Hamilton, NJ Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual fee
- $125 per mobile food unit
- License expires
- December 31 each year
- Renewal deadline
- January 31
- Late fee
- $100 per 30 days overdue
- Licensing agency
- Township Division of Health
- Covers
- trucks, vans, trailers, carts, watercraft
Summary
Hamilton Township requires every mobile food unit, defined as any truck, van, trailer or cart selling food from a temporary location, to hold an annual retail food establishment license from the Division of Health before operating. The license carries a dedicated $125 annual fee and expires December 31 each year.
No person shall operate a retail food establishment as defined in Title 8, Chapter 24, of the State Sanitary Code, entitled "Sanitation in Retail Food Establishments and Food and Beverage Vending Machines," without first having obtained a license from the Township and paid the required license fee. The term of the license shall be for a period of one year, with all licenses to expire on December 31. Each license shall apply only to the person to whom it was issued, and no license shall be transferable to another person. Every license and the most recent inspection evaluation placard shall be posted in a prominent, readily visible location near the licensed establishment's main entrance. A license shall be surrendered upon closure of the business for which it was issued.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4984352; v35 updated 2026-06-16; through 06-16-2026).
Full Breakdown
" Under § 235-3, no one may operate a retail food establishment, which by definition covers mobile units, without first obtaining a license from the Township and paying the required fee; the license runs for one year and expires every December 31, is non-transferable, and must be posted with the most recent inspection placard near the unit's main service point. Chapter 215's fee schedule sets the Division of Health license fee for a "Mobile food unit" at $125 per year, separate from the fixed risk-type fees charged to brick-and-mortar restaurants, as amended March 19, 2024 by Ordinance No.
24-012. Section 235-4 gives the Health Officer or a designee authority to review each application and demand additional documentation before issuance. Section 235-5D sets the renewal deadline at January 31 of each year and imposes a $100 late fee for every 30 days a renewal runs past due. Failure to comply with any provision of Chapter 24 of the State Sanitary Code, the state rules governing retail food establishment sanitation that mobile units must also follow, is grounds to suspend or revoke the license under § 235-6, in addition to the general revocation grounds set out for Township licenses generally at § 285-10.
Violations & Fines
Operating a mobile food unit in Hamilton without the Division of Health license required by § 235-3 exposes the operator to license denial and can trigger suspension or revocation of any license already issued under § 235-6 for noncompliance with Chapter 24 of the State Sanitary Code. A late renewal draws a $100 fee for every 30-day period the renewal is overdue past the January 31 deadline set in § 235-5D, on top of the underlying $125 annual fee.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a food truck need a license to operate in Hamilton Township?
How much does a Hamilton mobile food unit license cost?
When does the license expire and how do I renew it?
What happens if I renew my food truck license late?
Can Hamilton revoke a mobile food unit's license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hamilton
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