Department of Health

Food trucks and market stalls

On this page

Key messages

  • Food stalls, food trucks, food vans and carts may be classified as class 2, 3 or 4 food premises.
  • Class 2 and 3 premises must be registered through your principal council, and the registration renewed each year.
  • Class 4 premises need to notify their principal council once before they start trading.
  • You must use Streatrader to register your mobile and temporary food premises in your principal council.
  • You must let a council know where and when you plan to trade by lodging a Statement of Trade.

Mobile food premises

Mobile food premises are vehicles such as vans, trailers or carts from which food is sold.

Temporary food premises

Temporary food premises are:

  • stalls, tents or marquees (or any other structure that is not permanently fixed to a site) from which food is sold or handled for sale, such as at a market, school fete or festival
  • halls or similar buildings that you don’t own or lease, but use occasionally and from which you sell food or handle it for sale.

Food stalls, trucks, vans or carts – registration and statements of trade

The steps to take before you start running a temporary or mobile food premises, food vending machine or water transport vehicle are:

  • register your food premises (or notify) with local council under the statewide single registration system
  • lodge a Statement of Trade (SOT) with the councils in whose areas you are planning to trade using Streatrader
  • check with your local council to see which other permits you may need before you start trading.

Registration or notification

In Victoria, all food premises are required to have a Food Act 1984 registration from their registering council before selling food. This includes fixed premises, such as cafes and restaurants – but also temporary and mobile food premises such as a market stall or a food van.

You must register your temporary or mobile food premises using Streatrader. Streatrader will allow you to:

  • apply for a Food Act registration or notification with your registering council
  • manage your registration
  • lodge SOTs for each of your events.

For further information, see the Streatrader website.

Statements of trade – lodgment

A SOT is a statement that lets all relevant councils know when you will be operating your temporary and mobile food premises, and where.

For further information see the Streatrader website.

Other council permits

The single statewide registration scheme is only relevant to registration under the Food Act. You need separate council approval to operate in a public place. The Town Planning and Local Laws departments of the council districts in which you plan to trade can advise you about this.

Reviewed 03 October 2023

Health.vic

In this topic

On this site

  • FoodTraderExternal Link
    State-wide registration and notification portal for people selling food in Victoria from temporary and mobile food premises.

Contact details

Food Safety Unit

Phone 1300 364 352
foodsafety@dhhs.vic.gov.au
Was this page helpful?