El Paso County, CO Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit trigger
- More than 3 sales/year
- Duration trigger
- Over 5 days at one site
- Prohibited
- Sales/parking within right-of-way
- Citation
- LDC § 5.2.43(D)
Summary
El Paso County allows peddler sales in parking lots but requires a temporary use permit once sales exceed three occurrences a year or run longer than five days.
(D) Temporary Use Permit Required. When sales occur in the same place or parking lot for more than 3 times in a year or will exceed 5 days in duration in the same place or parking lot, a temporary use permit is required.
Public Building, Project, Way, Place, or Space
A public building, project, way, place or space or expansion thereof, including jail or prison facility or a public park and open space, is an allowed use in any zoning district but may require approval of location prior to implementation.
Residential Accessory Structures and Uses
The following structures and uses are considered accessory to a residential use, as further detailed in Table 5-2:
· Detached private parking garage or carport;
· Storage shed;
· Gazebo;
· Deck (attached or detached, covered or uncovered);
· Pets;
CD5:51 Supp. No. 3
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Development Code: Supplement 3 | Drainage Criteria Manual: Publication | Engineering Criteria Manual: Supplement 3 | Ordinances: Reformat).
Full Breakdown
Section 5.2.43, Peddler Sales, allows parking lots to host peddler sales if adequate parking remains available, ingress and egress stay safe, and no sales area or customer parking sits within a right-of-way. Subsection (D) triggers a permit obligation: once sales occur in the same location more than three times in a calendar year, or run longer than five days at that location, the vendor must obtain a temporary use permit from the county before continuing. Occasional, short, one-off sales below that threshold do not require a permit under this section.
Violations & Fines
Operating a repeat or extended peddler-sales event in the same parking lot without a temporary use permit violates § 5.2.43(D) and is subject to county code enforcement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does every parking-lot vendor need a permit?
Can vendors set up in the right-of-way?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso County
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