Rochester, NY Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Section 60-3 of the Municipal Code requires anyone operating a food truck or food trailer to obtain from the City Clerk, and display during vending, either an annual license or a temporary permit. The application must identify the vendor and every designated operator, list the commissary address used to supply and prepare the food, and include copies of valid Monroe County or New York State licenses, DMV registration and driver's licenses, and a New York State Certificate of Authority to collect sales tax. Every license and temporary-permit applicant and their operators must consent to a Rochester Police Department background check, and the Chief of Police can deny an application where a conviction bears a direct relationship to the license or poses an unreasonable risk to public safety, subject to a Correction Law Article 23-A analysis and a hearing right under Chapter 68.

Every vehicle must pass a Fire Department inspection confirming it meets New York State Fire Code requirements before a license or permit issues (Section 60-3(C)). Insurance of at least $1,000,000 in comprehensive general liability coverage, naming the City as additional insured, must stay in force for the whole license period (Section 60-4). Under the Section 60-6 fee schedule, an annual food truck license runs $330 for trucks up to 28 feet, rising to $1,000 if it covers the Center City, Marina or Harbortown Vending Districts; food trailers pay $100 to $150 depending on where they vend.

Licenses expire December 31 regardless of issue date and are not prorated (Section 60-5(A)), and a $24 fee applies to each vendor identification badge beyond the first free one.