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Tehama County, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Governing chapter
Tehama County Code Ch. 17.82
Permit required
Use permit under Chapter 17.70
Allowed zones
C-1–C-4, M-1, M-2, PO only
School buffer
1,000 feet from any school
Unit spacing
600 feet apart minimum

Summary

Tehama County requires a use permit before any mobile food vending unit can operate on private property in the unincorporated area, and bars vending on vacant or purely residential lots.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Tehama County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

No mobile food vendor may operate in Tehama County on private property without a valid use permit issued in accordance with Chapter 17.70 of this Code. Mobile food vending shall not be permitted upon any premises within the unincorporated area of Tehama County unless the premises also contains a permitted commercial or industrial use...Mobile food vending shall not be conducted on any vacant unimproved premises.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).

Full Breakdown

Chapter 17.82 governs mobile food vending, any motorized vehicle or trailer selling prepared food, in the unincorporated area of Tehama County; it does not apply inside Red Bluff, Corning, or the City of Tehama, which run their own codes. A use permit under Chapter 17.70 is required, the site must already carry a permitted commercial or industrial use, and vending is limited to C-1 through C-4, M-1, M-2, and PO zones. Units must sit at least 600 feet apart, may operate no more than 12 hours in a 24-hour period, and cannot locate within 1,000 feet of any elementary, middle, or high school.

Violations & Fines

Operating without a use permit, on premises without a qualifying commercial/industrial use, or breaching a permit condition lets the director of planning suspend or revoke the permit under Chapter 17.70.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a food truck park anywhere in unincorporated Tehama County?
No. Vending is allowed only on private property already holding a permitted commercial or industrial use, in C-1–C-4, M-1, M-2, or PO zones, and only with a use permit.
Does this rule apply in Red Bluff or Corning?
No. Chapter 17.82 governs only the unincorporated area of Tehama County; Red Bluff, Corning, and the City of Tehama enforce their own municipal codes.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Tehama County

Noise Ordinances: Quiet HoursSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsVending ZonesSignificant RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Barking DogsSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Vehicle NoiseSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Aircraft NoiseFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Leaf Blower RulesSome Restrictions

All Tehama County rules

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