Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Iowa (2026)
32 rules on the books across Iowa, 13 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.
Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions
Food Truck Permits
Licenses and health permits required to operate a food truck, including fees, inspections, and renewal requirements.
Iowa: statewide
StatewideSome RestrictionsIowa Code Chapter 137F universally requires state food establishment licenses for mobile food units operating anywhere…
Read full rule →Davenport
Heavy RestrictionsDavenport requires every mobile food unit to hold a $55 annual mobile food unit license, a valid Scott County Health…
Read full rule →Cedar Rapids
Significant RestrictionsCedar Rapids Municipal Code § 42A.03 requires every mobile food vendor to file an application, carry at least…
Read full rule →Iowa City
Significant RestrictionsOperating a food truck on Iowa City's public right of way requires a city-issued food truck permit, insurance set by…
Read full rule →Sioux City
Significant RestrictionsSioux City requires mobile food vendors to hold a fire code permit: $50 annually, or $20 per day for vendors operating…
Read full rule →Waterloo
Significant RestrictionsSelling food or beverages from a food truck or food cart in the City of Waterloo, Iowa requires a mobile food business…
Read full rule →Ames
Some RestrictionsThe Ames Municipal Code regulates food trucks through Sec. 22.14, making it unlawful to sell food, beverages or…
Read full rule →Ankeny
Some RestrictionsSelling food from a truck, cart or stand anywhere in Ankeny without a City mobile food unit license is a simple…
Read full rule →Council Bluffs
Some RestrictionsEvery mobile food vendor operating in Council Bluffs needs a license from the Parks and Recreation director under CBMC…
Read full rule →Des Moines
Some RestrictionsEvery mobile food vender in Des Moines must get a mobile vender license from the city clerk before selling, with a…
Read full rule →Dubuque
Some RestrictionsAnyone selling food or drinks from a mobile food unit in Dubuque must first get a mobile food vendor license from the…
Read full rule →Johnson County
Some RestrictionsA food truck in Johnson County needs a mobile food unit license issued through Johnson County Public Health as Iowa…
Read full rule →Polk County
Some RestrictionsEvery mobile food unit operating in unincorporated Polk County must get a permit from Polk County Public Works at least…
Read full rule →West Des Moines
Some RestrictionsEvery mobile food unit selling to the public in the City of West Des Moines needs an annual City license under Code…
Read full rule →Vending Zones
Designated areas where food trucks and mobile vendors can operate, including time limits, distance from restaurants, and residential area restrictions.
Davenport
Heavy RestrictionsOutside a City-designated vending zone, a Davenport food truck may not operate in the right-of-way without a…
Read full rule →Des Moines
Significant RestrictionsDes Moines limits mobile food vendors and transient merchants to nine designated parks, plus three athletic complexes…
Read full rule →Iowa City
Significant RestrictionsIowa City food trucks can't set up inside the mapped downtown zone, within 150 feet of a restaurant entrance, in a…
Read full rule →Sioux City
Significant RestrictionsSioux City bars mobile food vendors from residential-zoned property or right-of-way and keeps them at least 150 feet…
Read full rule →Ankeny
Some RestrictionsAnkeny confines mobile food units to nonresidential property and bars them from public property entirely unless a…
Read full rule →Cedar Rapids
Some RestrictionsCedar Rapids Municipal Code § 42A.11(b) keeps mobile food vending units and food stands at least 100 feet from an open…
Read full rule →Council Bluffs
Some RestrictionsCouncil Bluffs mobile food vendors need the Parks and Recreation director's written consent to sell from city park…
Read full rule →Dubuque
Some RestrictionsDubuque bars mobile food units from residential properties, requires a city temporary use permit to park on a…
Read full rule →Polk County
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Polk County only allows mobile food units in Mixed Use, Neighborhood Business, General Commercial, Light…
Read full rule →Waterloo
Some RestrictionsWaterloo City Code sections 3-4F-8 and 3-4F-9 set where licensed mobile food businesses may operate in the City of…
Read full rule →West Des Moines
Some RestrictionsIn the City of West Des Moines, mobile food units may not operate on public property except within an approved special…
Read full rule →Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Permits and rules for sidewalk vendors and pushcarts, where vending is allowed, cart and equipment standards, and the distance and hours rules that come with a vendor permit.
Waterloo
Heavy RestrictionsA licensed mobile food business in the City of Waterloo, Iowa may not sell or operate on any portion of a street…
Read full rule →Ankeny
Significant RestrictionsAnkeny bans placing any mobile food unit on a public or private sidewalk. Only a pushcart may use a sidewalk, and only…
Read full rule →Cedar Rapids
Significant RestrictionsCedar Rapids Municipal Code § 42A.11(d)-(f) bars food stands and food carts from sidewalk ramps, bans food trucks from…
Read full rule →Des Moines
Significant RestrictionsSelling food from a cart or truck on a Des Moines street requires a mobile vender license from the city clerk, valid…
Read full rule →Iowa City
Significant RestrictionsIowa City caps sidewalk food-cart vending to six permits city-wide, all issued for City Plaza except up to two allowed…
Read full rule →Council Bluffs
Some RestrictionsCouncil Bluffs lets mobile food vendors sell from a parked vehicle in the public right-of-way under CBMC 3.58.080, but…
Read full rule →Dubuque
Some RestrictionsDubuque lets pushcarts, but not other mobile food units, sit on a public or private sidewalk under City Code §…
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