York County, SC Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing table
- Table 155.718-1, Temporary Uses
- Zoning compliance required
- No
- Duration limit
- No overnight stays permitted
- Permitted location
- All zoning districts
- Daily duty
- Provide trash/recycling receptacles (§ 155.737)
- Exempt vendors
- Moving trucks, caterers, SCDHEC temp establishments
Summary
A mobile food unit setting up in unincorporated York County does not need a zoning compliance permit. Table 155.718-1 lists mobile vending as "No" for zoning compliance required, though the truck must still follow the location, parking, and overnight standards in Sections 155.735 through 155.737 of the county code.
TABLE 155.718-1: TEMPORARY USES Temporary Use Use Conditions Zoning Compliance Required? Maximum Duration of Use (per site) Permitted Location(s) Mobile vending Subpart 5.4 No No maximum, but mobile vending units shall not remain on-site overnight All districts
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-49: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 3925, passed 6-16-25).
Full Breakdown
718-1 spells out exactly what a permit does and does not require. 4 with zoning compliance required marked "No," meaning an operator does not file a zoning compliance application before setting up on a private lot. In place of a permit review, the table imposes a duration cap instead: there is no maximum length for a single stay, but a mobile vending unit shall not remain on-site overnight, so trucks must clear out at closing rather than parking there day after day. 736. That said, not every food truck sits inside this framework.
735 exempts trucks that keep moving throughout their business hours, vendors that stop only to make a sale, trucks that move to multiple sites during one meal period, caterers hired for a private event, and SCDHEC-permitted temporary food establishments; those operators answer to state health rules rather than this county process. 737 layers on daily operating duties: providing trash and recycling receptacles for patrons, removing all trash and recycling from the site each day, and disposing of grease and sewage under applicable SCDHEC regulations.
Violations & Fines
Skipping the daily trash and recycling duties in Section 155.737, or leaving a mobile vending unit on-site overnight in violation of the duration cap in Table 155.718-1, is a Zoning Code violation. Violations of the zoning chapter are misdemeanors under Section 155.9999, punishable by a fine of up to $500 per day for each day of noncompliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a food truck need a permit to operate in York County?
How long can a food truck stay parked at one location in York County?
Which food trucks are exempt from York County's mobile vending rules?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
Compare York County to another location·View the South Carolina food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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