The Salt Lake City Mobile Food Truck Business Packet is the Mobile Food Truck/Trailer Business License Application, with its checklist and the city's mobile food rules, issued through Salt Lake City Corporation Finance / Business Licensing. It is one of the Salt Lake City business license applications, and it is the one for anyone who wants to serve food or beverages from a truck or trailer. On this page you can fill out the form online on FillingPDF and download or print the completed PDF; the packet itself is published by the city at the official URL below.
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What is Salt Lake City Mobile Food Truck Business Packet?
The Salt Lake City Mobile Food Truck Business Packet is the city's application packet for a mobile food business license. Its first page is the Mobile Food Truck/Trailer Business License Application, and the rest reprints the ordinances that govern mobile food businesses.
The application asks for the name of the business, the commercial food supply source (name and address), a description of each truck, the truck plate number, and the preparation methods and food products offered for sale. It includes an indemnity statement, signed by the applicant, that holds the city and its officers and employees harmless from claims for property damage or injury arising from the licensed activity. A checklist on the form lists the items to include with the application.
The packet reprints Chapter 5.69, Mobile Food Businesses in the Public Right of Way, and sections 21A.36.160 and 21A.36.161 of the Salt Lake City Code. A parking information sheet for on-street parking is also included. Those pages define a mobile food business as a self-contained unit, motorized or on a trailer, that serves food or beverages and is readily movable. A mobile food truck is an enclosed, self-contained motorized vehicle, and a mobile food trailer is a nonmotorized vehicle normally pulled behind a motorized one. Vending carts and mobile ice cream vendors are not mobile food businesses under those definitions.
Section 5.69.030 states that no person may operate a mobile food business without first obtaining a business license from the city.
Who needs to file Salt Lake City Mobile Food Truck Business Packet?
Anyone who plans to operate a mobile food business in Salt Lake City, whether a food truck or a food trailer, applies for the license with this packet. The ordinance in the packet says application for all mobile food businesses is made with the city business licensing division before operation begins.
- Owners with more than one truck or trailer: the application asks you to describe each vehicle on a separate sheet. Separate business license applications may be required for each mobile food business, and a separate license fee is required for each vehicle operating under one business license.
- Operators who want to use the public right of way: the packet allows mobile food trucks there only within the M-1, M-2, D-1, D-2, D-3, D-4 and G-MU zones.
- Operators who want to use private property: the owner's authorization is required before a license is issued.
- Applicants for a license renewal: the insurance provisions apply to each applicant for a license or renewal.
Not covered by Chapter 5.69: vending carts, mobile ice cream vendors, seasonal farm stands and other temporary merchants authorized elsewhere in the city code. Mobile food courts need conditional use approval under section 21A.36.161, which is a separate process from this application.
When to file Salt Lake City Mobile Food Truck Business Packet
Submit the application before you start operating: Chapter 5.69 says the application is made with the city business licensing division prior to the commencement of operation, and no one may operate a mobile food business without first obtaining the license.
The license is tied to an annual business regulatory fee. Section 5.69.060 says no license is issued or continued in operation unless the holder has paid that fee for each mobile food business. The packet also refers to a license or renewal, but it prints no renewal date or processing time. Check with Business Licensing for those.
Once licensed, the certificate of insurance must stay current and on file with the city recorder for as long as you are licensed. Failure to follow the public right-of-way conditions may result in suspension or revocation of the license and is a class B misdemeanor.
Documents you need
- Salt Lake City Application for Business License, listed first on the packet checklist.
- Copy of all necessary licenses or permits required by state or local health and transportation authorities.
- Copy of your menu.
- Certificate of Insurance that shows Salt Lake City as additional insured.
- Proof of State Tax Identification for Salt Lake City.
- Copy of a valid driver's license for each driver.
- Where applicable, written permission for use of private property from the property owner.
- Where applicable, the written consent of the proprietor of a restaurant or shop, on a form the business license administrator deems appropriate, to waive the 100-foot distance rule for the same block face.
- Additional sheet describing each extra truck or trailer, with the same information the application requests, if you have more than one.
How to fill out Salt Lake City Mobile Food Truck Business Packet
Enter the name of your business
Write the name of the business on the Name of Business line at the top of the Mobile Food Truck/Trailer Business License Application.
Identify your commercial food supply source
Under Commercial Food Supply Source, enter the name and address of the supplier. The ordinance asks for the approved commercial supply source and primary licensed food establishment, if applicable.
Describe the truck and its display method
In the Truck Description box, describe each truck to be used, including any method of displaying the food or products offered.
Enter the truck plate number
Write the license plate number on the Truck Plate No line.
