Food Trucks

What Do I Need to Do to Be Able to Operate a Food Truck?

  • Obtain a motorized refreshment vehicle owner licence
  • Obtain a mobile food vending permit

 Where and When Can I Operate?

  • On public roads (with a mobile vending permit)
  • Private property and commercial parking lots with the permission of the owner in areas that allow food trucks
  • Green P parking lots (with a Green P permit)
  • 30 linear metres from an open and operating restaurant
    • does not include food courts or entrances to buildings containing food courts
  • No more than two food trucks per block
  • Maximum of five hours at any one time

Individuals, partnerships or corporations.

Apply in person at the Licence and Permit Issuing Office at East York Civic Centre, 850 Coxwell, 3rd floor.

For Motorized Refreshment Vehicle Licence: $1198.92

Original documents required for all applications (and renewal transactions).

Two pieces of government-issued identification (one must be photo ID)

  • Canadian Passport (photo ID)
  • Driver’s Licence (photo ID)
  • Canadian Birth Certificate
  • Citizenship Card
  • Permanent Resident Card
  • SIN Card (Social Insurance Number)
  • Valid Work Permit

Note:

  • First and last names must match on all identification
  • We do not accept Health Cards

What corporations and partnerships need to apply

  • a business location/address
  • a copy of provincial business name registration or signed franchise agreement
  • a partnership agreement

Or

  • a copy of Articles of Incorporation (Note: If there has been a change to the list of officers and directors, please also provide a current Corporate Profile Report.)

If the president, director or officer of the corporation are unable to apply in person at the Licence & Permit Issuing Office, a designate may apply on their behalf. The designate must:

  • have an original letter advising of their signing authority on the corporation letterhead
  • provide two pieces of identification for themselves
  • provide two pieces of identification for each officer and director of the corporation, or, if original identification is not available, notarized photocopies of the identification.

Applicants must provide an original Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Check issued by a Canadian Police Service within 280 days prior to the application.

Please note:

After November 1st, 2018, under Province’s Police Record Checks Reform Act, 2015, Municipal Licensing and Standards will require “Criminal Record and Judicial Matters Checks” for all applications and renewals. “Criminal Record Checks” will not be accepted.

An original copy of the provincial vehicle registration, where the name and address match the applicants.

Applicants must provide proof of $1,000,000 in Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance.

A form certificate will be provided at time of application for your insurance provider to complete.

Completed forms that are signed and stamped by the insurer can be returned by fax or email directly from the insurer.

An original valid Safety Standards Certificate

Proof of a Health Inspection from Toronto Public Health.  You can arrange this by calling 311 or the Health Connection Line at 416-338-7600.

Food Handler Certification for owner and any staff.

Applicants must obtain:

  • A Field Approval for equipment from the Technical Standards and Safety Association (TSSA).
  • A inspection by a TSSA-certified technician.  Some certified technicians are listed on the TSSA site, while others can be found through the Yellow Pages, Internet or other directories or advertising.

A photo of the vehicle should be brought in, along with a sketch indicating its dimensions.

A photo of the owner will be taken at the Licence and Permit Issuing Office.

A copy of the applicant’s driving record abstract: a three year driving history recorded by the Ministry of Transportation.

This record should be less than 30 days old.

Mobile Food Vending Permit holders are allowed to operate at all pay-and-display stations on major, minor arterial and collector roads. These vendors are required to abide by all relevant parking regulations, and pay for parking. Vendors are encouraged to identify areas of the road, such as non pay and display stations and lay-bys that may be suitable for mobile vending. Upon review, these areas may be designated as Mobile Vending Zones, where food trucks could operate for up to five hours at a time.

To view a map that displays potential mobile food vending zones that are 30 metres from an open and operating restaurant and a list of locations of pay and display parking stations on major and minor arterial and collector roads.

Permit fee

Six-month permit: $3190.74
Nine-month permit: $4786.12
One-year permit: $6381.46

*All fees include HST

Insurance

Applicants must provide proof of $2,000,000 in Commercial General Liability (CGL) insurance.

A form certificate will be provided at time of application for your insurance provider to complete.

Completed forms that are signed and stamped by the insurer can be returned to our office by fax or email directly from the insurer.

Your licence will expire annually on the anniversary of the date that the licence was first issued.

The renewal fee is $797.49

A renewal notice, identifying any documents required to renew the licence, will be mailed to the address on file.

Payments received after the licence expiry date are subject to late fees in addition to the annual licence fee.

If you fail to renew your licence within 90 days of the specified renewal date, your licence will be cancelled and you will have to reapply.