Ocala, FL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

The City of Ocala requires every person who sells or vends "on an itinerant basis" inside city limits, a term that reaches food truck and mobile food-cart operators, to hold a mobile vendor's license (MVL) issued by the Building Department under Sec. 22-341. The application, filed under oath on a city form under Sec. 22-348, must include two passport-style photographs, the applicant's date of birth and social security number, a description of the vehicle used (make, model, year, color, license number), and the length of time the license is sought for.

Applicants must be at least 18, list two Marion County references who can vouch for their character, disclose any prior criminal or ordinance convictions, and supply a Florida Department of Law Enforcement criminal history report obtained through the Ocala Police Department at their own expense. Fees are $30 for administrative processing plus $120 for each sales category selected under Sec. 22-349(b), such as edibles, goods, services or rentals; a vendor offering more than one category pays $120 for each additional category. The Building Official has two weeks to investigate the application and may deny it if the applicant's character or business responsibility is unsatisfactory, or if the applicant was convicted of a crime, misdemeanor or ordinance violation in the prior five years.

An approved MVL runs on the city's fiscal year, October 1 through September 30, and is tied to one named individual and one vehicle; renewal after expiration carries a $25 late fee if filed after November 1, and any MVL not renewed within 30 days of its September 30 expiration is void. The Building Official may revoke an MVL for fraud, misrepresentation, any violation of the mobile vendor division, or a felony or moral-turpitude misdemeanor conviction, after notice and an informal hearing; a revoked vendor may appeal to the city council within ten days.