South Fulton, GA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit
- Administrative Permit, valid one year citywide
- Max size
- 18.5 ft long, 10.5 ft tall, 8 ft wide
- Hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
- Setback from restaurants
- 200 feet unless waived in writing
- Setback from food retail
- 100 feet unless waived in writing
- School zone (ice cream trucks)
- 500 ft, 7:30 a.m.-4 p.m. school days
- Right-of-way sales
- Prohibited under Section 304.03(d)
Summary
Every food truck operating in South Fulton needs an Administrative Permit from the Community Development and Regulatory Affairs Department before selling anywhere in the city. The permit is good for one year, and trucks are capped at 18.5 feet long, 10.5 feet tall and eight feet wide under Zoning Ordinance Section 304.03.
(a)All food trucks require an Administrative Permit to operate inside the city.(b)A food truck festival, as defined in Article 9 of this Ordinance, shall also require Council approval.(c)Food trucks may operate in the following zoning districts upon review and approval of an administrative permit by the community development and regulatory affairs department:(1)Single-family residential zoning districts;(2)Nonresidential zoning districts; and(3)Any other zoning district in conjunction with an institutional use...require review by city council in accordance with requirements for special events (see sections 304.01 and 304.01).(e)The allowable dimensions of a food truck...shall be up to 18.5 feet long, 10.5 feet tall, and eight feet wide.(f)The food truck permit shall be valid for a period of one-year after issuance and applicable to the entire city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 13 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
03 requires every food truck to hold an Administrative Permit reviewed by the Community Development and Regulatory Affairs Department before operating inside city limits; a food truck festival needs City Council approval on top of that. 01. Selling from the public right-of-way is flatly barred. Once permitted, a truck must sit at least 200 feet from any eating establishment and 100 feet from any retail store selling food, unless both the property owner and the competing business's leaseholder sign a notarized waiver, and it must stay 25 feet clear of any right-of-way, entryway, curb-cut or driveway.
on school days. Operators need six dedicated parking spaces, an all-weather parking surface, a fresh-water tank, and a notarized 24-hour contact number from the site's property owner. The base of operation's county health inspection certificate, Georgia Department of Agriculture license, and the truck's City of South Fulton Tax Certificate must accompany the permit application, and the issued permit must stay physically attached and visible on the truck at all times.
Violations & Fines
Section 304.03 makes several acts independently improper: operating without a current Administrative Permit, vending from the public right-of-way, leaving a truck or its equipment unattended or stored on the permitted site outside vending hours, and running an ice cream truck within 500 feet of a school during the 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. restricted window on school days. The section also states that any zoning condition or ordinance provision that otherwise prohibits a food truck use on a specific property overrides Section 304.03 entirely, so a truck cannot rely on a general permit to operate somewhere the underlying zoning forbids it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do food trucks need a city permit in South Fulton?
Can a South Fulton food truck park on the street to sell?
How close can a food truck park to an existing restaurant?
How long does a South Fulton food truck permit last?
Sources & Official References
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Food Truck Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Fulton County handle food truck permits.