Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Salt Lake City, UT: What Residents Actually Need to Know
If you live in Salt Lake City 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. Salt Lake City 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
Salt Lake City confines sidewalk carts to specific downtown and Sugar House districts, city parks, and Washington Square, and requires a business license plus a revocable land use permit before anyone sells from one.
Key details: Permits required: Business license + land use permit. Max cart footprint: 34 sq ft, 3' x 8'. Location cap: ~1 permit per 660 ft block. Allowed districts: CBD, Sugar House, parks only. Unpermitted cart: Declared a public nuisance.
An unpermitted or misplaced cart is declared a public nuisance under § 5.65.210: the Business Licensing Administrator can remove and store it, and the owner must pay removal and storage fees to reclaim it, in addition to possible license suspension or revocation under § 5.65.190.
This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Salt Lake City actively enforces its sidewalk & mobile vending requirements.
Vending Zones
Salt Lake City confines sidewalk vending carts to five designated zones, the expanded and Secondary Central Business Districts, the Sugar House Business District, city parks, and Washington Square, and requires a business license plus a revocable land use permit for each cart.
Key details: Vending zones citywide: 5 designated districts/areas. Permits required: Business license + revocable land use permit. Block-face permit cap: 1 per 330-660 ft frontage. Crosswalk/bus stop buffer: 10 feet minimum. Unpermitted cart placement: Declared a public nuisance.
Vending outside an approved zone or permit location is declared a public nuisance under § 5.65.210; the Business Licensing Administrator may seize the cart and hold it until the owner pays removal and storage charges.
This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Salt Lake City actively enforces its vending zones requirements.
Food Truck Permits
Salt Lake City requires a business license for every mobile food truck before it can operate, plus location and operating-hour limits in the public right-of-way.
Key details: Permit required: Business license, Ch. 5.02. Allowed zones: M-1, M-2, D-1-D-4, G-MU only. Max duration per site: 12 hrs in 24-hr period. Insurance: General liability, City as additional insured. Speed limit cap: No streets over 45 mph.
Operating without a license or violating right-of-way conditions can trigger suspension or revocation of the business license and is a violation of Title 5; each mobile food business vehicle needs its own license and fee.
The Bottom Line
Salt Lake City 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 Salt Lake City, 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 Salt Lake City's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.