Atlantic County, NJ Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Where allowed
- Sidewalks only, not roadway or roadside
- Cart requirement
- Hand-operated cart, no motor
- Operating hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Distance from buildings
- At least 20 feet
- Insurance required
- $1,000,000 naming County as insured
Summary
Atlantic County bars selling food or merchandise on county roads or roadsides except from a hand-cart on a pedestrian sidewalk, and limits operation to 8 a.m.-5 p.m. under Code §§ 113-4 and 113-7.
No person shall sell or offer to sell any merchandise or food on any county road or roadside, except upon a sidewalk constructed and intended for the passage of pedestrian traffic. ... Contain such merchandise or food within a hand-operated cart or similar article, not fitted with or operated by motor, but fitted with wheels and readily movable. ... Operate only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ... Operate at least 20 feet away from any public building. ... Operate at least 30 feet away from any other person engaged in similar activity.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4863463; v25 updated 2026-04-21; through 04-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Atlantic County Code § 113-4 flatly bans selling or offering to sell any merchandise or food on a county road or roadside, except on a sidewalk built and intended for pedestrian passage. Vendors using that sidewalk exception must then follow the general regulations in § 113-7: goods must be contained in a hand-operated cart, not motor-fitted, with wheels and readily movable, and the vendor must remain with the cart at all times and remove all items and litter from county property at the close of business each day.
Sales can only happen on a sidewalk or area wide enough for unimpeded pedestrian passage, never within an area used for vehicle parking, and vendors cannot call out or use sound to advertise their goods. , and never outside daylight hours. The cart must stay at least 20 feet from any public building or driveway, intersection, or bus stop, and at least 30 feet from any other vendor engaged in similar activity. Vendors must also carry $1,000,000 in insurance naming Atlantic County as a named insured and have proof available for inspection by county officers at all times of operation. No vendor is granted an exclusive right to a location.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 113 requires statutory authorization to sell at all under § 113-3, so selling without meeting these sidewalk and cart conditions, or outside the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. window, or without insurance documentation on hand, is an unauthorized sale under the article. Section 113-8 requires adherence to all applicable statutes, ordinances and regulations, meaning county officers can act against a vendor who fails to meet the cart, distance, hours, or insurance conditions set out in § 113-7.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell food from a cart on a county road in Atlantic County?
What hours can a roadside food cart operate in Atlantic County?
How far must a vending cart stay from a public building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Atlantic County
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