Auburn, AL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

L of the Zoning Ordinance treats mobile pushcarts as a distinct category from truck-based mobile food units, though pushcarts follow the same standards as mobile food units unless a specific exemption applies. A pushcart under six feet long may be allowed in the right-of-way, but only within the Urban Neighborhood, Urban Core, and College Edge Overlay districts, and only on sidewalks at least 10 feet wide, which rules out narrower downtown sidewalks by default. Getting onto the sidewalk at all requires approval from the City Council itself, not just staff sign-off, whether the operator wants year-round placement or a spot tied to a specially designated event.

Once approved, the pushcart must leave a minimum of five feet of unobstructed, paved space around it for pedestrian traffic, and no additional furniture or signage can be set up in the right-of-way alongside it. The cart may sell only food and non-alcoholic beverages, ruling out merchandise or alcohol sales from a sidewalk cart entirely. Waste receptacles must be provided by the operator and kept in contact with the cart at all times of operation, since public trash cans cannot be used, and the immediate area must be kept litter-free. 04 do not face in the same way.