Ice Cream Truck Vendors FAQs

If you engage in Ice Cream truck vending or operation, this regulation requires that you obtain a permit from the Permitting Authority within the municipality where you live or plan to operate the Ice Cream Truck.

Every person who intends to engage in Ice Cream Truck vending must obtain a valid permit issued by the Permitting Authority.  Ice Cream Truck vending is defined as the selling, displaying or offering to sell ice cream or any other prepackaged food product from an ice cream truck.

No.  The regulation provides that every person who intends to engage in ice cream truck vending must obtain a permit and defines an ice cream truck as any motor vehicle used for selling, displaying, or offering to sell ice cream.  If your truck does not carry ice cream products, then you will not be required to obtain a permit. 

There are two ways to obtain a permit:  either by applying to the municipality where the applicant lives or by applying to the municipality where the applicant plans to operate the Ice Cream Truck.  An applicant who obtains a permit in the municipality where he or she lives may operate without restriction in any other municipality.  However, an applicant who obtains a permit in a particular municipality where he or she intends to operate is restricted to operating in that municipality.

Applicants may obtain a Office of Public Safety and Inspections (OPSI)-approved permit application from their local Permitting Authority.

Permitting and enforcement will all be done by the local permitting authority and not OPSI.  Please direct all inquires to your local permitting authority.

The Permitting Authority is the chief of police or the board or officer having control of the police in a city or town.  The Permitting Authority may also be a person authorized by the chief of police, the board or officer.

The criminal background check is required by statute.  M.G.L. c. 270 § 25 directs the Division of Professional Licensure to draft regulations which include a requirement that a Permitting Authority conduct an investigation into the criminal history of a permit applicant to determine his or her eligibility. 

The Permitting Authority of the municipality where the applicant applies will determine whether to require a fee for conducting the requisite criminal background check.

Based on the results of the investigation into the applicant’s criminal history, the Permitting Authority will determine the applicant’s eligibility. However, in no case will a permit be issued to a person who is a sex offender as defined by M.G.L. c. 6 § 178C.

No, the information contained in an applicant’s criminal record will be used solely for the purpose of determining the applicant’s eligibility for a permit.

Yes, every person who intends to engage in ice cream truck vending is required to obtain a permit by submitting an application for permit to engage in ice cream truck vending.  However, you may list all operators on one permit for your business to be displayed on the truck itself.

The address listed on your permit should be the business address for the Ice Cream Truck vendor.

Yes, a validly issued permit must be conspicuously displayed and clearly visible on the windshield of the Ice Cream Truck.