Apex, NC Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Town police dept. issues food-vending permits
- Zoning restriction
- Banned in all residential zones
- Right-of-way setback
- 15 ft from driveways, hydrants, crosswalks
- Utility clearance
- 5 ft from utility boxes, ramps
- ROW insurance
- $1,000,000 liability policy required
Summary
Apex requires a police department permit for transient and mobile food vending, bans it in residential zones, and imposes a separate right-of-way permit with strict setbacks from driveways, hydrants, crosswalks and utility boxes.
(3)Except as otherwise provided herein, mobile food vendors are prohibited from vending in any residentially zoned area;(4)No transient or mobile food vendor shall operate from, or leave a mobile food unit unattended on, any public right-of-way, required buffer, paved or traveled portion of a street, handicapped space, or fire lane, unless a right-of-way use permit is also obtained in accordance with section 13-62.1;(5)No transient or mobile food vendor shall locate within any area in such a way as to impede or interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic and shall not obstruct or block the entrance or exit of any building. Vendors shall observe all regulations established by the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Ord. No. 2016-0503-58, § 2, 5-3-2016; Ord. No. 2019-0305-02, § 1, 3-5-2019; Ord. No. 2019-1001-28, § 1, 10-1-2019; Ord. No. 2022-0222-07, § 1, 2-22-2022)
Sec. 13-62.1. - Location standards for public right-of-way.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 3).
Full Breakdown
Under Apex Town Code § 13-62, mobile food vendors need written owner permission on private property or town-manager approval on town land, cannot vend in any residentially zoned area, and cannot block traffic or building entrances. Section 13-62.1 lets a vendor serve from the public right-of-way only with a separate permit meeting numeric standards: 15 feet from driveways, five feet from utility boxes and handicapped ramps, 15 feet from fire hydrants and crosswalks, plus $1,000,000 in liability insurance naming the town as additional insured. Right-of-way vending is barred entirely in the Small Town Character Overlay District. This is Apex's current general code, not the older 2021 UDO.
Violations & Fines
§ 13-69.4 makes it unlawful to violate this article or any permit condition; the chief of police may also revoke a permit for false statements, permit violations, or creating a public nuisance, and the town may pursue civil remedies.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food truck park in a residential neighborhood in Apex?
Does a food truck need a separate permit to serve from the street?
Where can mobile food vendors legally operate in Apex?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Apex
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Vending Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Wake County handle vending zones.