Fayetteville, NC Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

, Code of Ordinances § 24-136 lets the city manager or a designee issue pushcart permits only within the Core Downtown Area. A pushcart cannot be motorized or self-propelled, other than the walking motion of its operator, though a disabled operator may use motorized assistance; it must be covered to protect food from wind, dust, insects, and the elements, and it must be operated in conjunction with a restaurant in Cumberland County that is permitted and under routine inspection by the Cumberland County Health Department.

The operator must post that health department permit on the cart and give the city a copy before the city issues its own permit, and must keep the required approvals current. Dimensions are capped at four feet six inches in height, four feet in width, six feet in length, an overall footprint no larger than 24 square feet excluding a trailer hitch, and five feet for any attached umbrella, though the city can require smaller carts for safety or sight-distance reasons. Carts must leave at least five feet of sidewalk for pedestrians, cannot be parked or stored overnight on a street or sidewalk, cannot carry a bell, siren, horn, or loudspeaker to attract customers, and cannot operate within 50 feet of a like business.

Beyond the health permit, an operator needs both a city privilege license and a zoning permit, and must give the city and the county health department the cart's location and hours of operation.