Mobile Food Preparers (7-38-134 et seq.)

Municipal Code of Chicago tit. 7, ch. 7-38, art. II, pt. C

in effect

Municipal Code of Chicago § 7-38-134 Mobile food preparers - Operational requirements.

7-38-134 Mobile food preparers - Operational requirements. (a) Any food sold or served by a mobile food preparer shall be prepared or wrapped in the mobile food vehicle or in a licensed retail food establishment. (b) All time/temperature control for safety food products shall be stored as provided in this chapter and rules of the Department of Health until served to a customer. No food that is sold or served from a mobile food preparer’s vehicle shall be stored or prepared in a residential home. (c) During transportation and storage, food equipment, supplies and food contact surfaces shall be protected from contamination. (d) Mobile food preparers shall list the food establishments from where they purchase articles of food on a daily basis. Mobile food preparers shall also keep in the vehicle copies of invoices from the foods’ point of origin for thirty (30) calendar days for all food items except that invoices for shellfish must be kept for ninety (90) calendar days. (e) Mobile food preparers shall also comply with the rules of the Department of Health and the following food and equipment handling requirements: (1) no food shall be stored, displayed, or served from any place other than the mobile food vehicle. The use of tables, benches, and other such devices to display or serve food is prohibited; (2) food condiments shall be protected from contamination. Food condiments provided for customer self-service shall be prepackaged or contained in approved dispensing devices; (3) food products remaining after each day’s operation shall be stored only in a licensed food establishment. Time/temperature control for safety foods held at or above the temperature prescribed in the rules of the Department of Health on a mobile food vehicle shall be discarded at the end of the day; (4) customer self-service of unpackaged foods is prohibited; and (5) all mobile food trucks must have a person in charge present who is a City of Chicago certified food service manager when food is being prepared or served as required in Section 7-38-012. All other employees who handle food or food equipment shall have food handler training as required by the State of Illinois. (f) The Commissioner of Health shall have authority to provide by rules additional sanitation requirements and procedures for the operation of mobile food preparers. (Added Coun. J. 7-25-12, p. 31326, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-13-17, p. 63286, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-14-18, p. 90308, Art. II, § 2)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 7-38-136 Mobile food trucks.

7-38-136 Mobile food trucks. (a) All mobile food trucks shall be equipped with a handwashing sink and a three-compartment sink with a potable water system under pressure. The system shall be of sufficient capacity to furnish enough hot and cold water for food preparation, utensil cleaning and sanitizing, and handwashing in accordance with the requirements of the Department of Health. The water storage tank shall be self-draining and cleaned and flushed once every 24 hours. The water inlet shall be located so that it will not be contaminated by waste discharge, road dust, oil, or grease and it shall be kept capped unless being filled. The water inlet shall be provided with a transition connection of a size or type that will prevent its use for any other service. All water distribution pipes or tubing shall be constructed and installed in accordance with the requirements of the plumbing sections of this Code. (b) A mobile food truck shall be equipped with a permanently installed liquid waste retention tank that is of at least 50 percent larger capacity than the water supply tank. Liquid waste shall be piped in a fixed piping to the liquid waste retention tank. Additionally, all connections on the vehicle for servicing shall be of different size or type than those used for supplying potable water. Liquid waste shall not be discharged from the retention tank when the mobile food vehicle is in motion. The connection between the piping from the sink and the liquid waste tank shall be tight-fitting and comply with the plumbing sections of this Code. The liquid waste tank shall be emptied daily or more often if necessary, and only into a sanitary drainage facility in a manner and place approved by the Department of Health. The liquid waste retention tank shall be located in a separate area from food storage or food-contact surfaces. The liquid waste retention tank connection shall be located lower than the water inlet connection to preclude contamination of the potable water system. (Added Coun. J. 7-25-12, p. 31326, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-13-17, p. 63286, § 3)

Municipal Code of Chicago § 7-38-138 Servicing a mobile food truck.

7-38-138 Servicing a mobile food truck. (a) The commissary linked to a mobile food preparer must have a servicing area approved by the Department of Health. The servicing area shall comply with the following requirements: (1) the servicing area shall include at least an overhead protection for any supplying, cleaning, or servicing operation. The servicing area must have a location for the flushing and drainage of liquid waste in accordance with the rules of the Department of Health; (2) the surface of the servicing area shall be a smooth non-absorbent material, such as concrete or machine-lad asphalt and shall be maintained in good repair, kept clean, and graded to drain. (b) The mobile food truck’s liquid waste retention tank must be thoroughly flushed and drained during the servicing operation. All liquid waste shall be discharged to a sanitary sewage disposal. (c) The mobile food truck’s grease, where used, shall be drained into a storage bin approved by the Department of Health. No grease shall be discharged to the sanitary sewage disposal. (d) Garbage disposals shall be installed in compliance with the plumbing sections of this Code. (e) A commissary must keep a log of all mobile food trucks serviced by the commissary as well as the date and time the trucks were serviced. (f) Mobile food trucks must report to a commissary at least once per day for servicing. (Added Coun. J. 7-25-12, p. 31326, § 2; Amend Coun. J. 12-13-17, p. 63286, § 3; Amend Coun. J. 11-14-18, p. 90308, Art. II, § 2)

Source: City of Chicago, Municipal Code of Chicago (American Legal Publishing, codelibrary.amlegal.com)URL: https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/chicago/latest/chicago_il/0-0-0-2642367Fetched: 10/24/2026