Loudoun County, VA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Owner consent
- Written, required before setup
- Licensing
- County transit business license required
- Health approval
- Health Department sign-off required
- Hours
- Limited to host use's normal hours
- Daily removal
- Vendor and seating removed each day
- Right-of-way vendors
- Exempt from this section
Summary
Mobile food vendors operating on private property in unincorporated Loudoun County need a County business license and Health Department approval before they can sell. Section 3.03.H of the Zoning Ordinance requires written property-owner consent, limits hours to the host use's normal business hours, and bars operation without both approvals in hand.
H. Mobile Vendor. This section does not apply to mobile vendors operating within the public right-of-way. 1. Mobile vendors must operate within the normal business hours of the principal use or temporary special event. Mobile vendors are permitted on a construction site during hours of on-going construction activity. 3. Mobile vendors when located on private property must obtain the written consent of the property owner or authorized agent. 4. Mobile vendors, including any associated outdoor seating, must be removed daily from the site of operation. If any mobile vendor or associated component is not removed, it will be considered a principal use and is subject to all regulations applying to principal uses. 5. Mobile vendors must receive approval of a County issued transit business license and approval by the Health Department prior to operation.
Full Breakdown
H governs "Mobile Vendor" as an accessory use across all zoning districts, but carves out mobile vendors working within the public right-of-way, which fall outside its scope. 3 requires "the written consent of the property owner or authorized agent" before setting up. 5 requires the vendor to "receive approval of a County issued transit business license and approval by the Health Department prior to operation", meaning both the County's business-licensing office and the Health Department sign off before the truck or cart can open. 4 treats the arrangement as strictly temporary: the vendor, including any associated outdoor seating, "must be removed daily from the site of operation," and if it isn't, the Zoning Administrator treats it as a principal use subject to all principal-use zoning regulations, a materially heavier compliance burden since the vendor would then need its own site plan and use approval rather than riding along as an accessory use.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the property owner's written consent, without the required business license and Health Department approval, or failing to remove the vendor and its seating daily, converts the operation into an unpermitted principal use subject to full zoning review; noncompliance is a civil violation under Section 10.13.E, carrying a $200 penalty for the first charge and $500 for each additional charge, up to $5,000.
Frequently Asked Questions
What approvals does a food truck need to operate in Loudoun County?
Can a food truck stay parked overnight at a shopping center?
Are food trucks on public streets covered by this rule?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Loudoun County
Compare Loudoun County to another location·View the Virginia food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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