LaPorte County, IN Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Issuing authority
- County Health Officer
- License type
- Mobile retail food service license
- Inspection basis
- Tied to seasonal operation
- New operator probation
- 30 days minimum, fee per § 37.35
- Transferability
- Not transferable between owner or site
- Max fine (general penalty)
- $2,500 per § 10.99
Summary
Any food truck or mobile food unit operating in unincorporated LaPorte County needs a mobile retail food service license from the county Health Officer. The license is separate from a fixed-location food service license and comes with its own inspection and sanitation-certification conditions tied to how the unit prepares food.
A mobile retail food service license shall be granted to a self-contained, free-standing unit with facilities adequate to safely prepare and serve food on an unlimited basis throughout the county. Inspection is conducted according to seasonal operation. A sanitation certification may be required based on the items prepared and sold. Any person operating a mobile retail food service establishment shall comply with all mobile retail food service establishment guidelines developed by the Health Department and approved by the county Board of Health.
Full Breakdown
16(A)). 16(I) grants a mobile retail food service license to a self-contained, free-standing unit equipped to safely prepare and serve food, and lets the operator run throughout the county on an unlimited basis. Inspection frequency is tied to seasonal operation rather than the risk-category schedule used for fixed restaurants, and the Health Officer can require a sanitation certification depending on the menu items prepared. Operators must also follow the mobile retail food service guidelines adopted by the Health Department and approved by the county Board of Health under the same subsection.
35, followed by a Health Officer re-inspection before the annual license is issued. 17(A). 15(E)(1)). 15(C)(2), are a distinct category from the standing mobile license and apply to short-run vendors rather than a truck operating unlimited days throughout the county.
Violations & Fines
Operating a mobile food unit without the required license is unlawful under § 110.16(A). Section 110.17(D) authorizes a fine against anyone running a retail food establishment without a license (apart from new ownership of an already-licensed business) and lets the Health Officer order the unit to close temporarily until requirements are met. Chapter 110 penalties otherwise route through the county's general penalty at § 10.99: a fine of up to $2,500, with each day of continued violation counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a food truck need its own permit in LaPorte County?
Can one mobile license cover multiple trucks?
What happens if a truck operates without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in LaPorte County
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