Mobile retail food truck, trailer and cart guide

Business license: A business license is issued by the Department of Excise and Licenses on an annual basis. The license is good to operate for one calendar year and must be renewed annually. This license is only valid in the City and County of Denver. It is not the same as a sales tax license.

Cart: A mobile retail food establishment that is a non-motorized unit designed so food is served from the exterior of the unit. A cart is intended to physically report to and operate from a commissary for servicing, restocking and maintenance each operating day.

Commissary: A facility that is approved by the executive director of Department of Public Health and Environment as a base of operation for a temporary retail food establishment, cart, mobile food establishment, catering operation or other food operation. This includes where food, containers, or supplies are kept, handled, prepared, packaged, or stored. It is constructed and operated in compliance with the rules and regulations.

Enforcement: Each city agency has penalties for not complying with their rules and regulations, policies and procedures, and/or requirements. Enforcement tools used by each agency varies. But they can include but are not limited to a notice of violation, an administrative citation, a court summons, a closure of your business and/or a revocation of license.

Mobile retail food establishment: A retail food establishment that is a wheeled vehicle (such as a mobile truck or mobile trailer) that is readily movable and designed for the service of food from the interior of the unit. It is intended to physically report to and operate from a commissary for servicing, restocking, and maintenance each operating day. Per DFD, food trucks cannot park within 10 feet of another food truck (end to end) or 10 feet of a structure.

A City and County of Denver retail food establishment-mobile license is required for all food trucks, trailers and carts that want to operate in the City and County of Denver. A food truck, trailer or cart cannot operate under any other license. Allow plenty of time to complete the licensing process. During busy season, it could take up to 30 days to complete the licensing process and more time to complete any permits.

Applying for a license

• Complete the mobile plan review packet(PDF, 900KB). The packet can be found on the DDPHE website and the Department of Excise and Licenses website. It can also be requested by emailing phicomments@denvergov.org.
• Get required fees, documents, pictures, and mobile plan review (reference check-off list on page 1 of the mobile plan review packet). Submit all required items online to Excise and Licenses. Go to EXL's website to see process for submitting application online.  
• Excise and Licenses will then distribute the plan review packet to DDPHE and DFD. Mobile plan review packets will begin to be reviewed within five business days. After the packet is approved, the operator will be contacted to schedule the inspection.
• Excise and Licenses will issue a physical license to the mobile unit after required signatures are obtained during inspection. Once you get the City and County of Denver business and professional license, you can begin operating the mobile food unit. For detailed steps, reference mobile retail food establishment licensing instructions.

Where can I park my food truck?

• On the street: It is allowed. A permit could be required (see below). See below for conditions on location and operations.
• On private property: It is allowed. A permit is required with exceptions. See the "Is a zoning permit required?" section. See the "Is a zoning permit required?" section for conditions on location and operations.
• As part of a larger public event: It varies (see below). Also see the "Can I operate in a park?" and the "What are the zoning rules?" sections. A permit is not required. See below and the "Can I operate in a park?" and "Is a zoning permit required?" sections. See below for conditions on location and operations.
• In a public park: See the "Can I operate in a park?" section for allowance if a permit is required and conditions on location and operations.

You can park for vending on any public street, with the following exceptions:

• Not within 20 feet of an intersection when making a sale or attempting to make a sale. Not on any street, alley or public right-of-way within the Central Business District defined by ordinance (see map below).
• Food trucks are prohibited from parking within 300 feet of a public park or parkway unless permission has been granted as part of, or in association with, a festival or contracted event that is permitted by the Denver Department of Parks and Recreation.
• Food trucks are not allowed in residential zone districts.

What rules apply?

• All parking rules must be followed. For example, you cannot double park, park in the wrong street direction, or park at a meter without paying the required fee. If a parking meter is bagged for a special event, you can only park there if authorized by the event.
• If selling ice cream as more than 10% of the gross income from the food truck, you cannot sell on any arterial street, collector street or laned highway.
• You cannot sell to anyone who is standing in the street.
• You cannot place anything - including chairs, tables and signs - on a public sidewalk or in the street.
• You must follow all meter bagging permit or street occupancy permit rules.

On-street parking and permitting

• On-street parking and permitting availability are subject to safety and street operations. All permits are revokable and can be revoked without cause.

• Permits will not be issued for food tucks beyond 14 days from the current date.
• Same-day service is not available. Allow at least one business day to process permitting and bagging services.
• Two on-street spaces must be required if/when a vendor is unable to locate within one permitted space.

Food trucks are not allowed in the Central Business District as shown below in the highlighted area:

Lower Downtown food truck zones

• The Denver Police Department has established dedicated food truck zones in the Lower Downtown area. On Friday through Sunday nights, the zones offer a variety of food options for people on their way to rideshares, public transit or parked vehicles. The zones are located to provide space to enjoy food away from crowded bar entrances and exits. There are three locations (see map below) for these food truck zones. Each location creates spaces to accommodate food truck lines, maintain pedestrian and bike lane flow, avoid blocking parking lot exits and allows space for several food trucks. They are easily accessed while traveling to rideshare pickup locations. More information can be found here.

Food trucks are not allowed within a park or within 300 feet of a park or parkway unless associated with a public event or special occasion. If associated with a public event or special occasion, food trucks must get permission from organizers and get a retail food establishment-mobile license before participating.

