Cook County, IL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $40.00 (Sec. 32-1)
- License term
- Two years
- Issuing office
- Dept. of Revenue, Director
- Display duty
- Must post license at business site
- First-offense fine
- $100.00, rising to $500.00
- Territorial scope
- Unincorporated Cook County only
Summary
A street vendor doing business in unincorporated Cook County, including one who regularly stocks merchandise there for sale, must get a General Business License from the Department of Revenue before operating. Sec. 54-383 makes operating without one unlawful; the license costs $40.00, runs two years, and must be displayed at the point of sale.
Sec. 54-382. - Definitions. Doing business means the extent to which any person who within any unincorporated area of Cook County, for the purposes of this article, fulfills one or more of the following criteria: (a)Maintains a fixed place of business within an unincorporated area of Cook County, or (b)Owns or leases real property within an unincorporated area of Cook County for business purposes, or (c)Regularly maintains a stock of tangible personal property in an unincorporated area of Cook County for sale in the ordinary course of business. Sec. 54-383. - License required. (a)It shall be unlawful for any Person doing business in any unincorporated area of Cook County to conduct such business without having first obtained a General Business License unless exempt as indicated in Section 54-392.
Full Breakdown
Sec. 54-382 defines "doing business" broadly enough to reach a street vendor: it includes anyone who "regularly maintains a stock of tangible personal property in an unincorporated area of Cook County for sale in the ordinary course of business," alongside maintaining a fixed place of business or owning/leasing real property there. Sec. " That exemption matters for vendors already covered elsewhere: Sec. 54-392 excuses anyone "required to obtain a County business license pursuant to any other County ordinance or regulation," so a mobile food unit already licensed under Chapter 38 does not also need this general license, while a general-merchandise cart or table vendor with no other County license does.
Sec. 00, payable to the Department of Revenue. Sec. 54-387 issues the license for a two-year term, and Sec. " The license can be denied, suspended or revoked under Sec. 54-391 after a License Administration Hearing before the Director of Revenue, with an appeal path to the Department of Administrative Hearings and then Circuit Court.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 54-394 fines a first violation $100.00, a second $250.00, and a third or later violation $500.00, with each additional day of continued unlicensed vending treated as a separate offense. The same section lets the County deny the vendor "any County contract, permit, license, and/or privilege" on top of the fine, and the Director of Revenue can also move to suspend or revoke the license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need this license if I already have a County food-truck license?
How long does the license last and what does it cost?
What happens if I vend without the license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Cook County
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