Mount Vernon, NY Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Annual fee, motor vehicle license
- $600 per year
- Liability insurance required
- $1,000,000 minimum, City as additional insured
- Performance bond required
- $2,500 approved by Corporation Counsel
- Citywide license cap
- 20 licenses in effect at once
- License expiration
- Automatically expires May 1 each year
- Enforcing agency
- City Clerk with Police Department assistance
Summary
Mount Vernon requires every food vendor operating a mobile food truck, cart or pushcart to hold a City Clerk license before selling food anywhere in the city. Applicants need fingerprinting, a $1 million liability policy, a $2,500 bond and pay $600 a year for a vehicle-based license. No more than 20 licenses citywide are permitted at once.
It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of peddler or food vendor, as defined in § 194-2 of this article, within the City of Mount Vernon without having in force a license therefor as herein provided.
Full Breakdown
City of Mount Vernon Code § 194-3 makes it unlawful to operate as a peddler or food vendor, defined in § 194-2 to include anyone selling food from a motor vehicle, pushcart or stand in a public space, without a City Clerk license. Section 194-5 sets the application: name, date of birth, Social Security and motorist ID numbers, a state sales tax certificate of authority, a description of the vehicle or pushcart and its registration and insurance, any County Health Department permit number, and a criminal history disclosure.
Applicants and every assistant or employee who will vend must be fingerprinted, with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation in the Department of Public Safety reviewing the criminal history before any license issues; no license goes to anyone convicted of a felony or misdemeanor involving violence, dishonesty or deceit. D requires a $2,500 bond approved by the Corporation Counsel. E caps the citywide total at 20 licenses in effect at one time. A, the annual fee for a motor vehicle or pushcart food vending license is $600, while a stand-based license runs $250 and an itinerant vendor's license is $225.
The City Clerk issues a photo identification badge for $10 and vehicle decals under § 194-10, and licenses expire automatically each May 1 under § 194-14 and are not transferable under § 194-15.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a license, or violating any provision of this article, is punishable under § 194-18 by a fine up to $250, up to 15 days imprisonment, or both, and unlicensed merchandise or equipment can be seized and impounded by the City until any fine is paid, then sold at public auction. The City Clerk can also suspend or revoke a license under § 194-12 for fraud, unlawful operation, or loss of Health Department authorization, barring reapplication for one year.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Mount Vernon
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Food Truck Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Westchester County handle food truck permits.