Aurora, IL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Before operating anywhere in city
- First offense fine
- $500
- Repeat offense fine
- $1,000
- Restaurant buffer
- 100 feet from brick-and-mortar restaurants
- Issuing office
- License Administrator (city CFO)
Summary
Aurora, Illinois (Kane County) requires every mobile food unit, food trucks, trailers, and carts, to get a license from the city's License Administrator before operating anywhere in the city, with fines up to $1,000 for repeat violations.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate within the city a mobile food unit, as defined in this chapter, without first having obtained a license from the license administrator for that purpose. Any person who violates this provision shall be subject to a fine of $500.00 for the first offense, and a fine of $1,000.00 for a second or subsequent offense. Application requirements. Any person desiring to operate a mobile food unit shall make a written application for such license to the license administrator. The application for such license shall be on forms provided by the license administrator and shall include the following: Name, signature and address of each applicant and each corporate officer. The required application fee. Property consent form, if applicable. License type requested. Annual. Event. Payment of applicable taxes. City taxes. Applicants shall file and pay applicable food and beverage taxes as required in section 44-113 of the code of ordinances. State taxes. Applicants shall provide an IDOR number to the city and shall file and pay all taxes required by the State of Illinois including sales tax. Inspections. In-person or video conference visual inspection and identification requirements and exclusions. Dimensions of food unit. Exterior photographs clearly showing all sides of the unit must be submitted with the application.
Full Breakdown
Under Code § 25-283, operating a mobile food unit in Aurora without a city license is unlawful, punishable by a $500 fine for a first offense and $1,000 for later ones. Applicants must pass fire and county health department inspections (Kane, DuPage, Will, or Kendall, depending on where they operate), carry at least $1 million in liability insurance, and pay applicable city and Illinois sales taxes. Under § 25-284, trucks may only operate in License Administrator-approved locations or at authorized special events, and § 25-286 generally bars a new license within 100 feet of an existing brick-and-mortar restaurant absent a hearing officer's waiver.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license draws a $500 fine for a first offense and $1,000 for repeat violations under § 25-283; a hearing officer may also suspend or revoke the license for cause.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do food trucks need a permit to operate in Aurora, IL?
Can a food truck park anywhere in Aurora?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Aurora
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Food Truck Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle food truck permits.