How to File a Food Truck Business Report — Food Vending Vehicle Tuning Approval, Place of Business and Sanitation Education, Step by Step

Procedure

1. 1. Secure a use contract for the place of business

   A food truck cannot operate just anywhere, and a document showing the right to use the place is submitted together with the business report. The places prescribed by statute are amusement facilities, tourist sites and tourism complexes, sports facilities, urban parks, rivers, universities, drowsy-driving rest areas on expressways, property for official use, places designated by the local government upon the business operator's application, and facilities designated by ordinance of the metropolitan city or province (si/do) or of the city, county or district (si/gun/gu). Before buying or fitting out a vehicle, first check whether a use contract can be concluded with the operator of the place where you intend to do business.

2. 2. Tuning approval and tuning inspection of the vehicle

   A food vending vehicle is a small or light truck for mobile food sales, or a special-purpose type special motor vehicle. For tuning that converts the cargo bed into a cooking space, apply to the Korea Transportation Safety Authority for tuning approval, have the work done by a motor vehicle maintenance business operator or the like after approval, and undergo a tuning inspection within 45 days from the date of approval. The office receiving the business report checks the motor vehicle registration certificate at that time, so file the report after the tuning inspection has been completed.

3. 3. Check the vehicle facility standards and the gas inspection

   The vehicle must have a drinking water tank that holds the water to be used for a day of business, a waste bin and a wastewater tank for disposing of food scraps, and facilities for storing ingredients hygienically. The common standards for food service businesses, such as cooking and washing facilities, hand-washing facilities, and refrigeration or freezing facilities, are also checked. If LPG is used and the vehicle is subject to a completion inspection of liquefied petroleum gas use facilities, have the completion inspection done before the report.

4. 4. Sanitation education and health examination

   A person who intends to newly run a rest restaurant, general restaurant or bakery business takes 6 hours of food sanitation education before starting business. A person who holds a cook, dietitian or sanitarian license does not need to take this education. The business operator and employees who are directly engaged in cooking and selling food undergo a health examination before starting business.

5. 5. Business report to the competent city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office

   Attach the education completion certificate and the use contract document for the place of business to the business report form, and submit them to the sanitation department of the city, county or district (si/gun/gu) office having jurisdiction over the place of business. The office receiving the report checks the motor vehicle registration certificate, the health examination result certificate and the gas completion inspection certificate through administrative information sharing; if you do not consent to this check, submit copies. That office checks the facilities within 1 month after receiving the report.

Required documents

• Business report form
• Food sanitation education completion certificate
• Use contract document for the place of business (documents by place, such as an urban park use contract, a land use contract for a tourist site, or proof of a use permit for property for official use)
• Motor vehicle registration certificate (food vending vehicle that has completed the tuning inspection)
• Health examination result certificate (persons engaged in cooking and sales)
• Completion inspection certificate for liquefied petroleum gas use facilities (if subject to completion inspection)
• Tuning approval application form, comparison table of main specifications before and after tuning and exterior drawing (where applicable), design drawings of the structure and devices to be tuned

Fees

The government fee for the business report is 28,000 won for an in-person filing and 25,200 won for an electronic filing, based on a new report. Our service fee for filing the business report on your behalf starts from 300,000 won; where review of the use contract for the place of business or preparation of documents for business in another area is also needed, we look at the scope and advise you after a consultation. Tuning work costs and inspection costs are separate.

See fees and official charges for this service →

Legal basis and review date

• Food Sanitation Act, Article 37
• Food Sanitation Act, Article 41
• Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 21
• Enforcement Decree of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 25
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 42
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 49
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, Article 52
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, attached Table 14
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, attached Table 15-2
• Enforcement Rule of the Food Sanitation Act, attached Table 26
• Motor Vehicle Management Act, Article 34
• Motor Vehicle Management Act, Article 43
• Enforcement Rule of the Motor Vehicle Management Act, Article 55
• Enforcement Rule of the Motor Vehicle Management Act, Article 56
• Incheon Metropolitan City Yeonsu-gu Ordinance on the Designation, etc. of Places of Business for Food Vending Vehicles, Articles 2 and 3

Checked against the statutes on 2026-10-01

Statutes and public notices change, so each case needs to be checked individually. Statute titles are given in English for reference. The Korean statutes are the authoritative text.

Check these first

• Before buying and fitting out a vehicle, check whether a use contract for the place of business is possible. Without the document for the place, a business report cannot be filed.
• The tuning inspection must be taken within 45 days from the date of approval, so schedule the work based on the approval date.

Frequently asked questions