Understand Food Truck Licenses Around the World

Running a food truck is fun, but if you don't know the local licensing rules, you could get fined, have your truck shut down, or even have it towed. This guide lists the most important permits needed in major areas and cites reliable sources to make it more credible.

🇺🇸 United States: Licensing and Compliance
Most states and cities in the U.S. require the following to run a food truck legally:
Business License 
Permit for a Mobile Food Unit or Food Vendor  Referenced from: NYC Small Business Services 
Food Handler Certification and an Inspection by the Health Departmen
Check for Fire Safety
Commissary Kitchen Agreement (needed in a lot of cities)
If you don't follow the rules, you could be fined, have your business shut down, have your permits revoked, or have your car towed.

🇪🇺 Europe — Rules Strict in all countries, but different in each one
Some things that all major EU countries need are:
Business registration and VAT records
BizzOnWheels says, "Food Carts Europe License Requirements"
License to sell on the street
Health and hygiene certification 
Certificates of safety for gas and electricity
BizzOnWheels Equipment Safety Notes
Fines, losing the right to sell things, or being kicked out of public vending areas are some of the penalties.

Australia and New Zealand—Approval for Mobile Food Businesses
Mobile food businesses must follow national food safety codes in order to run legally:
Notification/Approval from the Council
A food safety system that meets standards for hygiene, water, and waste
State-dependent Certified Food Safety Supervisor
Penalties include fines, denied approvals, or being shut down right away by health authorities.

Only registered trucks can drive in South Korea.
Food trucks need to:
Sign up with the district office in your area
Only operate in places where you are allowed, like parks, riversides, campuses, etc.
Wikipedia has a summary of the rules for Korean food trucks.
Punishments: Fines and immediate removal for operating outside of designated areas.

Japan—Strict Sanitary Licensing
To run a food truck (mobile yatai), the people who do it usually have to:
Get a sanitary law business license for a food-related business
Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Food Sanitation Division
Send in plans for the layout of the inside, the sinks, the plumbing, and the list of equipment.
Hire a qualified sanitation supervisor
Penalties: Selling things without permission can get you fined, have your equipment taken away, and be banned from public places

Why You Should Start With a Food Truck That Is Professionally Built and Compliant
A high-quality food truck that meets all the rules makes it much less likely that you will be denied a permit or fined. Trucks fail inspection for a number of reasons, including not having enough ventilation, having bad wiring, or using the wrong materials.
Starting with a truck that was professionally designed makes sure that

• Correct wiring, plumbing, ventilation, and fire safety
  Materials that are safe for food and a well-placed sink
  Electrical systems that work in different countries
  A smoother way to get through local health and fire checks
• Pick ORAT Food Trucks—they're made to meet global standards.
  ORAT Food Trucks has been making food trucks in China for 20 years. They send compliant, customizable food trucks to the U.S., Europe, Australia–NZ, Korea, Japan, and other places.
• The benefits of ORAT are:
  Complete customization for menu, workflow, and local code needs
  Global compliance engineering (standards for ventilation, electricity, propane, and layout)
  Strong materials and skilled work
  Have worked with brands and distributors from other countries

ORAT gives you a solid base to help you pass inspections and avoid expensive fines, no matter where you do business, like Los Angeles, Sydney, Berlin, Seoul, or Tokyo.