Honolulu County, HI Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Peddler's license fee
- $60 per year
- Second license required
- HRS § 237-9 GET license
- Banned public areas
- 13 named locations citywide
- License-exempt sellers
- fresh fish, fruit, lei, flowers, vegetables
- First-offense fine
- $100
- Repeat-offense penalty
- up to $1,000 and 30 days jail
Summary
Any food truck, lunch wagon, or mobile food vendor selling on a public street, sidewalk, or highway anywhere on Oahu needs an annual peddler's license from the city under ROH § 13-6.2(a), plus a Hawaii general excise tax license under HRS § 237-9. Operating without both is unlawful island-wide, and the code also bars vending outright in 13 named public areas.
(a) It is unlawful for any person to peddle on a public place without a peddler's license issued by the city, except as otherwise provided by § 13-6.1. (b) It is unlawful for any person, whether exempt or licensed under § 13-6.1, to peddle on a public place, unless such person is also duly licensed under HRS § 237-9 to engage in and conduct such business as required by HRS § 237-9. (c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) or any other ordinance to the contrary, and except as specifically provided in this section, it is unlawful for any person to peddle on a public place in the following areas, even if such person is exempt or licensed under § 13-6.1:
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-10: Supplement 10, 12-2025 Ordinance No. 25-40 through Ordinance No. 25-56).
Full Breakdown
The Revised Ordinances of Honolulu regulate mobile food vending through the Peddler's License article, Chapter 13, Article 6. 1 sets the license at $60 a year, waived for newspaper peddlers and unnecessary for sellers of fresh fish, fresh fruit, fresh lei, fresh flowers, or fresh vegetables, and for anyone 60 or older. 2(b) layers on a second requirement: the peddler must also hold a Hawaii general excise tax license under HRS § 237-9, so a food truck operator needs two licenses stacked, not one. 90-4(j) defines a "Mobile Commercial Establishment" as a registered, safety-checked vehicle used by an itinerant vendor, peddler, or huckster to sell food, explicitly including lunch wagons, lunch vans, and food trucks.
2(c) then bans peddling outright, even for licensed or exempt vendors, in 13 specific public areas: the Pali Highway corridor and lookout, Makapuu Lookout, Diamond Head Road, Tantalus Drive, Waimea Bay, a 300-foot radius on Laie Point, the entire Waikiki Peninsula, the Fort Street and Union Street Malls, Chinatown and its two pedestrian malls, any school zone while school is in session, Halona Scenic Lookout, the City Hall and Honolulu Municipal Building grounds, and any city-owned park or beach absent a concession, permit, or license.
Subsection (d) carves out an exception for vending done within the terms of a parade or street usage permit. Peddling in these zones without an authorizing concession, permit, or license is a separate violation from operating without the base peddler's license.
Violations & Fines
ROH § 13-6.4(a) sets tiered fines: $100 for a first violation of the peddler article, $250 if a prior violation occurred within the last two years, and not less than $500 nor more than $1,000 plus up to 30 days imprisonment for a third violation within two years. Under § 13-6.4(b), a police officer issues a summons or citation, or may physically arrest the violator instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a food truck need a permit to vend on Oahu streets?
How much does Honolulu's peddler's license cost?
Where in Honolulu can a food truck not set up?
What happens if a food truck vends without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Honolulu County
Compare Honolulu County to another location·View the Hawaii food trucks & mobile vendors overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.