Sheboygan, WI Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Article III of Chapter 78 governs mobile food vendors. Sec. 78-100 defines a mobile food vehicle as a commercially manufactured, self-contained, motorized, mobile food unit in which ready-to-eat food is cooked, wrapped, packaged, processed or portioned for service, sale or distribution. Under Sec. 78-101(a) it is unlawful, within a public right-of-way or on public property in the City of Sheboygan, to operate such a vehicle, to serve, sell or distribute food from it, or to cook, wrap, package, process or portion food in it without first obtaining a valid license.

Applications go in writing to the city clerk's office on the clerk's forms. Sec. 78-102(a) calls for the name, signature and address of each applicant and each member or officer of a corporate applicant, the make, model, VIN number and license plate of the vehicle, and a valid copy of every license, permit or certificate required by the County of Sheboygan, the State of Wisconsin or their enforcement agencies, including vehicle registration and driver's licenses for all operators and employees. The vendor signs a hold-harmless and indemnity statement and maintains liability insurance of not less than $1,000,000.00 per occurrence, with a policy that cannot be cancelled except on 30 days' written notice to the city clerk. A license is invalid whenever that insurance lapses.

The clerk can run a background check and refer the application to the chief of police, whose investigation is to finish within 72 hours. The clerk shall refuse to register an applicant for a material omission or inaccurate statement, a conviction within the last five years directly related to fitness to engage in direct selling, or failure to meet the application requirements. A license expires on April 1 of each year, cannot be transferred from person to person, is valid for one vehicle only, and must be permanently and prominently affixed to the vehicle. Sec. 78-101(e) also requires a person holding the right class of driver's license to be with the vehicle whenever any activity is taking place in it.

The common council can suspend or revoke a license after notice and hearing for a material omission, any violation of the article, noise complaints about the vehicle, or a conviction directly related to the licensed activity. A denied applicant has 14 days to appeal to the council under Sec. 78-103.