Mobile stores

Food trucks, food trailers, and mobile retailers where the goods are sold from a vehicle or thing that is intended to be mobile are required to follow the below regulations. 

General requirements

All concession and vendor operators must:  

• Have a valid business licence
• Apply for a business licence online or in-person at the Application Centre on the second floor of City Hall (please bring a piece of ID and general information about the business).
• Comply with our Zoning Bylaw No. 12375. 
• Receive Interior Health Authority certification (if selling food)
• Comply with our exclusion zone including City parks and beaches as per the Business License & Regulation Bylaw No. 12585.
• Comply with all Fire Department requirements

Requirements for operating on private land

Those who wish to operate on private land must also follow the following guidelines:

• The mobile store use (food services, retail, etc.) must be an allowable one in the zoning category that applies to the property on which the license is applied for.
• The following must be provided the following at the time of application for the business licence
  • Authorization from the property owner for the applicant to apply for the mobile store business license.
  • A site plan which includes the following:
    • Proposed location of the mobile store on the site
    • Duration mobile store is proposed to be on the site, days of operation and hours of operation
    • Distance from property lines and buildings of the mobile store
• City Staff will verify the number of parking stalls required by existing uses on the site as per the Zoning Bylaw (there must be adequate parking for existing uses and no additional parking stalls must be required for the mobile store)
• Applicant must demonstrate reasonable access to washroom facilities for mobile store employees or operators.

Requirements for operating on public land

Operation within the exclusion zone, which also includes City parks and beaches, requires a concession permit with the Property Management Department as well as a business licence. This is outlined in Business License & Regulation Bylaw No. 12585.on pages 23-24.

Mobile stores may also operate similarly to an ice cream truck where they do not park in any specific location, but operation must remain outside of the exclusion zone. In this model, you may only stop to make a sale or two and move on to another location.

Market or special event operation

Mobile stores strictly operating as a part of a market or special event, where the vendor licence is covered under the market or special event licence, are exempt from requiring a business licence if they are on an approved vendor list and have met all health and safety requirements.