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

Section 8.08.020 requires anyone operating a food facility, vending machine business, food processing establishment, or other food-handling business, which by definition includes mobile food preparation units, to first apply for and receive a food vending permit from the health department. The written application must state the applicant's name and address and the character and location of the activity, and a mobile food unit applicant must additionally list three service stops, giving the exact address and time of each stop. Once issued, a permit is valid only for the specific person, location, and type of food sale approved, cannot be transferred, and must be posted conspicuously on the premises or vehicle.

Sections 8.08.030 through 8.08.100 fill out the regulatory chain around that permit: plans for a new or remodeled food facility go to the department for review, a permit can be suspended or revoked for a violation of state law, the article, or applicable rules, and the permittee gets a written notice of violation with a right to a hearing before suspension or revocation takes effect. If the health officer finds an immediate danger to public health or safety, § 8.08.100 lets an inspector summarily suspend the permit and close the premises on the spot, with the permittee still entitled to request a hearing within fifteen days. Mobile food units must additionally meet the vehicle-safety and LP-gas installation standards in § 8.08.070, covering secured equipment, seat belts for occupants, and ASME-approved propane tank fittings, before they can operate on the road.