Apex, NC Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- Apex Police Department
- Driveway/hydrant clearance
- 15 feet minimum
- Utility box/ramp clearance
- 5 feet minimum
- Operating hours
- 6:00 a.m. to midnight
- Permit term
- One year
Summary
Apex requires a police-issued permit for any pushcart or mobile food unit, and a separate right-of-way permit with strict spacing rules if the cart serves customers from a public street or sidewalk.
The mobile food vendor may only be parked within the permitted area designated on the permit. No mobile food vendor may be parked in a location that prohibits or restricts access to a private property. A minimum of 15 feet of spacing is required from any driveway. The mobile food vendor must be located at least five feet from any utility box, utility vault, handicapped ramp, or emergency call box. The mobile food vendor must be located at least 15 feet from a fire hydrant.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
The Town of Apex Town Code defines a "mobile food unit" to include any stationary cart or pushcart and requires a permit from the police department before operating one (§ 13-61). A cart serving customers from the public right-of-way needs an additional right-of-way permit and must meet fixed clearances: at least 15 feet from any driveway, fire hydrant, crosswalk, or intersection, and at least 5 feet from any utility box, vault, handicapped ramp, or emergency call box (§ 13-62.1). Carts are barred outright from the Small Town Character Overlay District right-of-way and from residentially zoned areas except as allowed (§ 13-62). This is Apex's own current ordinance, last amended by Ord. No. 2022-0222-07 in 2022, not the 2021-stale UDO.
Violations & Fines
Operating without a police-issued vendor permit, or serving from the right-of-way without the separate right-of-way permit, is a misdemeanor violation of Article IV; the permit can also be revoked by the chief of police for violating the location or clearance standards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run a food cart on an Apex sidewalk without a permit?
How close can an Apex food cart be to a driveway or fire hydrant?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
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