Trenton, NJ Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Under Chapter 113, Article I, mobile food trucks fall under the general Retail Food Establishment Health License required by § 113-3 from the City Health Officer, with the annual fee set at $200 for the Mobile Food Trucks classification under § 113-4A(2)(c) (amended February 18, 2025 by Ordinance No. 25-07); temporary retail food establishments operating fewer than two days pay $50, and two to five days pay $100. Article II governs the vehicles themselves: § 113-6 requires any wholly or partly open food-transport vehicle to be screened or covered to keep out insects, seafood/meat/poultry/dairy to stay refrigerated until sale, and licensees to keep debris and waste in leakproof metal containers rather than letting it fall on the street.

Section 113-7 requires every vehicle to be inspected by the Health Officer before use and reinspected at reasonable intervals and at license renewal; a written certificate of approval must be kept in the vehicle at all times and shown on request. For trucks that prepare or process food on board, § 113-8 requires the food-prep area to be fully enclosed in an easily cleaned impervious material, the service opening to be self-closing with minimal additional screening, and a sink plus at least 30 gallons of hot water under pressure available inside, drawn from the City water supply or another approved source.

Plan review carries its own administrative fee of $250 under § 113-4C(1), with a $100 fee for reviewing modified plans, and a late fee of $50 per month accrues on any unrenewed license.