Mobile Food Businesses

Mobile Food Businesses - Man making a burger in a mobile food business - Dutchies.

Mobile food businesses must be registered with their "home base" Council. General information about how to register your food business can be found on the Opening a Food Business page.

Trading Areas and Permits to Trade

The Public Places Bylaw 2006 sets some restrictions around where mobile shops and hawkers can trade. Mobile food businesses are required to apply for a permit to trade, in addition to holding a food business registration.

Permit to Trade

Anyone wanting to operate as a hawker (selling goods door to door) or mobile shop is required to obtain a permit to trade first. Complete the application below to apply for a permit.

Please note: You need to provide detailed information about where you intend to trade as part of your application.

Application for Permit to Trade for Mobile Shop or Hawker - Print version(PDF, 149KB)

Conditions and Trading Restrictions

There are some conditions which apply to the issue of mobile shop and hawker permits:

  • Trading is not permitted in the Central Business areas of the towns of Levin, Foxton and Shannon, unless permitted to do so by Council.
  • Trading is not permitted in any reserve except with the prior written permission of Council.
  • Trading is not permitted within 100 metres of any shop selling similar goods (ie a coffee cart outside a café).

The following operational guidelines also apply:

  • Chimes or other forms of advertising, including recorded or amplified sound must be controlled, so as not to be a nuisance or mask the sound of approaching traffic.
  • The vehicle is not to remain stationary in any street or public place except for such reasonable time as is required or as permitted to complete transaction of business with customers.
  • The operator is responsible for collecting and removing litter generated in the immediate vicinity of the vehicle as a result of its trading operations.
  • The operator is to have their name legibly displayed in letters not less than 25 mm in height in a conspicuous place on the exterior of the vehicle or mobile shop.
  • The licence shall be carried by the operator at all times when selling from the vehicle, and shall be produced on request.

Completed Application Forms

Once completed, your application form can be:

  • scanned and emailed to recordsprocessing@horowhenua.govt.nz ; or
  • posted to Horowhenua District Council, Private Bag 4002, Levin 5540; or
  • delivered to Horowhenua District Council's Customer Service Centre at 126 Oxford Street, Levin; or
  • faxed to (06) 366 0983.

If you have any queries, please contact Council's Environmental Health Officer on (06) 366 0999 or email enquiries@horowhenua.govt.nz

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