Imperial County, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Processing unit permit
- $459/year, not prorated
- Non-processing unit permit
- $330/year, not prorated
- Support unit permit
- $345/year, not prorated
- First violation fine
- $100–$200 infraction
Summary
Imperial County requires every mobile food facility, trucks, trailers, carts, and support units, to hold an annual environmental health permit, with separate non-prorated fees for processing, limited-preparation, non-processing, and support units.
No person, corporation, association, firm, business or entity shall operate, perform, carry on, conduct or engage in any of the activities delineated in this section without obtaining a health permit and paying the fee listed in this section for the activity and obtaining a receipt therefore from the environmental health division.B.Non-transferable Permits. Permits described herein are not transferable.C.Owner/Operator Business Name Change. An owner/operator with a valid permit changing only the name of the business shall submit an updated permit application within ten (10) days from the date of the business name change. Failure to submit updated permit application will result in suspension of the health permit until the required business information is obtained. (Ord. No. 1588, § II, 12-19-23)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 62 - 9-25).
Full Breakdown
The environmental health division's permit requirement (§8.02.040) applies to every activity listed in the county's health-permit fee schedule, including mobile food units. Under §8.02.070(A), a processing mobile food facility pays $459 a year, a limited-food-preparation unit $375, a non-processing unit $330, and a support unit $345: none of these fees are prorated. Operators must notify the division within ten days of any change of ownership or business-name change. Operating without a valid permit, or after failing to renew, exposes the operator to infraction fines escalating from $100 to $500, or prosecution as a misdemeanor under §8.02.090.
Violations & Fines
Operating a mobile food unit without an environmental health permit is an infraction: fines run $100 to $500 per repeat violation within a year, or prosecution as a misdemeanor punishable by up to $1,000 and six months in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a food truck need a permit to operate in unincorporated Imperial County?
What happens if I operate without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Imperial County
California rules heatmap·Compare Imperial County to another location·View the California food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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