A Mobile Merchant is any person who sells any type of tangible property, including but not limited to food and drink, at or adjacent to the vehicle in which the property is carried.  

• Food trucks
• Mobile Vendors

Does not include any person providing or offering to provide scheduled delivery of food products to the door of any residence within the City at least once every seven (7) consecutive days.

Code

Tempe City Code §24-16 to §24-35 

Step One: :  Have the following documents ready or in process before applying

• A Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT or sales tax) License is required annually for the business

Restaurants include any business where articles of food, drink, or condiment are prepared or served to patrons for consumption on or off the premises. This activity includes bars, lounges, restaurants, caterers, street and mobile vendors and "fast food" establishments. 

Retail activity includes the sale of any tangible personal property, including items such as clothing, jewelry, furniture, gifts, flowers, etc.

Apply, File & Pay Transaction Privilege Tax at AZTaxes.gov link below:

• Certification of Insurance with no less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage, insuring the City against any liability, is required annually for the business.

Must include coverage for contractual liability (including defense expense coverage for additional insureds), personal injury, broad form property damage, products and completed operations, insuring the City against any and all liability or expense that may be incurred by reason of any accident to any person, persons or property arising from or in any way growing out of the use of the right-of-way by the mobile merchant. The general aggregate limit shall apply separately or the general aggregate shall be twice the required per occurrence limit.

• A Digital Headshot Photo in .jpg or .png format, to be used for Tempe issued ID badge,  for each owner and each non-owner driver operator should be emailed to: license@tempe.gov

• A Maricopa County Environmental Services Department "Mobile Food Permit".

Maricopa County Mobile Food Permit instructions

• A Maricopa County Environmental Services Department Certified Food Protection Manager(CFPM) Certificate is required for all food trucks and mobile food units.   

Maricopa County Certified Food Protection Manager Certificate instructions

Certificate must be visible or readily accessible with the mobile unit.  The CFPM must also be physically present or available by electronic means during operation. 

• A Maricopa County Food Handler's Certificate is required for all food-handling employees of food trucks and mobile food units every three years.

Maricopa County Food Handler's Certificate instructions

Certificate must be visible or readily accessible with the mobile unit. 

• Vehicle Identification Number, Make & Model of vehicle used for business

Step Two: A Tempe Mobile Merchant License is required annually for the business and must include an application for the following to be complete:  

• the mobile merchant business 

• each individual owner 

• each non-owner driver-operator 

If you need a Tempe Regulatory License, you will need to renew before January 1 each year.

 BUSINESS APPLICATION 

INDIVIDUAL APPLICATION

RENEW A LICENSE

CLICK HERE FOR TRAINING VIDEOS ON USING THE ACA LICENSING PORTAL

No license is needed for each food handler, but each business does need to provide a food handler's certificate for all food handling employees at the time of annual renewal.

Step Three: Fingerprints are required for all applicants so a background investigation can be completed by Tempe Police Dept.  

Click Here to download City of Tempe Fingerprint Packet

The City of Tempe Code requires that all applicants must submit fingerprints to Tempe Police.

Fingerprints may be obtained at any fingerprinting service company in the United States. Tempe Police Department offers fingerprint services to business license applicants free of charge. To check availability, please call Tempe PD Licensing Unit 480-350-5300. Please ensure you are following the proper procedure to submit the fingerprints. Refer to the City of Tempe Fingerprint Packet for further information.

Required items are as follows:

USDOJ FBI Fingerprint Card, FD258, blue and white in color.

$22 fingerprint fee (in the form of a cashier’s check or money order, made out to Arizona Dept of Public Safety) must be submitted with each person’s fingerprint card.

Licensing Fingerprint Form (this is on the first page of the fingerprint packet, and needs to be filled out by the fingerprint technician).

Enclose all items into a sealed envelope that can be mailed or dropped off to Tempe Police Department at the below address.

Mailed to:

Tempe Police Department

Attn: Licensing Unit

120 E. 5th St., Tempe, AZ 85281

Questions on fingerprinting? Please call 480-350-5300

Fees

$100 New license application fee per business  (non-refundable)

$50 Annual license fee per business (due by January 1 each year)

Total: $150 total for new license

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express by phone or in-person

We accept check by mail or in-person.  We do not accept cash.

Late Penalty Fee

$25 added to annual license fee per business after January 1

Application Processing Time

90 days (from time all documents received)

New license application is forwarded to:

Tempe Police Department

Step One: :  Confirm the following documents have no changes and, if there are changes, submit documentation to Tempe Tax & License for:

• A Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT or sales tax) License is required and must be renewed annually for the business before January 1

Renew, File & Pay Transaction Privilege Tax at AZTaxes.gov link below:

• A "Current" Certification of Insurance with no less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage, insuring the City against any liability, is required annually for the business.

Must include coverage for contractual liability (including defense expense coverage for additional insureds), personal injury, broad form property damage, products and completed operations, insuring the City against any and all liability or expense that may be incurred by reason of any accident to any person, persons or property arising from or in any way growing out of the use of the right-of-way by the mobile merchant. The general aggregate limit shall apply separately or the general aggregate shall be twice the required per occurrence limit.

• If there is a new owner or new non-owner driver operator , then a Digital Headshot Photo in .jpg or .png format, to be used for Tempe issued ID badge,  should be emailed to: license@tempe.gov

• A "Current" Maricopa County Environmental Services Department "Mobile Food Permit".

Maricopa County Mobile Food Permit instructions

• A "Current" Maricopa County Environmental Services Department Certified Food Protection Manager(CFPM) Certificate is required for all food trucks and mobile food units.   

