Cicero, IL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Food truck cap
- 12 licenses
- Annual fee
- $300.00 per truck
- Liquor
- Prohibited on food trucks
- Parking
- Private property only, owner authorized
- Restaurant buffer
- 500 feet, waivable by consent
- Violation fine
- $150.00 per occurrence
Summary
Cicero caps food truck licenses at 12 and charges $300.00 a year per truck. Trucks may not hold a liquor license, must park on private property with the owner's consent rather than on public streets, and must stay 500 feet from a restaurant serving similar food unless that restaurant agrees otherwise.
(1)Definition. A food truck shall be any motorized vehicle, as defined by the Illinois Vehicle Code, where food is prepared and cooked for public consumption.(2)No liquor license. No food truck operating within the town shall be eligible for a liquor license and no liquor shall be dispensed from any such food truck within the town limits.(3)Number. The number of licenses issued for food trucks in the town shall be limited to 12 licenses.(4)Private property parking only. No food truck shall be permitted to park on public streets, except in the case of any town approved block party or other special event. Food trucks are required to park on private property with the authorization of the property owner.(5)Location. No food truck shall be permitted to park within 500 feet of a restaurant serving similar food, except with the consent of said restaurant owner.(6)Stickers. Food trucks shall display current Illinois Department of Public Health licenses/stickers.(7)Fee. The annual license fee for a food truck shall be $300.00.(8)Violation. A violation of this section shall result in a fine of $150.00 per occurrence.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 121).
Full Breakdown
Section 26-147(b), most recently amended by Ordinance No. 65-23 in October 2023, defines a food truck as any motorized vehicle where food is prepared and cooked for public consumption, distinct from a catering truck under subsection (a), which only serves food made somewhere else and is separately capped at 12 licenses. 00 per truck. No food truck operating in Cicero may hold a liquor license, and no liquor may be dispensed from one within town limits. Food trucks cannot park on public streets except during a town-approved block party or other special event; otherwise they must operate from private property with the property owner's authorization.
A food truck also cannot park within 500 feet of a restaurant serving similar food unless that restaurant's owner consents to the closer location. Every truck must display its current Illinois Department of Public Health license or sticker while operating. , showing the town regulates each category of mobile food vending with its own numeric cap and operating limits rather than a single blanket mobile-vending permit.
Violations & Fines
Section 26-147(b)(8) sets a flat fine of $150.00 per occurrence for violating any of the food truck rules, whether that means operating without one of the 12 available licenses, parking on a public street outside an approved event, setting up within 500 feet of a competing restaurant without consent, or dispensing liquor from the truck. Each separate incident can draw its own $150.00 fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many food truck licenses does Cicero issue?
Can a Cicero food truck park on the street?
How much is a Cicero food truck license?
Can a food truck park next to a restaurant in Cicero?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cicero
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