using an approved alternative such as disposable towelettes or gloves. 2-11.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the required License exposes an establishment to immediate closure under § 9.2-10.C. Chapter-wide, § 9.2-20 makes willful failure to comply with the Food Code or this chapter a Class 3 misdemeanor, with each day of violation a separate offense; the County Manager can also seek an injunction or mandamus, and courts may impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation for failing to obey such an order.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a food truck need its own annual license in Arlington County?
Can a food truck operate without a three-compartment sink?
What is a Base of Operation and why does a food truck need one?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington County
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