Howell, NJ Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Mobile food operators in Howell Township are licensed through the Board of Health under Chapter 241. Section 241-5 says no person shall operate a permanent retail food establishment, mobile retail food establishment, agricultural market, or temporary retail food establishment unless a license, or approval of an existing license, is issued by the Board of Health. The necessary inspection must be performed by the Board of Health before the license is issued or renewed, and the license must be posted in a conspicuous place in the establishment. Under § 241-3, all temporary and mobile retail food establishments must operate under New Jersey Administrative Code 8:24, subject to approval and inspection by the local health department.

Section 241-6B defines a mobile retail food establishment as any movable restaurant, truck, van, trailer, cart, bicycle or other movable unit, including hand carried portable containers, in or on which food or beverage is transported, stored, or prepared for retail sale or given away at temporary locations. It points operators to Chapter 223 for the applicable rules and says the definition reads together with § 223-1. Under § 241-7, as amended 6-3-2025 by Ord. No. 25-27, licenses expire annually on December 31 from July 1, 2025, and renewal with the required fee is due before January 1. Before that date licenses expired on June 30.

Fees are set by the schedule in Chapter 139, Fees, Article XV, under § 241-8. A license can be suspended or revoked after an opportunity for a hearing by the Board of Health or its authorized representative (§ 241-9), and a license issued by another Board of Health is not transferable (§ 241-10).