Maricopa County Certified Food Protection Manager Certificate instructions

Certificate must be visible or readily accessible with the mobile unit.  The CFPM must also be physically present or available by electronic means during operation. 

• A "Current" Maricopa County Food Handler's Certificate is required for all food-handling employees of food trucks and mobile food units (certificates expire every three years).

Maricopa County Food Handler's Certificate instructions

Certificate must be visible or readily accessible with the mobile unit. 

Step Two: A Tempe Mobile Merchant License is required annually for the business and must include an application for any "new" owners or "new" non-owner driver-operators to be complete.

If you need a Tempe Regulatory License, you will need to renew before January 1 each year.  Click the button below to reach Tempe Tax & License to renew:

CLICK HERE FOR TRAINING VIDEOS ON USING THE ACA LICENSING PORTAL

No license is needed for each food handler, but each business does need to provide a food handler's certificate for all food handling employees at the time of annual renewal.

Step Three: At Renewal, fingerprints and background checks are required for all "new" owners and "new" non-owner driver-operators which are submitted to Tempe Police Dept.  Returning owners and non-own driver-operators do not need to resubmit fingerprints and background each year.

Suggested Fingerprinting Locations:

AZ Livescan  602-246-3444

SecureOne   480-500-7309

Community Wellness and Safety of Arizona  480-892-4295

$22 fingerprint fee with each fingerprint card per person (by cashier’s check or money order to: Arizona Dept of Public Safety)

Mailed to:

Tempe Police Department

Attn: Licensing Unit

120 E. 5th St., Tempe, AZ 85281

Questions on fingerprinting? 480-350-5300

Renewal Fees

$50 Annual license fee per business (due by January 1 each year)

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express by phone or in-person

We accept check by mail or in-person.  We do not accept cash.

Late Penalty Fee

$25 added to annual license fee per business after January 1

Renewal Processing Time

Less than 30 days (from time all documents received or if there are no changes)

New owners and new non-owner driver-operator applications are forwarded to:

Tempe Police Department

New License Fees

$100 New license application fee per business  (non-refundable)

$50 Annual license fee per business (due by January 1 each year)

Total: $150 for new license

We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express by phone or in-person

We accept check by mail or in-person.  We do not accept cash.

Renewal License Fees

$50 Annual license fee per business (due by January 1 each year)

We do not accept cash.

Late Penalty Fee

$25 added to annual license fee per business after January 1

Application Processing Time for New Applications

90 days (from time all documents received)

New Applications, for new license or renewal, require fingerprints and background checks for all owners and non-owner driver-operators

Suggested Fingerprinting Locations:

AZ Livescan  602-246-3444

SecureOne   480-500-7309

Community Wellness and Safety of Arizona  480-892-4295

$22 fingerprint fee with each fingerprint card per person (by cashier’s check or money order to: Arizona Dept of Public Safety)

Mailed to:

Tempe Police Department

Attn: Licensing Unit

120 E. 5th St., Tempe, AZ 85281

Questions on fingerprinting? 480-350-5300

Requirement to Renew Annually

Mobile Merchant Licenses expire annually. It is unlawful to operate a mobile merchant business in Tempe with an expired license.  Renewal applications must be filed before a license expires.

CLICK HERE FOR TRAINING VIDEOS ON USING THE ACA LICENSING PORTAL

Requirement to Pay Taxes

Double check your Transaction Privilege Tax (TPT or sales tax) to stay on the tax payment schedule established with the Arizona Department of Revenue. You must submit your required filings on-time on the 20th of each month for the previous month's revenues.  You must also renew your Transaction Privilege Tax every year before January 1 . You can access your account online at AZTaxes.gov link here:

Requirement to Maintain Insurance

The business must maintain and show at license renewal a Certification of Insurance with no less than $1,000,000 combined single limit per occurrence for bodily injury and property damage is required annually for the business.  Must include coverage for contractual liability (including defense expense coverage for additional insureds), personal injury, broad form property damage, products and completed operations, insuring the City against any and all liability or expense that may be incurred by reason of any accident to any person, persons or property arising from or in any way growing out of the use of the right-of-way by the mobile merchant. The general aggregate limit shall apply separately or the general aggregate shall be twice the required per occurrence limit.

Requirement to Keep Contact Information Up to Date

If an owner or non-owner driver-operator's information changes, the licensee must contact Tempe Tax & License to make the updates.  If there is a new owner or new non-owner driver operator being added to the license, then a new application for that person is required as well as the fingerprint and background check process.  There is no charge for the application.  There will be a fee for submitting new fingerprinting to Tempe Police for the background check.  

Requirement for the following Maricopa County Environmental Services Division certificates be visible or readily accessible with the mobile food unit for health inspections:

• Maricopa County Mobile Food Permit
• Maricopa County certified Food Protection Manager Certificate
• Maricopa County Food Handler's Certificate

Requirement to follow Tempe City Code for locations, hours of operation and noise

It shall be unlawful for any mobile merchant to engage in business operations in any residential area of the City between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

It shall be unlawful for any mobile merchant to ring bells, play chimes, play recordings or make other noise in any residential area of the City for advertising purposes between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. and between the hours of 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. and no such noise shall be made when the vehicle is parked.

It shall be unlawful to sell any type of tangible personal property from a vehicle upon any arterial street as defined by ordinance, and it shall be unlawful to sell any type of tangible personal property from a vehicle upon any street within an area bounded by, and including, the streets of Farmer Avenue on the west, College Avenue on the east, University Drive on the south, and Tempe Town Lake on the north, unless otherwise authorized by a special event permit.

"Our mission is to provide quality service to all Tempe taxpayers, and administer the tax code in a fair and equitable manner."