Mobile Food Vendors - business licensing

A municipal business licence is required for businesses that offer mobile food services.

Examples of businesses that do require municipal licensing:

• Bicycle food vendors
• Catering trucks
• Food trailers
• Food trucks
• Pushcarts
• Hot dog carts
• Ice cream trucks
• Grocery delivery
• Fresh produce vendors

As part of The City’s efforts to accelerate the business license approvals process, customers with a myID business account can receive a digital copy of their business licence via email. This is available to customers applying for a new business licence or renewing an existing licence. To learn more about the benefits of a myID business account and to sign-up today, please visit myID business account (calgary.ca). 

Caterers

A catering business can only provide alcohol with meals served in conjunction with catered events for private social functions (e.g. a wedding). A catering business can store alcohol at the business premises if it is not sold or consumption on or away from, or at the premises. In this situation, no alcohol beverage sales or liquor store licence is required.

If a catering business promotes or organizes a public event and sells tickets to the general public, it may require alcohol beverage sales, food service - premises, and entertainment establishment licence types.

Food truck versus food service – no premises

The key to determining which licence type is applicable is where the food is prepared and where the truck is located. Mobile food vendors that have the ability to prepare food on board and be driven are licensed as food trucks (full service food vehicles). Full service food vehicles can operate on both city streets and private property. Mobile food vendors that are not able to be driven (trailers, pushcarts, etc.) or only sell pre-prepared foods are licensed as food service – no premises and can only operate on private property.

There are other considerations when determining how a mobile food business is licensed. Food trucks must adhere to maximum dimensions, contain a full kitchen and prepare food to be sold directly to the public. Food service – no premises businesses do not require a self-contained kitchen and often sell pre-packaged food; these businesses are not limited to the size and vehicle requirements of food trucks. Pushcarts that operate outside of the downtown core are also licensed under the food service – no premises licence type.

Food trucks

• A food truck cannot be over 10 metres (32’-9 5/8”) in length.
• A commercial licence plate must be obtained through a registry office.
• Wastewater must be disposed of at approved locations. Learn more about how and where to dispose of fats, oils and grease.
• Streets, traffic, truck Route and wastewater bylaws must be complied.
• There must be a licence for each mobile unit/location.
• If operating on city streets, a public liability insurance policy of $2 million must be in place prior to licence issuance.

Prior to a business licence application:

• An Alberta Health Services consultation is required if food is prepared in a commercial-grade kitchen within a home. Contact 1-833-476-4743 for more information.
• A Home Occupation Class 2 Development Permit and a Commercial Building Permit may also be required. Contact the Planning Services Centre for further information.
• Acquire a licence plate number.

Fire inspection

All food trucks are required to call 311 and request a mobile food concession inspection to ensure the vehicle complies with all fire safety regulations.

Building regulations inspection

All full service food vehicles require a safety inspection to ensure compliance to all relevant provincial and federal safety codes. This is coordinated in conjunction with a business licence fire inspection above.

Food truck locations

Food trucks are allowed to operate from a number of locations across the city but additional permits or approvals may be required.

• Operating from a street downtown (other than Stephen Avenue Mall, Barclay Mall or Eau Claire Market) requires a street use permit. The food truck must be at least 100 metres from a school and 25 metres from a food service establishment. Two trucks are allowed per block face.
• Food trucks cannot operate in prohibited zones.
• To operate a food truck in a City of Calgary park, written permission from the director of the Parks department is required. Visit booking food truck stalls for contact information, restrictions and fees.
• On other city properties, such as in Transit or Calgary Parking Authority lots, written permission is needed by calling 311.
• To operate from private property, written authorization from the property owner is needed.

Food trucks only on private property

Food trucks wishing to operate only on private property do not require to obtain a public liability insurance policy or provide and Indemnification Agreement. They are only able to operate from private property with written authorization from the property owner.

Food service – no premises

This licence type includes food prepared and stored in a vehicle, in a commercial kitchen (including catering trucks) or in a trailer. Some examples include: food trucks that only operate at festivals or only sell pre-prepared foods, pushcarts outside of downtown and bicycle vendors operating on roadways that do not meet the definition of pushcart. Ice cream trucks and catering trucks are licensed under this category. To operate a business on private property, written consent by the property owner must be obtained. This service can only be offered downtown between 7 a.m. and 3 a.m.

There must be a licence for each mobile unit/location.

Pushcart vendor

A portable cart or wagon (which may be attached to a bicycle) used for carrying goods to sell to the public fall under this category. This includes bicycle food vendors operating on downtown city sidewalks. Pushcarts can operate on public property but are limited to specific sites downtown.

Pushcarts operating downtown other than on Stephen Avenue Mall, Barclay Mall or Eau Claire Market can be located in either north or south downtown, as shown on the Downtown Pushcart Locations map. There are four designated sites in downtown south that are assigned by a lottery held on April 1 each year.

There are no pushcart vendors operating outside of downtown. These businesses would be licensed as food service – no premises, or retail dealer – no premises when selling non-food products. A statutory declaration and indemnification agreement must be completed upon application.

All pushcarts must apply for an annual approval with the Pushcart Approval application requirements list. Land use approval is also required for the location of operations.

Pushcarts have a maximum size of 1 metres wide and 1.5 metres long. No hitch is allowed to remain on the cart when set up.

You must have a licence for each mobile unit/location.

A public liability insurance policy of $2 million must be in place prior to licence issuance.

Downtown Association

If a business is operating on Stephen Avenue Mall, Barclay Mall or Eau Claire Market, approval from the Downtown Association.is needed.

Once you apply for your business licence, outstanding approvals must be completed before the business licence is issued.

A business licence will often have multiple licence types associated with it. Below is a chart of all the related licence types that fall under this business activity. If your business requires multiple licence types, approval processes are only generated once per licence. For example, only one fire inspection is required even if multiple licence types require that inspection.

Required approvals