Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Richmond, VA (2026)
3 verified food trucks & mobile vendors rules for Richmond, Virginia, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Food Truck Permits
Any mobile food unit operating in Richmond counts as a 'food establishment' under Section 6-267 and needs an annual permit from the District Health Director, posted where customers can see it. Section 6-289 sets a $40.00 fee for the temporary food permit that covers vendors and mobile food units.
Richmond Mobile Food Unit Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsRichmond City Code § 6-287
Every person who operates a food establishment in the City shall obtain a permit from the Director and shall post such permit in a conspicuous place in the food establishment. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a food establishment in the City without having obtained and posted, as prescribed in this section, a permit from the Director.
Vending Zones
Vending on a Central Business District sidewalk requires its own permit under Section 6-482, capped at one location per vendor per block face, with a wall of siting rules like staying at least 100 feet from a school and no more than three vending spots on any block face.
Richmond Downtown Sidewalk Vending Permits
Significant RestrictionsRichmond City Code § 6-482
A person holding a valid license to do business as a peddler or itinerant merchant in the City may apply to the City for a vendor's permit to be authorized to vend at a specific location on a sidewalk in the Central Business District. A vendor's permit shall be valid for up to one year from the date of issuance and shall expire on December 31 of the year of issuance. Upon application for a vend...
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Selling food or merchandise on a Richmond sidewalk outside downtown is legal under Section 6-456, but only if the vendor clears a long list of distance and hours rules, from staying 100 feet off school grounds to closing between midnight and 6 a.m., and carries both a business license and a District Health Department permit.
Richmond Sidewalk Food Vendor Rules
Significant RestrictionsRichmond City Code § 6-456
(a)It shall be lawful to sell or offer for sale food, beverage or merchandise on sidewalks in the City outside the Central Business District, subject to the regulations in Subsection (b) of this section.(b)No vendor shall do any of the following:(1)Vend within 100 feet of the grounds of any elementary or secondary school.(2)Vend on the sidewalks within public parks.(3)Vend within 15 feet of any...