Mission Viejo, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

20, including mobile food preparation units, without first applying for and receiving a food vending permit from the health department, which Sec. 005 defines as the county health care agency. Subsection (b) requires a written application stating the applicant's name and address and the character and location of the activity, and adds a mobile-specific requirement: applicants for a permit to operate a mobile food preparation unit must provide a list of three service stops, including the exact address and time of each stop. A permit is nontransferable, valid only for the approved person, location and activity, and must be posted conspicuously on the vehicle under subsection (e).

Beyond the permit itself, Sec. 035 imposes safety requirements specific to mobile units: compressors, auxiliary engines, generators, batteries, battery chargers and gas-fueled water heaters must be installed so they are accessible only from outside the unit, and all installed equipment must be secured to prevent movement in transit or detachment in a collision or overturn. A permit can be suspended or revoked under Sec. 015 for violating state law, the chapter, adopted rules, or on the health officer's recommendation, following the notice-and-hearing procedure in Secs. 030, which gives a permittee 15 days to request a hearing before a qualified environmental health specialist.