Mobile Food Trucks
San Diego Municipal Code § 141.0612
in effect§141.0612 Mobile Food Trucks
Mobile food trucks are temporarily parked, operable motorized vehicles that function as transportable retail food and beverage facilities that move daily. This use category includes mobile food trucks that provide sales to the general public of food and beverage (pre-packaged or prepared and served from the vehicle or an attached trailer) for consumption on or off of the premises. They are health regulated businesses subject to Chapter 4, Article 2, Division 1. This use category does not include pushcarts as described in Section 141.0619, farmers' markets as described in Section 141.0503, or off-site food and beverage delivery services.
(a) Zoning Regulations.
(1) In the zones indicated with a “P” in the Use Regulations Tables in Chapter 13, Article 1 (Base Zones), mobile food trucks are permitted by right and are not required to obtain a permit or comply with Section 141.0612.
(2) In the zones indicated with an “L” in the Use Regulations Tables in Chapter 13, Article 1 (Base Zones), mobile food trucks are permitted as a limited use, subject to Section 141.0612.
(b) General Regulations.
Mobile food truck operators shall comply with all of the following:
(1) maintenance of a valid business tax certificate from the City of San Diego to operate within the City;
(2) maintenance of a valid County of San Diego Health permit and operation in conformance with all applicable health standards;
(3) posting, in public view and without obstruction, on both the front right windshield and the back left bumper of the mobile food truck, the following items: the County of San Diego Health permit certification stickers; and a notice with at least 3-inch font providing “To report a violation, call City of San Diego Code Enforcement at 619-236-5500”;
(4) selling only food and beverage items regulated under the California Retail Food Code (California Health and Safety Code Division 104, Part 7, Section 113700 et. seq., as it currently exists or may be amended);
(5) no verbal solicitation of business from pedestrians or persons in vehicles, and no sale to persons in vehicles;
(6) no amplified sound or loudspeakers, and compliance with the noise limits in section 59.5.0401;
(7) no lighting, except localized lighting that is used on or in the mobile food trucks for the purpose of inside food preparation and menu illumination;
(8) no signs other than those exhibited on or in the mobile food truck, except for one temporary ground sign, located entirely on private property, with a maximum display area of six square feet, in compliance with Section 141.0612(b)(15) and (16);
(9) no selling or serving alcohol;
(10) provision of one trash receptacle and one recycling receptacle for use by patrons and in a convenient location that does not impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic;
(11) collection and removal of all litter or debris generated within a minimum 25-foot radius of the food truck;
(12) containment of all associated equipment and operations within the mobile food truck, except for the trash and recycling receptacles required by Section 141.0612(b)(10);
(13) no furniture, except for a maximum of two standing tables and a shade canopy with maximum dimensions of 10 feet by 10 feet, located entirely on private property, generators, objects or structures outside of the vehicle except for signs as allowed in Section 141.0612(b)(8);
(14) where located within 300 feet of a dwelling unit, operation only between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and between 6 a.m. and 11p.m. Friday and Saturday;
(15) no obstruction or interference with the free flow of pedestrian or vehicular traffic, including but not limited to access to or from any business, public building, or dwelling unit; and
(16) no restriction of visibility area sight distance at any driveway or intersection.
(c) Mobile food trucks in the Public Right-of-Way.
Mobile food truck operators shall comply with all of the following:
(1) maintenance of liability insurance policy of at least $1,000,000 that names the City as an additional insured;
(2) the mobile food truck shall be legally parked;
(3) mobile food trucks shall not operate in the public right-of-way within 500 feet from any kindergarten-twelfth grade school, between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. on regular school days;
(4) mobile food trucks that constitute oversized vehicles, as defined in section 81.010, shall comply with the distance requirements of section
86.0139. Mobile food trucks that do not constitute oversized vehicles shall not be parked within 25 feet from a street intersection with a crosswalk, traffic light, or stop sign, or within 25 feet from a bus stop or trolley stop;
(5) mobile food trucks shall not occupy more than two on-street parking spaces in the public right-of-way in commercial zones;
(6) mobile food truck operators shall organize customer queuing in a manner that does not interfere with or obstruct the free passage of pedestrians;
(7) mobile food truck operators shall limit food and beverage service to that side of the mobile food truck facing away from the street;
(8) mobile food trucks shall not encroach onto a public sidewalk with any part of the vehicle or any other equipment or furniture related to the operation of the business, except for required trash and recycling receptacles or any attached sign or awning. The operator shall provide an 8-foot vertical clearance for pedestrian access under any sign or awning;
(9) mobile food truck operators shall control smoke and odors caused by food preparation to avoid a public nuisance;
(10) mobile food trucks are not permitted in the public right-of-way within the Parking Impact Overlay Zone as described in Section 132.0802; and
(11) a mobile food truck shall not operate in the public right-of-way within 500 feet of a permitted Special Event on public property while such event is in progress unless the mobile food truck has either (i) written authorization from the Event Organizer or (ii) a Special Event Permit as defined in section 22.4003.
(d) Mobile Food Trucks on Private Property.
Property owners and permit holders shall comply with all of the following:
(1) obtain an approved mobile food truck permit in accordance with Section 123.0602, unless exempted by Section 141.0612(f);
(2) ensure that a mobile food truck operator operates only at the location designated on the permit;
(3) ensure that a mobile food truck operator displays a copy of the approved mobile food truck permit in a prominent and visible place within each mobile food truck, together with a letter of permission from the permit holder consenting to mobile food truck operations on the site in accordance with the approved permit;
(4) mobile food truck operations shall not occupy more than 25 percent of the area of the premises; and
(5) mobile food trucks shall operate as follows:
(A) within a paved, level parking area, where it can be demonstrated that any off-street parking spaces located in that area are not otherwise reserved, encumbered, or designated to satisfy the off-street parking requirement of a business or activity that is operating at the same time as the mobile food truck;
(B) a mobile food truck requires a minimum paved area of 35 feet by 15 feet in dimension and at least 70 feet by 15 feet for mobile food trucks greater than 27 feet in length; and
(C) operations shall not impede pedestrian or vehicular ingress or egress through the remainder of the parking area or adjacent public right-of-way.
(e) Neighborhood Use Permit.
A Process Two Neighborhood Use Permit may be requested in accordance with Section 126.0203 to deviate from Section 141.0612 on private property.
(f) Exemptions from Mobile Food Truck Permits.
The following types of mobile food truck operations are exempt from the requirement to obtain a mobile food truck permit:
(1) operations in the zones indicated with a “P” in the Use Regulations Tables in Chapter 13, Article 1 (Base Zones);
(2) operations on the property of a school, university, hospital, or religious facility with the written consent of the property owner or authorized school official;
(3) operations in RM zones where permitted as a limited use and with the written consent of the property owner or authorized leasing office;
(4) private catering events that comply with the following requirements:
(i) the mobile food truck is parked entirely on private property;
(ii) service is limited to private guests of the catering host; and
(iii) payment occurs directly between the catering event host and the mobile food truck operator. No payment transactions shall occur for individual orders; and
(5) construction sites that comply with the following requirements:
(i) the site is actively under construction pursuant to a valid building permit or grading permit; and
(ii) the mobile food truck does not vend to the general public during the stop.
(“Mobile Food Trucks” added 4-3-2014 by O–20357 N.S.; effective 10-15-2014.)
(Amended 3-22-2018 by O-20917 N.S.; effective 4-21-2018.)
(Amended 1-8-2020 by O-21164 N.S.; effective 2-9-2020.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter14/Ch14Art01Division06.pdf#page=19Fetched: 10/28/2026