Wayne County, IN Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Under Wayne County Code § 110.03, the term "permit" covers mobile food units and temporary food vendors, and it is unlawful to operate a food establishment in unincorporated Wayne County without a valid permit issued by the Health Officer; the permit must be posted conspicuously at the operation. A separate permit is required for each establishment, even multiple vendors sharing one structure under different names, menus or management, and no permit may be transferred to another owner or operator. Standard annual permits run January 1 through December 31 and must be renewed by the first business day in February, but a temporary food establishment's permit instead covers a single continuous operation capped at 14 days, and the vendor must file at least seven days before the event or the county will not issue it at all.

Fees are set under § 110.04, with a late fee of double the original permit amount for anyone who fails to pay before operating or fails to renew on time. Operators who keep a permit must comply with Health Department directives, immediately halt operations and report any imminent health hazard, and allow inspectors reasonable access; failing any of these duties exposes the operator to the administrative, civil, injunctive and criminal remedies described in § 110.03(H)(6). A permit holder aggrieved by an enforcement order can appeal to a Hearing Officer under § 110.07 by filing a written request with the Health Officer within 15 days of the final order.