St. Clair County, IL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

St. Clair County Health Code Sec. 19-4-3(Q) defines a Mobile Unit/Food Truck as any food establishment that can be towed or driven from place to place. A mobile unit must have installed plumbing inspected by the Illinois Department of Public Health, or its designee, to confirm it meets the Illinois Plumbing Code before the county issues an annual permit; because these units can run year-round, the permit is issued for the calendar year rather than event by event. Trucks operating in the county's jurisdiction get a minimum of two inspections every calendar year.

A truck without installed plumbing cannot hold a standing retail permit at all: Sec. 19-4-3(Q) limits it to temporary-event permits only. Any Mobile Food Unit can also be required to carry a commissary agreement with a separately permitted and inspected kitchen, and the Regulatory Authority approves any modification to that arrangement. Sec. 19-4-4(A) makes it unlawful to run a food-service establishment, which the ordinance's scope extends to mobile units, without a valid, non-transferable permit posted where customers can see it. The permit runs January 1 through December 31; an operator applies on the county's forms, completes a Plan Review, and the Health Department inspects before issuing the permit.

Fees climb 5% in even-numbered years. 50 for three days, $185 for four to fourteen days, or $275 for a Farmers Market/Flea Market permit covering one location.