Lake County, IL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Food trucks operating in Lake County must hold a Mobile Food Unit permit issued by the Lake County Health Department (LCHD) Environmental Health Services division under the Illinois Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (410 ILCS 620) and the Food Handling Regulation Enforcement Act (410 ILCS 625). Requirements include initial and annual vehicle/equipment inspection by LCHD sanitarians, a Certified Food Protection Manager on staff (ANSI-accredited), written commissary agreement for food prep, water filling and wastewater disposal, three-compartment sink, mechanical refrigeration, handwashing station with hot water, and a Class K or Class 2A fire extinguisher. Each municipality independently licenses mobile vendors: Waukegan, Zion, Libertyville, Gurnee, Highland Park, Lake Forest, Vernon Hills and Mundelein each require separate business registrations with fees typically $100 to $500 annually. Illinois sales tax registration (MyTax Illinois) and local home rule sales tax collection are required. Liability insurance minimum $1 million general liability is standard municipal requirement; auto insurance with commercial endorsement required. Annual renewal with re-inspection. Special event operations at Ravinia, Six Flags, Lake County Fair, or municipal festivals require additional temporary event permits.