Describe preparation methods and food
Describe how the food is prepared and which food products you will sell. The ordinance also asks for the intended menu, display and distribution containers.
Add a sheet for each extra vehicle
If you have more than one truck or trailer, include the same information for each one on a separate sheet.
Check the items to include
Go through the checklist: business license application, health and transportation permits, menu, certificate of insurance naming Salt Lake City as additional insured, state tax identification proof, each driver's license and any property owner permission.
Fill in and sign the indemnity statement
Enter the name in the blank of the statement beginning "I, ..." and sign under Signature. This statement holds the city and its officers and employees harmless from claims arising from the license.
Review, download and assemble the package
Check every entry against the checklist, then download or print the completed PDF from FillingPDF and assemble the package described under How to submit.
How to submit Salt Lake City Mobile Food Truck Business Packet
The packet does not print a street address, portal or email for returning the application. It says the application is made with the city business licensing division, which is part of Salt Lake City Corporation Finance / Business Licensing.
- City Business Licensing: the city's page for business licensing applications and links, https://www.slc.gov/Finance/business-licensing/applications-and-linksnew/, lists the Salt Lake City Mobile Food Truck Business Packet under Mobile Food Licenses. The same page gives an email address for questions about mobile food truck licenses.
- Package contents: assemble the completed application with every item on the checklist: the Salt Lake City Application for Business License, licenses or permits, menu, certificate of insurance, state tax identification proof, driver's licenses and any property owner permission.
- Fee: an annual business regulatory fee applies to each mobile food business under section 5.04.070 of the city code. The packet does not print the amount, so ask Business Licensing for the current figure and how to pay it.
For public right-of-way questions the parking sheet gives the Transportation Division Office, 349 South 200 East, Suite 450, 801-535-6630. FillingPDF lets you fill out and download the PDF; submission follows the city's channels above.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Describing only one vehicle when you have more; the form says to give the same information for each truck or trailer on a separate sheet.
- Submitting a certificate of insurance that does not show Salt Lake City as additional insured, which the checklist requires.
- Leaving out written permission from the property owner when you plan to operate on private property; proof is required before a license is issued.
- Leaving the indemnity statement unsigned; the applicant signs it holding the city harmless from claims arising from the licensed activity.
- Operating a licensed truck in the public right of way outside the M-1, M-2, D-1, D-2, D-3, D-4 and G-MU zones.
- Staying in one location longer than twelve hours in a twenty-four hour period; no overnight parking is allowed.
- Parking within 100 feet on the same block face of a restaurant door, or on the same block face as another mobile food vendor, without the written consent the ordinance requires.
- Pulling a trailer with a mobile food truck, or operating on a public street where the speed limit exceeds 45 miles per hour; both are prohibited.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a license to run a food truck in Salt Lake City?
Yes. Chapter 5.69 of the Salt Lake City Code says no person shall operate a mobile food business without first obtaining a business license from the city. The application in this packet is made with the city business licensing division before operation begins.
What do I have to include with the mobile food truck application?
The checklist lists the business license application, required state or local health and transportation permits, a menu, a certificate of insurance showing Salt Lake City as additional insured, proof of state tax identification, a driver's license copy for each driver and, where applicable, property owner permission.
Is there a fee for a Salt Lake City mobile food business license?
Yes. An annual business regulatory fee applies to each mobile food business under section 5.04.070 of the city code, and each vehicle under one license needs its own fee. The packet does not print the amount, so ask City Business Licensing for the current fee.
Where can a food truck operate in the public right of way?
Mobile food trucks may operate in the public right of way only within the M-1, M-2, D-1, D-2, D-3, D-4 and G-MU zones. On private property, other zones are allowed under section 21A.36.160, and the property owner's authorization must be shown before a license is issued.
How long can a food truck stay in one spot?
No more than twelve hours within a twenty-four hour period at one location. Section 21A.36.160 also says the truck must be occupied by the owner or operator at all times and that no overnight parking is allowed.
What is the on-street parking limit for food trucks downtown?
Much downtown on-street parking has a maximum 2-hour limit, effective 8am to 6pm Monday through Saturday. Payment at pay stations is required Monday through Friday for every space or part of a space occupied. A permit can reserve a metered space longer; call 801-535-6630.
Does a food trailer use the same packet as a food truck?
The application is titled Mobile Food Truck/Trailer Business License Application, so it covers both. Chapter 5.69's right-of-way allowance, however, names mobile food truck vehicles and excludes mobile food trailers, so check the city's rules for where a trailer may operate.
Can I fill out the Salt Lake City food truck application online?
You can fill out the PDF online on FillingPDF and download or print it. FillingPDF is independent of Salt Lake City, does not file the application and does not issue the license; you submit it through City Business Licensing.
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