West Covina, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Section 14-162(b) makes it unlawful to operate a mobile food vendor business anywhere in West Covina without first obtaining a mobile food vendor permit, and Section 14-162(c) makes clear that permit sits on top of, not in place of, any other business license or state permit the operator needs, including the county health department certificate that must be displayed on the truck under Section 14-163(e). Applying requires more than a form: Section 14-164 has the applicant declare the application under penalty of perjury and pay a nonrefundable fee set by council resolution, then supply the vehicle's California license plate number and VIN, the commissary address where the truck is stored, proof of insurance acceptable to the license collector, and proof of a valid California driver's license for the vehicle's operator.

Each mobile food vendor vehicle needs its own separate permit under Section 14-163(a). Once filed, Section 14-165 gives the license collector twenty days to issue the permit unless the application is incomplete or shows the proposed operation would violate the location and conduct rules in Section 14-163, in which case the collector must serve written notice and give the applicant ten days to amend. A denied applicant can appeal to the city manager. Section 14-166 sets the permit term at one year, expiring every December 31 regardless of the issuance date, and renewal follows the same fee and timing rules as a business license renewal.

Section 14-167 lets the license collector deny, suspend, or revoke a permit for violating the article, with ten business days' written notice, an opportunity to cure, and an appeal to the city manager; a revoked permit holder is barred from reapplying for one year. Late permit fees draw a ten percent penalty, plus another ten percent for every month the balance remains unpaid, capped at a total penalty of one hundred percent of the original fee, under Section 14-165(f).