The City of Springfield recently passed an ordinance to allow licensed food trucks and mobile food vendors to operate in Springfield. The Springfield City Council hopes that this new ordinance will attract more activity to Springfield, especially to downtown, and that it will provide more dining options for visitors and residents. 

This ordinance was passed at the January council meeting and applies to anyone who serves food or drink to the public from a food truck, food trailer, push cart, ice cream truck and/or temporary tent setups.

To be eligible to apply for a Springfield food vending license, applicants must first have approval from either the Effingham Department of Public Health (DPH) or the Department of Agriculture. DPH regulates food safety protocols and the Department of Agriculture regulates agriculturally based products such as ice cream or peanuts. Springfield will not issue a license to a vendor without an approved food service permit.

License fees have been established and are set at $25 for a temporary license or $150 for a yearly license. Upon application, the operator must state when and where they plan to set up their vending unit. Included in the ordinance is a map of pre-approved locations to choose from. Operators can vend at these locations once they have received written permission from the property owner.

Copies of the ordinance can be found online where the City of Springfield Code of Ordinances is hosted on Municode.com. Copies will also be made available at City Hall or can be emailed upon request. Applications are available at City Hall.