Arlington, TX Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- School buffer
- no vending within one block of a school
- Time limit
- 30-minute cap absent an event exception
- Park vending
- written Parks Dept. permission required
- Food prep
- central preparation facility or the truck only
- Permit
- valid state, county, or city permit displayed
- Penalty
- up to $2,000 per day, per offense
- Effective
- September 1, 2025 (Ord. 25-063)
Summary
Arlington mobile food establishments can't vend within one block of an elementary, junior high, or middle school, can't stop to sell for more than 30 minutes outside an approved event, and need written Parks Department permission to vend near a park concession stand, per Health Chapter Sec. 4.20. A valid state, county, or local permit must be displayed at all times.
A. Any person or firm who operates a mobile food establishment as defined in this Article shall not operate such establishment within one block of any block containing an elementary school, junior high school, or middle school. ... C. A mobile food establishment shall not stop to sell or serve food for a period of time exceeding thirty (30) minutes.
Full Breakdown
Health Chapter Sec. 20, Operation of Mobile Food Establishment, layers city-specific operating rules on top of the state and county mobile food unit permit. Subsection A bars operating within one block of any block containing an elementary, junior high, or middle school. Subsection B requires written permission from the Director of Parks and Recreation, or a designee, before a mobile food establishment vends inside any City Park that has a concession stand. Subsection C caps a stop to sell or serve food at thirty minutes, and Subsection D allows longer stops only when operating at a City-sponsored or Construction-Chapter-permitted event, or as an accessory use to an existing business holding a valid mobile food establishment certificate of occupancy under the Unified Development Code.
Subsection E confines food prep and storage to the central preparation facility or the truck itself, expressly barring prep in an unpermitted or residential kitchen, and Subsection F bans selling non-food merchandise, fireworks, or hazardous substances from the unit. Subsection G requires a valid permit from the Texas Department of State Health Services, County, or local regulatory authority as authorized, conspicuously displayed, with the current food safety inspection report produced on request. Operating any food establishment, mobile or fixed, without a permit issued by the city Administrator is separately barred by Sec.
02, and Sec. 21 lets the city charge fees for plan review, permits, licenses, and inspections by council resolution. These rules were adopted under emergency-measure Ordinance No. 25-063 on August 26, 2025 and took effect September 1, 2025.
Violations & Fines
Sec. 4.22 makes any violation of the Health Chapter, including the school-distance, time, or permit-display rules for mobile food establishments, a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $2,000 per offense, with each day the violation continues treated as a separate offense. The Administrator can also deny, suspend, or revoke a mobile food establishment's permit for noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can a food truck park to an Arlington school?
How long can a food truck stay parked in one spot in Arlington?
Does an Arlington food truck need the city's permission to vend near a park?
What permit does an Arlington food truck actually need?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Arlington
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Arlington to another location·View the Texas food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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Food Truck Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Tarrant County handle food truck permits.