Municipal

Fire inspection for a food truck

Whether a food truck needs a fire inspection depends on where it sells. Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay and Sidney inspect every year; Nanaimo, Colwood and Campbell River inspect as part of the licence; Esquimalt, North Cowichan and Courtenay publish none. Where there are rules, grease-vapour cooking needs an NFPA 96 hood and suppression system, and frying needs a Class K extinguisher.

Who issues it
Your municipality’s fire department
Cost
Free to $133 depending on the municipality — see the table on this page.

Do you need it?

You need it if

  • You cook on board a food truck, trailer or cart — with propane, wood or anything that makes grease-laden vapour — and you sell in a municipality that inspects trucks.

You don’t need it if

  • You only sell in Esquimalt, North Cowichan or Courtenay: none of them publishes a fire inspection for trucks (Island Health and Technical Safety BC approvals still apply).
Where this comes from

Sources

How to get it

  1. 1

    Get the gas system approved first

    A propane system needs Technical Safety BC’s decal or a certification mark before any fire inspection.

  2. 2

    Fit the fire equipment

    A multipurpose ABC extinguisher (5 lb in Colwood, 10 lb in Sidney and Duncan); a Class K extinguisher if you cook with oil or fat; and for grease-vapour cooking, an NFPA 96 hood with an automatic suppression system. Nanaimo and Sidney want the suppression system and hood serviced within the last six months, with tags showing.

  3. 3

    Book an inspection in each municipality you’ll sell in

    Each one inspects for itself (table below). Oak Bay may accept another department’s inspection from the past 12 months.

  4. 4

    Display what you’re given

    Victoria issues a decal, Saanich and Oak Bay a certificate, Sidney a sticker.

Where this comes from

Sources

Food truck inspections and licences in each municipality

The fire inspection and business licence each municipality asks of a food truck or cart.

  • Fire inspection:Required before a truck operates: a fire inspection each year by January 15, $100, with a decal valid to December 31. New approvals may not use wood-burning appliances.

    Truck licence:Not published — ask Victoria.

  • Fire inspection:A fire inspection every year, with the certificate displayed. The Saanich licence requires it, and so do park bookings.

    Truck licence:$100 a year.

  • Fire inspection:Trucks at The Langford Station must allow a Langford Fire Department inspection.

    Truck licence:A one-time $100 licence for The Langford Station, whatever licences you hold elsewhere.

  • Fire inspection:No fire inspection is published. A truck needs Island Health approval and may work only on property zoned for restaurant use, unless at a permitted special event.

    Truck licence:Not published — ask Esquimalt.

  • Fire inspection:A fire inspection every year, $50, with the certificate displayed. The Fire Chief may accept another department’s inspection from the past 12 months.

    Truck licence:Not published — ask Oak Bay.

  • Fire inspection:Inspected during the licence review: an ABC extinguisher, and where cooking makes grease-laden vapour, a fixed suppression system and a Class K extinguisher.

    Truck licence:Not published — ask Colwood.

  • Fire inspection:Inspected every year, with a Town sticker: a 10 lb extinguisher, Class K for oil, and for grease-vapour cooking an NFPA 96 hood and suppression serviced within six months.

    Truck licence:Not published — ask Sidney.

  • Fire inspection:Required, as part of the licence, for enclosed units with propane or wood-fired appliances or grease-laden cooking; re-inspected only when the setup changes. Suppression and hoods are serviced every six months.

    Truck licence:$165 on private property; $365 for parks or streets.

  • Fire inspection:The mobile vendor application carries a Fire Chief sign-off and asks for a 10 lb ABC extinguisher and a Class K extinguisher.

    Truck licence:$200 a year on private property, $500 on City property.

  • Fire inspection:No fire inspection. Propane equipment needs BC Safety Authority approval.

    Truck licence:Not published — ask North Cowichan.

  • Fire inspection:No fire inspection is listed: a truck shows Island Health approval, Technical Safety BC certification, vehicle insurance and $2 million liability insurance.

    Truck licence:$150 a year on private property, $450 on public property.

  • Fire inspection:Must meet NFPA 96 and send a fire suppression plan with the licence application. The inspection costs $133, and proof of it is needed to book City sites.

    Truck licence:$150 a year.

Where this comes from

Sources

Once you have it

  • Renew every year where the inspection is yearly — in Victoria by January 15, for a decal that runs to December 31.
  • In Nanaimo, any change to your cooking setup has to be inspected again.
  • Victoria no longer approves new trucks with wood-burning appliances.
Where this comes from

Sources

What comes next

Where a food truck may park and sellYour municipalityMunicipal business licenceYour municipality

Which businesses need it

Food trucks & cartsSelling from a truck, trailer or cart.

The rules behind this page

Last checked 5 November 2026. We check this guide regularly against Island Health, provincial and municipal sources, but regulations and laws change often and we can’t guarantee it is complete or current. Confirm with Island Health and your municipality before you apply, build or sell.

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