How it works
Food trucks – also known as mobile food premises – are licensed, motorised vehicles used to sell food. They often contain all the facilities required to prepare and cook food safely on-board.
Food trucks are like any other food business, and need to be registered and verified to ensure they're preparing and selling safe food.
Setting up a safe food truck
Your mobile food truck must be suitably constructed for food preparation and handling and sale activities.
You must:
- make sure all surfaces (floors, walls, ceiling, shelving and benches) are smooth, waterproof and easy to clean
- provide ventilation to maintain comfortable conditions for people working in the truck, prevent condensation and remove bad odours
- have enough space for everyone who'll be working in the truck, and to be able to clean effectively
- provide sinks and hand wash basins, with enough hot water to allow effective cleaning and hand washing
- drain wastewater to a big enough holding tank, and dispose of it into the sewerage system or through a sink attached to a grease trap
- comply with the following electrical/fire safety requirements:
If there is not enough space to prepare food, you can use an alternative preparation kitchen. You'll need to make sure this preparation kitchen is covered by your registration.
Applying for a food registration certificate
Before you can sell food from a food truck, you need to apply for a food registration certificate from the council closest to where your business is registered. If your business is not yet registered, check with one of our Environmental Health Officers which council to register with.
You'll need to provide:
- a drawing or photographs of your proposed food truck setup
- details of the types of food you're planning to sell
- information about your preparation kitchen, if you're planning to use one.
Applying for a food registration certificate
Once you have your food registration certificate and have started selling food, you need to have your business verified.
Verification of your food business
Where you can sell food
Once your food truck is registered you can operate anywhere in New Zealand, as long as:
- you have landowner permission to use the site
- trading from that location fits with activities allowed in the District Plan.
Market or event
If you want to trade as part of a market or event, contact the organiser – they will deal with us on your behalf.