What licences and health approvals should I check before buying a food truck in Canada?

A food truck’s paperwork sits with several bodies: the city, the local public health unit and the vehicle regulators. Before you pay for the truck, ask the seller for each approval and then ask the issuer what happens when ownership changes. Do not assume a permit is part of what you are buying. The examples below come from two places and are not a national checklist.

Health approval

Ontario’s Food Premises regulation defines a mobile food premise as a trailer, cart or vehicle-mounted food premise capable of being readily moved, in which food is prepared and offered for sale to the public. It requires, among other things, separate holding tanks for potable water and waste water, unless the premise sells only pre-packaged or non-hazardous food. Vancouver Coastal Health says every operator of a food service establishment must have a valid annual permit, and that the permit is not transferrable to a new owner. Expect to apply for your own permit there.

City licence and permit

Toronto lists a motorized refreshment vehicle owner licence and a mobile food vending permit, and says the business licence is required to qualify for the permit. Toronto’s licence application asks for proof of a health inspection letter from Toronto Public Health, a Safety Standards Certificate from an approved Ministry of Transportation Vehicle Inspection Centre, not more than 36 days old, and proof of propane or natural gas inspection by a certified technician. Applicants must also show proof of commercial general liability insurance.

What to ask the seller and the issuer

• Which licences and permits are in the seller’s name, and does each one transfer or need a new application by you?
• Are the most recent inspection results on file, and are any items outstanding?
• When were the gas and vehicle inspections done, and will they still be valid when you apply?
• Where may the truck operate, and does that depend on a separate approval?

For the wider picture, see buying a food truck in Canada.