Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Asheville, NC (2026)
3 verified food trucks & mobile vendors rules for Asheville, North Carolina, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Food Truck Permits
Any temporary mobile food vendor, pushcart or stand in Asheville needs a temporary use permit from the planning and development department before setting up, per Sec. 7-5-3. The permit requires a fee under the Fees and Charges Manual, a site sketch plan, and staff review within ten working days of a complete application.
Asheville Mobile Food Vendor Permit Process
Some RestrictionsCity of Asheville Code of Ordinances § 7-5-3
(a) Purpose. To insure that proposed temporary uses comply with the requirements of this chapter, no use that is classified as a temporary use in the zoning district in which it is located shall be placed or established on the property without first receiving a temporary use permit from the planning and development department. ... (2) Fees. A permit fee, as established by City of Asheville ...
Vending Zones
Asheville's zoning code allows temporary mobile food vendors, pushcarts and stands in every nonresidential district except the Downtown Design Review Overlay area of the Central Business District and the Biltmore Village Historic District. Sec. 7-14-2(d)(3)e sets vending hours, right-of-way setbacks and site-departure rules for wherever the use is permitted.
Where Asheville Allows Mobile Food Vending
Some RestrictionsCity of Asheville Code of Ordinances § 7-14-2(d)(3)e
e. Temporary mobile food sales. Temporary mobile food vendors, pushcarts or stands may be allowed in all non-residential districts except for: the downtown area Central Business District corresponding to the Downtown Design Review Overlay District and the Biltmore Village Historic District; provided that uses/structures for mobile food sales are compliant with the following standards. 1. Ho...
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Asheville lets pushcart vendors sell food and merchandise on public sidewalks only with a city permit, and only between 7:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m. Sec. 16-144 sets cart dimensions, requires six feet of clear pedestrian passage, bans overnight sidewalk storage, and prohibits bells or loudspeakers to draw customers.
Asheville Pushcart Vendor Sidewalk Rules
Significant RestrictionsCity of Asheville Code of Ordinances § 16-144
(6) The pushcart shall be set up only in the location set forth in the operator's permit issued by the city, and shall not impede, endanger or interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic. (7) The pushcart shall be set up so that a minimum of six feet of passage for pedestrians or the minimum required by the Asheville Standard Specifications and Details Manual, whichever is more restricti...
Looking for Buncombe County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Asheville city rules.
Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Buncombe County →