Yolo County, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required by
- Sec. 6-3.02
- Issuing office
- Director of Environmental Health
- Inspection frequency
- 1-2 times per year, by risk
- Placard system
- Green/Yellow/Red, Sec. 6-3.08
- Max misdemeanor fine
- $500 plus up to 6 months jail
Summary
Yolo County Code Sec. 6-3.02 makes it unlawful to open, operate, or maintain a food facility, a term that under Sec. 6-3.01(c) covers any operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves, or vends food to the public per Health and Safety Code Sec. 113789, without first getting a permit from the Director of Environmental Health. That definition reaches mobile food preparation units and food vehicles.
On and after February 12, 1953, it shall be unlawful for any person to open, operate, or maintain a food facility without first obtaining a permit from the Director of Environmental Health.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Supplement 2026 S-21 includes: Local legislation current through Ord. 1584, effective June 25, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 3 (Food Facilities) governs the permit itself. Applications go to the Director of Environmental Health and must state the applicant's name and address (and, for a partnership or corporation, every partner or officer) and the location of the premises, per Sec. 03; for a mobile unit that location is typically the commissary or base of operation. Under Sec. 04, a permit cannot be granted if the vehicle, equipment, or facilities are unfit to comply with the County's building and equipment standards, the California Retail Food Code, or rules issued by the State or County Public Health Director.
The Director of Environmental Health inspects every food facility at least once a year, and up to twice a year depending on risk level, under Sec. 07, and posts a color-coded compliance placard (green PASS, yellow CONDITIONAL PASS, red CLOSED) after each inspection under Sec. 08; that placard must stay visible to patrons and cannot be altered, defaced, or removed. The separate 1979 ordinance chapter that once set specific standards for 'mobile food preparation units,' 'itinerant restaurants,' and 'food vehicles' (former Secs. 510) was repealed by Ord.
1099 in 1989, so those uses are folded into the general food facility permit and inspection scheme in Chapter 3 rather than governed by standalone mobile-vendor rules.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a valid permit, or without the required placard posted, is unlawful under Secs. 6-3.02 and 6-3.08(c) and can trigger suspension or revocation of the permit plus a daily re-inspection and associated fees; absent a chapter-specific penalty, violations of the County Code are punishable as a misdemeanor under Sec. 1-2.01, carrying a fine of up to $500, up to six months in county jail, or both, with each day of violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do food trucks need a permit to operate in unincorporated Yolo County?
Is there a separate mobile food truck ordinance in Yolo County?
How often will my food truck be inspected?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yolo County
California rules heatmap·Compare Yolo County to another location·View the California food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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