Paterson, NJ Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License issuer
- Paterson Division of Health
- Annual fee
- $500 prepackaged / $900 on-site prep
- Background check
- required for owner + drivers
- Food handler cert
- required before license issues
- License expires
- December 31 each year
Summary
Paterson requires anyone selling food from a truck or cart to hold a Division of Health license, pass background checks, and hold a valid food handler certificate first.
No person shall offer any food for sale from a food vending vehicle in the City without first obtaining a license therefor from the Paterson Division of Health. ... Both the applicant and any additional driver/operator must have a valid food handler certificate prior to the issuance of a food vending vehicle license.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4713536; v19 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
No person may offer food for sale from a food vending vehicle in Paterson without a license from the Division of Health (§ 243-2A). Applicants and any additional driver/operator consent to a Passaic County Sheriff's or State Police motor-vehicle and criminal-record check and must be fingerprinted at their own expense (§ 243-2B, C), and both must hold a valid food handler certificate before the license issues (§ 243-2G). The annual fee is $500 for prepackaged-food vehicles and $900 for vehicles preparing food on site, plus $75 per additional driver; licenses expire December 31 and are non-transferable (§ 243-2E, § 243-3, § 243-7).
Violations & Fines
A fine of $100 to $1,000, up to 90 days' imprisonment or community service per offense, plus possible impoundment of an unlicensed vehicle or cart (§ 243-8).
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Paterson food truck license?
Does a Paterson food truck operator need a background check?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paterson
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