Health approvals
Mobile food unit approval or permit
A food truck or cart needs its plans approved before it is built. Type A units (prepackaged or low-risk food) get an approval; Type B and C units (hot food, raw proteins) get an operating permit and need FOODSAFE and a food safety plan. Most need an approved base of operations (commissary) for storage, prep and cleaning.
- Who issues it
- Island Health
- Cost
- A flat $75 a year for a mobile unit, or $150 prorated.
- Forms and pages
Who needs it
The rules behind this page
- Mobile Food Premises Guidelines(p. 3)BC Centre for Disease Control · July 2024
- Mobile Food Premises Guidelines(p. 10 · Table 1)BC Centre for Disease Control · July 2024
- Opening a Food Service Establishment(p. 1)Island Health · April 2025
- Health Act Fees Regulation, B.C. Reg. 274/92(Schedule, s. 2)Province of British Columbia (BC Laws) · Current to September 22, 2026