McHenry County, IL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

McHenry County Code § 8.04.140(A)(1) makes it unlawful to operate a food establishment, including a mobile food unit, without a valid operator's permit issued in the operator's name by the county Health Authority for that specific unit. A "Mobile Food Unit" is defined at § 8.04.130 as a food establishment designed to be readily moveable that returns each day to its commissary for cleaning and servicing. Category III food establishments serving only pre-packaged, non-time/temperature-control-for-safety items are exempt from the permit and fee requirement, though every other sanitation rule still applies.

Every operating permit runs May 1 through April 30 and may be renewed for successive one-year terms; § 8.04.140(B) treats a permit not renewed by April 30 as delinquent, allowing a conditional permit if the conditional fee is paid to the Department within five working days, and requires the operator to stop running entirely if the permit is still unrenewed by June 1. Applications go through the Health Authority, which must issue or deny a permit within thirty days of receiving one, per § 8.04.140(C).

Two operational rules apply specifically to mobile units under § 8.04.220: operators must give the Department a copy of their mobile routes every year, and when not in service the unit must be stored somewhere it will be protected from contamination so the food stays wholesome.