North Charleston, SC Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 10.5-23
- Host-site application fee
- $15
- Set-up inspection fee
- $10, 24-hr. notice
- Fuel pump buffer
- 75 feet minimum
- Vending hours
- 6 a.m.–9 p.m. only
Summary
Vendors operating from private commercial or industrial property in North Charleston need a city-issued transient merchant host-location permit, plus a paid set-up inspection before each vending operation begins.
No transient merchant may operate from a privately owned site which has not been permitted as a "transient merchant host location." ... The owner of commercially or industrially zoned private property within the City of North Charleston may make application to the city for a parcel to be approved as a "transient merchant host location." Such application shall be made on a form provided by the city's business license division.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 10.5-23 requires any privately owned commercial or industrial parcel hosting a transient merchant to first be approved as a transient merchant host location. The property owner applies to the city's business license division for a $15 fee, and approval requires meeting zoning, business-license, fire, and building requirements. Before each vending operation, the landowner must also apply at least 24 hours ahead for a $10 set-up inspection, and the site must sit at least 75 feet from the nearest fuel pump with adequate customer parking. Vending is barred between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
Violations & Fines
Operating without an approved host-location permit or required set-up inspection is unlawful for both the vendor and the property owner who knowingly allows it, and can lead to denial or revocation of the site permit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do street vendors need a permit in North Charleston?
How much does a North Charleston vendor site permit cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Charleston
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Sidewalk & Mobile Vending in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle sidewalk & mobile vending.