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Starting or moving a food truck on Maui?
A plain-English summary of the County's own food truck FAQs — the permits behind the truck, and where a truck is allowed to park. Short version: you need both a State health permit and a County registration, and where you park decides which extra permissions apply.
The two permissions every truck needs
- Hawaiʻi Department of Health — Mobile Food Establishment (MFE) permit. The State permit for the truck itself, arranged through the State's eHAZ system with a Sanitation Branch inspection.
- Maui County Food Truck Registration. Separate from the State permit — both are required. Registration is annual, renews by January 31, and the County FAQ states a $100 annual fee. Applications run through the County's MAPPS Customer Self-Service portal.
- Business license / tax certificate — also required; fees vary.
Depending on the setup, two more pieces can apply: your truck needs a State-approved commissary (water, prep and storage space, disposal, restroom — commissaries carry their own permits and inspections), and if your wastewater goes to a County facility you'll need a Food Truck/Trailer Wastewater Discharge License from the Wastewater Reclamation Division — it renews every two years, after a pre-treatment inspection.
Where a truck can park — the short version
- Private property — allowed in listed zoning districts with the property owner's written permission, on an improved or paved surface, without taking required off-street parking.
- Food truck courts — permitted in the B-2, B-3, M-1, M-2, and SBR districts.
- County rights-of-way — only where on-street parking is allowed and the truck is legally parked, in an allowed zone, registered, and operating between 7:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m.
- County parks and beach parks — no parking/stationing without a Department of Parks and Recreation permit.
- State parks and beaches — no parking/stationing without a DLNR Division of State Parks permit.
- Special events — allowed on any property with a special events permit plus the owner's written permission.
One more from the FAQ: in the Molokaʻi and Hāna community plan areas, once more than 25 trucks are registered, certain larger structures (over 1,000 sq ft) tied to a truck operation can require a Special Use Permit reviewed by the Planning Commission. Accessory structures on farms are allowable and don't.
Your listing in the Maui Food Truck Finder
The Maui Food Truck Finder lists 100+ Maui trucks by area, cuisine, and price guide — free, and built to send residents to your window. We only publish schedules we've verified, and we're happy to work from yours.
Run a truck? Send us your schedule or fix your listing. Message us on Instagram — @mauiweekendguide — with your truck name, where you park, your regular days and hours, and a link to your menu or site. The most useful details: your location type (private lot, food truck court, event, park), the pod or property name if you're in one, and confirmation that your County registration and State MFE permit are current. Every submission is reviewed by a person before anything changes — nothing auto-publishes.