Beaufort County, SC Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- CDC § 4.3.90
- Maximum duration
- 72 hours per event
- Frequency cap
- 4 times per year, per site
- Permit
- Temporary Use Permit under § 4.3.40
- Walkway required
- 6 feet clear for pedestrians
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Beaufort County only
- Maximum penalty
- $500 fine or 30 days jail
Summary
Beaufort County allows sidewalk and parking lot sales only on the same site as the seller's own permanent place of business, under Community Development Code § 4.3.90. A temporary use permit is required, each sale is capped at 72 hours, a site can host no more than four such sales per calendar year, and displays must leave a six-foot clear walkway for pedestrians.
Sidewalk and Parking Lot Sales A.General. Sidewalk and parking lot sales, located on the same site as the merchant's permanent place of business, may be permitted in accordance with the standards in Section 4.3.50 (General Standards for All Temporary Uses and Structures), for a period not to exceed 72 hours, up to four times per calendar year per site.B.Display Areas. Sales displays shall not interfere with pedestrian flow or traffic safety and shall be arranged to leave at least six feet of clear walkway for pedestrian circulation.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55 Update 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 16).
Full Breakdown
3 (Temporary Uses and Structures) of the Beaufort County Community Development Code, which covers the unincorporated county only, not the City of Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, Bluffton, or Port Royal. The rule is narrower than the section title suggests: it does not open the public sidewalk to any vendor, it only lets an existing merchant sell outside their own storefront. 40, and its footnote instructs sellers to check with the Director that no other County Code of Ordinances permits, such as a business license, are also needed.
50's General Standards: no adverse effects or noise impacts on nearby residential neighborhoods, adequate off-street parking for the temporary use, and any temporary signage removed when the sale ends. 90 confines vendors to their own private site rather than the street or public sidewalk itself. Temporary use permits are reviewed, approved, or revoked by the Beaufort County Community Development Department's Director. 100, rather than relying on this section.
Violations & Fines
Violating any provision of the Community Development Code, including the sidewalk-sale limits of § 4.3.90, is a misdemeanor under § 9.5.10: on conviction, a court may impose a fine up to $500.00, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both, for each violation. Because each day the noncompliant sale continues counts as a separate offense under that section, an unpermitted sale left running past 72 hours can generate multiple counts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can any vendor set up a sidewalk food stand in Beaufort County?
How often can a Beaufort County business hold a sidewalk sale?
Does the sidewalk sale limit apply on Hilton Head Island or in Bluffton?
What happens if a business exceeds the 72-hour sidewalk sale limit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Beaufort County
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