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Lakeville, MN Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

License
Required to operate any mobile food unit
Insurance
$1M bodily injury, $1M property damage
License fee
Set by City Council resolution
Application
Needs site plan and owner consent
C-CBD district
Extra location limits apply
Display
License must be shown during operation

Summary

In the City of Lakeville, Minnesota, no one may operate a mobile food unit, whether a truck, trailer or self-propelled cart, without a license issued under City Code Chapter 3-23. Applicants must carry at least one million dollars in liability insurance for bodily injury and for property damage, and the City Council sets the license fee by resolution.

A. Prohibited: ... No person shall operate a mobile food unit in the City without a valid license required under this Chapter. ... ... 5. A certificate of insurance that has been issued to the applicant by an insurance company authorized to do business in the State of Minnesota verifying that the applicant is insured against claims arising out of all operations of such applicant under this chapter for the sum of at least one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) against liability for bodily injuries and for at least one million dollars ($1,000,000.00) against liability for damage or destruction of property. ... ... C. License Fee: The fee shall be in an amount determined by City Council resolution.

Full Breakdown

Chapter 3-23 of the Lakeville City Code allows and regulates mobile food units citywide while adding extra limits in the C-CBD Commercial Central Business District, under the purpose stated in section 3-23-1. Section 3-23-2 defines a mobile food unit as a food and beverage service establishment that is a vehicle-mounted unit, motorized or trailered, readily movable without disassembly, or a nonmotorized vehicle the operator self-propels. Section 3-23-3(A) bars operating a mobile food unit in the city without a valid license, and section 3-23-3(B) requires the application to include the applicant's ownership of the unit, legal name and identifying information, home and business addresses and contact information, the vehicle's license plate number, written consent from the property owner where sales will occur, a copy of the required State of Minnesota mobile food license, the planned dates and hours of operation, and a site plan showing the unit's exact location.

Applicants must also carry a certificate of insurance from a Minnesota-authorized carrier covering at least one million dollars for bodily injury liability and one million dollars for property damage liability arising from the applicant's operations under the chapter. The City Council sets the license fee by resolution under section 3-23-3(C). Once licensed, a mobile food unit is also bound by the performance standards in section 3-23-4, including operating hours, sound and lighting limits, and prohibitions on drive-through service and outdoor waste dumping, and the approved license must be displayed prominently on the unit for the duration of any event.

Violations & Fines

Operating a mobile food unit in Lakeville without the license required by section 3-23-3(A) is prohibited under Chapter 3-23. A licensed unit that fails to carry the required one-million-dollar insurance coverage, lacks written property-owner consent, or does not display its approved license on the vehicle for the duration of an event under section 3-23-4(K) is out of compliance with the license conditions the city imposed when it issued the permit.

Frequently Asked Questions

What insurance must a Lakeville mobile food unit carry?
Section 3-23-3(B)(5) requires a certificate of insurance from a company authorized to do business in Minnesota showing at least one million dollars of coverage against liability for bodily injuries and at least one million dollars against liability for property damage or destruction arising from the operation.
Does the license application require a site plan?
Yes. Section 3-23-3(B)(9) requires a site plan showing the exact location of the mobile food unit to accompany the application, along with written consent of the property owner where the unit will operate under section 3-23-3(B)(6).
Who sets the fee for a Lakeville mobile food unit license?
Section 3-23-3(C) leaves the fee amount to be determined by City Council resolution rather than fixing a dollar figure in the ordinance text itself, so the current fee is set administratively by council action.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Lakeville

All Lakeville rules

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