A food truck in Orange County needs a North Carolina mobile food unit permit through Environmental Health plus a permitted commissary base. Chapel Hill and Carrboro add their own zoning and privilege-license permits on top.
Food trucks are permitted under North Carolina's food service rules, with Orange County Environmental Health issuing the mobile food unit permit after reviewing the menu, plans, and equipment. A mobile food unit must operate from a permitted restaurant or commissary as its base of operations and return there each day of operation to refill potable water, dump gray water, and clean equipment. The county with jurisdiction over that commissary handles the health permit and inspection. Inside town limits, Chapel Hill restricts trucks to private property and charges a $600 annual fee, a $118 zoning permit, and a $50 privilege license, with the host owner paying $118. Carrboro requires a Mobile Food Vendor Permit with a $60 zoning permit.
Operating a mobile food unit without the Environmental Health permit or a permitted commissary base draws inspection failure, permit denial or suspension, and closure. Vending in a town without its required permits adds fines.
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Orange County, NC
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See how Orange County's food truck permits rules stack up against other locations.
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