Caldwell, ID Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Caldwell City Code Section 10-12-03-26 sets the permitting framework for mobile food units, defined to include taco trucks, trailer-mounted BBQ grills, vendor carts, lunch wagons, and similar wheeled food and beverage operations. Every mobile food unit must obtain a Mobile Food Unit permit before lawfully operating anywhere in the city, and that permit is issued as a Certificate of Compliance that must be maintained and renewed every 365 days. A current, valid Southwest District Health department permit must accompany the city permit application and must be kept displayed on or in the vendor's vehicle in plain public view whenever the unit is open for business.

, and unlike other temporary uses, mobile food units are not subject to the six-month time limit that otherwise applies to temporary uses, so a unit can operate from a permanent or semi-permanent location so long as it stays in compliance and keeps its permit current. The code also fixes physical size limits tied to the permit: no unit may exceed twelve feet in height, thirty feet in length, or nine feet in width, and each vendor is limited to one cart, stall, booth, tent, or similar display unit under a given permit.

If a unit uses cooking equipment that produces grease-laden vapors, the Caldwell Fire Department must inspect and certify the setup against National Fire Protection Association standards before the unit may operate. Individual units are also barred from functioning as permanent diners or adding fixed outdoor seating unless they are part of a permitted Mobile Food Unit Park.