Running a food truck in South Bend requires a city mobile food vendor vehicle license under Code section 4-45 — $525 a year plus a $5 application fee — and a St. Joseph County Health Department permit tied to an approved licensed commissary.
South Bend licenses food trucks as "mobile food vendor vehicles" under Municipal Code section 4-45, issued by the City Controller. Annual/seasonal licenses cost $525; shorter terms run $200 (three months), $130 (30 days), and $50 (one day), plus a $5 application fee. At least 80 percent of revenue must come from food and beverages, and the truck must carry liability insurance. Separately, the St. Joseph County Health Department requires a permit ($325 dispensing-only, $375 prep unit) and an approved commissary ($75/year), with plan review before opening. The license displays in the sales window.
Operating without a valid mobile food vendor license or health permit can shut the truck down. The city license must be displayed in the sales window; unlicensed vending and health-code failures bring fines and permit revocation.
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