Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Memphis, TN

If you live in Memphis or are thinking about moving there, food trucks & mobile vendors are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Memphis has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of food trucks & mobile vendors, and some of them might surprise you.

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending

Memphis requires anyone selling food as a pedestrian vendor or push cart operator, from a non-motorized cart in a mall, shopping center, historic district, or city park, to get a county health department permit before opening. Vendors need the property manager's written consent, a licensed commissary for storage between shifts, and must post their business name and permit number in three-inch letters on the cart.

Key details: Permit required: Yes: county health dept., Sec. 9-52-83.A. Site consent: Written permission from mall/park manager. Push cart storage: Licensed commissary required, Sec. 9-52-83.E. Cart marking: Business name & permit # in 3-inch letters. Permit year: July 1–June 30 annually, Sec. 9-52-3.C.

The health officer can suspend or revoke a pedestrian-vendor or push-cart permit under Section 9-52-7 whenever this chapter or state TDH/TDA food rules are violated, after giving the permit holder reasonable notice and a chance to be heard; an inspector can trigger this on a routine inspection form or by letter. A suspended or revoked vendor may appeal to the Tennessee Department of Health or Agriculture, whose ruling is binding. Any Code violation the chapter doesn't separately penalize otherwise defaults to Section 1-24-1's $50-per-day fine.

Food Truck Permits

No mobile food preparation vehicle may operate in Memphis without a permit issued under City Code § 9-52-86, which builds on the general food-establishment permit process of § 9-52-3. Operators also need a commissary license or written commissary agreement, and every truck must post its business name and state/local permit numbers in letters at least three inches tall.

Key details: Permit basis: § 9-52-86 references base permit § 9-52-3. Commissary: license or written agreement required. Markings: business name + permit numbers, 3-inch letters. Permit term: July 1 - June 30 annually. Late fee: 50% of permit fee if 30+ days late.

Operating a mobile food preparation vehicle without the § 9-52-86 permit, without a commissary license or agreement, or without the required three-inch permit-number markings is a violation the health officer can act on under the permit-suspension and revocation authority in § 9-52-7, which lets the officer suspend or revoke a permit for violations of TDH/TDA rules or this chapter after notice and an opportunity for a hearing.

Compared to other cities, Memphis takes a harder line on food truck permits. The enforcement and penalty structure reflects that.

Vending Zones

Memphis confines mobile food preparation vehicles to specific zoning districts under City Code § 9-52-93, Office General, Commercial Mixed Use 1-3, Central Business, Campus Master Plan, Employment, Warehouse and Distribution, Heavy Industrial, and several special-purpose overlay districts, plus school sites with written authorization, and bars them from residential zones without a special use permit.

Key details: Allowed zones: OG, CMU-1/2/3, CBD, CMP-1/2, EMP, WD, IH. Event buffer: 1,000 ft from special events/farmers' markets. Stadium buffer: 300 ft from FedEx Forum/AutoZone Park. Residential/park: special use permit required. Enforced by: Shelby County Code Enforcement + police.

A mobile food preparation vehicle operating outside the § 9-52-93(A) zoning list, inside the 1,000-foot special-event or farmers'-market buffer, within 300 feet of FedEx Forum or AutoZone Park during an event, or in a residential district without a special use permit is subject to enforcement jointly by Shelby County Code Enforcement and law enforcement, and can lose its underlying § 9-52-86 permit through the § 9-52-7 suspension process.

This is one of the stricter rules in Memphis's municipal code. If you are unsure whether your situation complies, it is worth checking with the city before proceeding.

The Bottom Line

Memphis is tougher than many cities when it comes to food trucks & mobile vendors. Out of the 3 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Memphis, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from Memphis's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.