Elkhart County, IN Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- County Code § 112.04
- Standard license term
- April 1 to March 31
- Temporary event cap
- 14 consecutive days
- Vehicle lettering size
- At least 2 inches tall
- Unlicensed operation fee
- 3x the license fee
- Violation fine range
- $500 to $1,000
Summary
Elkhart County will not let a mobile food unit sell in the unincorporated county without a food service license from the Health Officer under County Code § 112.04. Operators must show a licensed commissary, display their name and license sticker on the vehicle, and report every vehicle in their fleet to the Health Department.
(D) Food service licenses shall be posted in a conspicuous place in view of the public in each licensed food service. With respect to mobile food establishments, the name, address and telephone number of the licensee shall be conspicuously displayed on each licensed mobile unit with lettering not less than two inches in height. County mobile food license stickers shall be posted on the outside of the mobile food services vehicle and shall be plainly visible from the front and rear of the vehicle.
(E) Mobile food establishment operators shall provide to the Health Department a list of their licensed vehicle(s). The list shall include: make, model and color of the vehicle(s), vehicle license plate number(s) and the county mobile food license sticker number(s) assigned to the vehicle(s). This list shall be updated by the mobile food establishment as necessary to remain accurate and complete at all times. Any person found to be operating a food service in the county without a valid food service license issued by the County Health Department must cease operation immediately until all requirements of this chapter are met.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2025 S-23: Supplement contains: Current through local legislation passed on or before July 31, 2025; and State Legislation current through 2025 Indiana Legislative Service, Pamphlet #3).
Full Breakdown
04(A) requires proof of licensure for the commissary servicing a mobile food service if that commissary is not already located and licensed in the county, and it bars commissaries in jurisdictions that don't require their own individual license from servicing a county-licensed mobile unit. 04(B). 04(C), a standard food service license runs April 1 to March 31 and is not transferable, while a license tied to a fixed location for a single event or celebration cannot run more than 14 consecutive days. 04(D) requires the licensee's name, address and telephone number to be displayed on each mobile unit in lettering at least two inches tall, plus a county mobile food license sticker visible from both the front and rear of the vehicle.
04(E) requires operators to give the Health Department a list of every licensed vehicle, including make, model, color, license plate and sticker number, kept current at all times. 12 layers on a late fee equal to three times the normal license fee for anyone caught operating unlicensed.
Violations & Fines
Operating a mobile food unit without a valid Elkhart County food service license triggers an immediate stop-operation order under § 112.04(E) and a late fee of three times the standard license fee under § 112.12. Beyond the fee, § 112.99 makes any violation of Chapter 112 an ordinance violation punishable by up to $500 for a first offense and up to $1,000 for repeat offenses, with each additional day of noncompliance counted separately and no license renewed until fines are paid.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a food truck need a county license to operate in unincorporated Elkhart County?
What has to be displayed on a licensed food truck?
How long can a temporary food truck permit for an event last?
What happens if a mobile vendor operates without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Elkhart County
Compare Elkhart County to another location·View the Indiana food trucks & mobile vendors overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.