Riverside County, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing code
- Riverside County Code § 17.300
- Minimum lot size
- half acre, paved or gravel
- Permit term
- expires 1 year from approval
- Operating hours
- 8 a.m. to midnight daily
- Truck cap
- 3-5 trucks, scaled by lot size
Summary
Riverside County requires a mobile food truck permit before any truck operates on private property in the unincorporated area, with permits expiring annually and renewal due 30 days before expiration.
No mobile food truck shall operate without a mobile food truck permit approved in accordance with this chapter and chapter 17.216 of this title. ... An approved permit for a mobile food truck shall expire one year from the date of approval, unless a renewal application and applicable filing fee is timely submitted and approved in accordance with section 17.300.070 of this chapter.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 84 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
The permit, issued by the county planning director under RivCo Code § 17.300, only covers vacant private lots of at least half an acre; the code bars trucks from R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, R-7, R-T, R-T-R, R-R-O and several other residential and open-space zones. Lot size sets the truck cap: three on a half-acre-to-one-acre lot, four up to two acres, five up to six acres, unlimited beyond that. Operators need a separate Ordinance No. 580 environmental health permit and can run only Sunday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to midnight, with no onsite seating or alcohol sales.
Violations & Fines
Operating without an approved permit, exceeding the truck cap for lot size, or running past midnight is a public nuisance the county can abate through code enforcement, per § 17.300.100.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food truck operate on residential-zoned property in unincorporated Riverside County?
Does this permit apply inside cities like Riverside or Temecula?
How long does a mobile food truck permit last?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California food trucks & mobile vendors overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.