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Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Minneapolis, MN (2026)

3 verified food trucks & mobile vendors rules for Minneapolis, Minnesota, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.

Verified from official government sources

Food Truck Permits

Minneapolis requires a mobile food vehicle license under Section 188.485 before any food truck operates on public streets or private property, with a detailed plan-review application and $1,000,000 in liability insurance coverage.

Minneapolis Food Truck Permit Requirements

Some Restrictions

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 188.485

No person shall operate a mobile food vehicle in the city without a valid license required under this section. to the extent authorized in any such license granted under the provisions of this section, the licensee may conduct such licensed business curbside on the street or on private property notwithstanding the provisions of Sections 188.10, 427.110, 478.90(u, w, and y), 478.350, 478.370, 43...

Vending Zones

Minneapolis licenses mobile food vehicles and sidewalk carts and restricts exactly where they can operate: curbside parking only, no operating within 100 feet of a sidewalk restaurant or cafe on the same block face, plus meter and crosswalk rules.

Minneapolis Mobile Food Vendor Location Rules

Some Restrictions

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 188.485(c)(4)

Parking on streets is permitted when in compliance with all ordinances, regulations, parking zones and posted signage. Sales by the licensee shall be made on the curbside only and the vehicle shall be parked within one (1) foot of the curb. No mobile food vendor shall operate from the public right-of-way where a restaurant, with direct access to the sidewalk, or a permitted sidewalk cafe is wit...

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending

Minneapolis licenses sidewalk food carts under Code § 188.510, capping dimensions at 4 by 8 by 8 feet, restricting hours to 6 a.m.–midnight, and barring carts within 200 feet of a K-12 school or 100 feet of a competing restaurant.

Minneapolis Sidewalk Food Cart Vending Rules

Significant Restrictions

Minneapolis Code of Ordinances § 188.510

licenses may be issued pursuant to section 259.30 for sidewalk cart food vendors for the sale of specified approved food and beverage items from mobile pushcarts sidewalk carts on the public sidewalks... No sidewalk cart shall have dimensions exceeding four (4) feet in width, eight (8) feet in length and eight (8) feet in height... Hours of operation are limited to the hours between 6:00 a.m. a...

Looking for Hennepin County county-wide rules?

County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Minneapolis city rules.

Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Hennepin County