Camarillo, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required for
- Food, frozen food, and mobile prep vehicles
- Citation
- Camarillo Municipal Code § 9.20.070
- Issuing authority
- Ventura County director of environmental health
- Permit term
- 12 months, renewable annually
- Fee basis
- Set by Ventura County Board of Supervisors (§ 9.20.300)
Summary
Every food truck operating in Camarillo, whether owned or leased, must carry a health permit issued through the Ventura County director of environmental health under Section 9.20.070 of the municipal code, renewed annually, before selling food anywhere in the city.
Either the lessor or the lessee of all vehicles defined in subsections A, C, D, F, G and M of Section 9.20.030 shall obtain a health permit to operate. If the lessor obtains a permit and there is a change in the lessee, the lessor shall notify the director and obtain a new health permit. The director may exempt from permit requirements vehicles operated by owners of restaurants and retail food production and marketing establishments if said vehicles are used exclusively for deliveries of packaged foods. No such exemptions may be granted for food vehicles which hold or transport perishable foods for periods longer than one hour.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
20 (Public Health Permits and Enforcement) governs mobile food operations through the county's environmental health division acting under city ordinance. 030 defines the vehicle categories that need a permit, including "food vehicle" (any vehicle from which packaged, perishable foods are sold), "frozen food vehicle," and "mobile food preparation unit" as defined under Title 17 of the California Administrative Code. 070 requires either the lessor or the lessee of these vehicles to obtain a health permit to operate, and if a leased vehicle changes hands to a new lessee, the lessor must notify the director and get a new permit before the new operator can run it.
The director can exempt delivery vehicles owned by restaurants or retail food establishments from the permit if those vehicles are used exclusively to deliver packaged food, but that exemption is unavailable for any vehicle holding or transporting perishable food for longer than one hour, which covers essentially every working food truck. 060, the underlying health permit is valid for twelve months from issuance and renews annually on payment of the required fee before the delinquency date, or with the fee plus penalties if paid late; a permit can be denied only if inspection shows applicable state, county, and city environmental health requirements will not be met.
300, which pegs Camarillo's fee schedule to whatever the Ventura County Board of Supervisors sets for unincorporated county establishments, so a truck operator pays the same rate operating in Camarillo as in the surrounding county. 42, which covers only nonmotorized pushcarts and stands, not motorized food trucks.
Violations & Fines
Operating a covered food vehicle in Camarillo without the required health permit exposes the operator to permit denial or suspension under Sections 9.20.220 through 9.20.240, and continuing operation with a suspended or revoked permit is separately addressed under Section 9.20.250. A permittee may appeal a suspension or revocation to the director within fifteen days of notice under Section 9.20.240, but failing to request that hearing in time waives the right to it, and general code violations otherwise carry infraction penalties under Chapter 1.12.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues a food truck permit in Camarillo?
How long is a Camarillo mobile food vehicle permit valid?
Is a delivery van exempt from the food vehicle permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Camarillo
California rules heatmap·Compare Camarillo to another location·View the California food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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Food Truck Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Ventura County handle food truck permits.