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

18, Mobile Food Vendors, requires a current, valid Mobile Food Vendor Permit from the City for any wheeled unit selling food that stays in one spot at least five minutes; units operating entirely on City park streets or lots need a permit from the Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department instead. Annual permits run $350, dropping to $100 for applications filed after September 1, and expire every December 31; a daily permit costs $40. Applicants apply through the City Clerk's office with vendor and vehicle details, their service base location, their certified food manager, and proof of all required state and county permits.

Vendors may operate on City streets and lots in pre-designated spots within the B-2 Central Business District and the M-1, M-2, M-3, MM-1 and I-1 zones, on private property outside residential zones RD-1 through RS-4, in City Parks under a Parks Department permit, or anywhere covered by a street-closure permit. Motorized units and towed trailers cannot exceed 25 feet in length; pedal or hand-propelled carts are capped at 4 feet wide and 8 feet long, and no unit may take more than two parking spaces or block a sidewalk.

m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, with earlier cutoffs tied to any special event they serve. Vendors must serve customers curbside, cannot sell alcohol outside a permitted park event, cannot use exterior loudspeakers, and must keep generator noise under 70 dB(A) measured at 50 feet.