A zoning permit could be required to operate a food truck on private property

Food trucks can operate without a zoning permit if they are providing catering services as part of a private party with no sales to the general public. Or if they operate for less than 30 minutes at a location.

Food trucks can operate in these zone districts with a valid zoning permit:

• All S-CC, S-MX, E-RX, E-CC, E-MX, C-MX, industrial, and OS-B zone districts, and
• All downtown zone districts, except the Golden Triangle, Arapahoe Square, and Civic zone districts (D-GT, D-AS, D-CV).

Find zoning and review zone district descriptions at www.denvergov.org/zoning.

Are there any additional zoning rules or conditions?

Food trucks can only operate for up to four consecutive hours each day per zone lot, and only between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m. Operations are prohibited on undeveloped zone lots and zone lots with unoccupied structures or unpaved surfaces.

There can only be one food truck per zone lot. And it must be located at least 200 feet from eating and drinking establishments, 200 feet from other food trucks, and 50 feet from residential zone districts. Other siting, signage and waste disposal standards are listed in the Denver Zoning Code Section 11.11.14 (www.denvergov.org/zoning).

Are there additional conditions or rules for operating a food truck as part of a special event such as a group of food trucks at one location?

Special events are allowed in most zone districts, though in residential districts, the event sponsor must be a nonprofit or government entity. The special event can only last a maximum of 12 consecutive days. And there must be at least 90 days between events at the same location. Operating hours must stay between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. The special event will need a zoning use permit, in which case the food trucks do not need separate zoning permits.

Applying for a zoning use permit

• Visit www.denvergov.org/commercialzoning to download a use permit application.
• Submit a site plan and the zoning use permit application by email to zoning.review@denvergov.org or in-person at the "Commercial Zoning" permit counter (201 W. Colfax Ave., second floor).
  • For a food truck, the use type is "Retail food establishment-mobile."
  • For a special event, the use type is "Bazaar, carnival, circus, or special event."

• Pay fees.
  • A one-year food truck permit is $50, with $50 annual renewals.

A special event permit is $10 per event.

If you use any amount of propane on your mobile unit, you are required to get an annual flammable operational permit from Denver Fire. Use this link to apply.

• Annual flammable operational permits are $200 a year and are good for one year from the date of issuance.

In your annual permit application, include the following information:

• Copy of your mobile vehicle registration.
• Copy of your current hood suppression system inspection report (where applicable).

If you do not use any propane, you are required to get an annual propane exemption letter from Denver Fire. For propane exemption letters, provide the following information:

• Business name.
• VIN and license plate number of food truck (if applicable).
• Previous BFN number (if applicable). If you are a new license applicant, indicate "New Applicant." Email the food truck inspector to get your annual propane exemption letter at DFDMobiles@denvergov.org.

When two or more trucks are operating in the same proximity, trucks must be at least 10 feet apart.

Fire suppression systems are required on all trucks that have equipment that produces grease and/or smoke-laden vapor.

For more information, visit the Denver Fire permits website, email Fire Department inspectors at dfdmobiles@denvergov.org or call 720-913-3405.

All mobile units

• Mobile units are subject to the City and County of Denver's Environmental Health Rules and Regulations Governing Food Establishments and Chapter 23 of the Denver Revised Municipal Code. A copy of these rules and regulations can be found on PHI's website.
• An approved commissary must be used for all necessary tasks, including but not limited to, food preparation, food and equipment storage, washing dishes, filling clean water, and emptying dirty water tanks.
• Plumbed hand washing sinks must be easily accessible during the handling of unpackaged food, including the scooping of ice, and must have warm water, soap and paper towels available.
• Food must be maintained at proper temperature (41 degrees and below or at 135 degrees and above).
• All equipment must be commercial grade.
• An in-place sanitizer that measures proper concentration must be available and used during all food handling.
• Mobile units must be equipped with a minimum of 3 gallons of clean water for each hour of operation, or 10 gallons total, whichever is greater.
• Gray water tanks must be 15% larger than the clean water tank.

New mobile units

• New mobile units must complete a mobile plan review packet(PDF, 900KB) and submit it to the Department of Excise and Licenses for review and approval. The mobile unit operators should not operate until they have received their business license.

Renewing mobile units

• Existing mobile units operators who are renewing their annual license must complete the mobile renewal packet(PDF, 981KB) and submit it to the Department of Excise and Licenses for review and approval. Mobile units cannot operate with an expired license and can renew up to 60 days before the expiration date.

For more information on the requirements of Denver Public Health and Environment's requirements, visit www.denvergov.org/healthinspections or email phicomments@denvergov.org.

Community Planning and Development

Denver Zoning Code:

• References: Article 11, Section 11.11.14
• Retail food establishment, mobile definition: Article 13, Section 13.3

Denver Fire Department

2022 Denver Fire Code:

• Permits section 105: 105.5.96

Mobile food vending

• Section 319 mobile food preparation vehicles

Department of Excise and Licenses

Denver Revised Municipal Code:

• Definitions: Section 23-2 (23)
• Regulations: Section 23-51
• Fees: Section 32-106.5

Department of Public Health and Environment

Denver Revised Municipal Code:

• Definitions: Section 23-1 (2)
• Regulations: Section 23-9

Department of Transportation and Infrastructure

Denver Revised Municipal Code:

• References:
  • Chapter 54, Article XII, Section 54-675
  • Chapter 54, Article XII, Section 54-482
  • Chapter 54, Article XII, Section 54-513
  • Chapter 54, Article XII, Section 54-514