How Hollywood Handles Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: A Practical Guide
Hollywood maintains 134 local ordinances across all categories, and 2 of those deal specifically with food trucks & mobile vendors. Here is a breakdown of what the city actually requires, what is prohibited, and where Hollywood falls on the strict-to-permissive spectrum compared to other cities.
Vending Zones
Hollywood bans mobile food dispensing vehicles from the Downtown and Beach CRA districts outright and imposes a 200-foot buffer from restaurants everywhere else, plus paving, setback and parking rules for private commercial sites under City Code Section 122.02.
Key details: Restaurant buffer: 200 feet during its operating hours. Downtown CRA ban: Polk St to Van Buren St, US 1 to 21st Ave. Beach CRA ban: Thomas St to city limits, A1A to Broadwalk. Sidewalk/right-of-way setback: 5 feet minimum. Residential areas: Prohibited absent special event/permit.
Operating outside a designated zone, inside the Downtown or Beach CRA exclusion areas, within 200 feet of an operating restaurant, or in violation of the setback, parking or prohibited-conduct rules exposes the vendor's mobile food dispensing permit to revocation by the Director of Parking and Intergovernmental Affairs, with an appeal to the City Manager within ten days and then to the City Commission.
This is one of the stricter rules in Hollywood's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.
Food Truck Permits
Hollywood requires a mobile food dispensing permit before any food truck, lunch truck or food cart operates on public property, city rights-of-way or private commercial property. The Director of Parking and Intergovernmental Affairs issues permits for a maximum of 30 consecutive days at one location.
Key details: Permitting authority: Director of Parking and Intergovernmental Affairs. Application lead time: At least two weeks before use dates. Max stay per location: 4 continuous hours. Re-use restriction: Not more than once per 12 hours. Max permit duration: 30 consecutive days at one site.
If the Florida Department of Business Regulation suspends or revokes the vendor's state license, the city permit is automatically revoked. The Director can also revoke a permit for operating against the public interest, submitting false application information, unpaid fees, or noncompliance with the section's requirements, normally after reasonable notice but immediately if there is imminent danger to public health or safety. A revoked permittee may appeal in writing to the City Manager within ten calendar days, then to the City Commission within ten more days if the City Manager upholds the revocation.
The Bottom Line
Hollywood's food trucks & mobile vendors rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Hollywood is broadly strict or permissive.
These rules come from Hollywood's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.