Palatine, IL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Palatine folds food trucks into its broader food establishment licensing scheme in chapter 20, article III. Section 20-164 defines a "mobile food dispensing unit permit" as the document that lets a mobile food establishment operate and serve only time/temperature control for safety (TCS) food in individual servings that were prepared and prepackaged in advance at an approved food establishment or commercially prepackaged in an approved processing plant, meaning a truck cannot cook or assemble TCS food to order on the street. Section 20-165(a) makes it unlawful to operate any food establishment, including a mobile unit, without both a license and a permit, valid only for the specific vehicle for which it was issued, non-transferable, and required to be displayed on the vehicle whenever service is available to the public.

Section 20-165(c) lists mobile food dispensing units and roadside stands among the categories that each require a separate annual license, permit, and fee under the village fee schedule, distinct from the license needed for delivery vehicles serving residences or retail properties. The village's environmental health division, referenced throughout the article as the health authority, reviews permit applications, and Section 20-166 requires plans and specifications before construction, conversion, or remodeling of a covered establishment where the division determines they are necessary. Section 20-163 folds in the state Food Code as the minimum operating standard for every licensed food establishment operating in the village, including mobile units.

Violating the licensing or permit requirements can trigger summary suspension by the health officer under Section 20-167 when an inspection turns up an imminent health hazard, with an opportunity for a hearing before the village manager.