Washington County, UT Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted commercial zones
- C-1, C-2, C-3, and PDC
- Also permitted
- Manufacturing (MFG) and Industrial (IND)
- Governing chart
- County Code § 10-10-2 and § 10-11-2
- Zoning approach
- By-right 'P' use, no conditional permit
- Not listed in
- Residential, agricultural, open-space zones
Summary
Washington County treats a food truck as a listed permitted use, not a special vendor category. County Code § 10-10-2's Commercial Use Chart marks "Food truck" with a "P" in all four commercial zones, C-1, C-2, C-3, and PDC, and § 10-11-2 permits it the same way in the Manufacturing and Industrial zones; any use not on the chart is prohibited outright.
Any use not specifically permitted, permitted with standards, or conditionally permitted is prohibited. Only the following uses are allowed: A. Uses indicated by the letter "P" below are permitted uses in this zone. ... COMMERCIAL USE CHART Uses C-1 C-2 C-3 PDC ... Food service establishments, limited the following: Catering establishment P P P Food truck P P P P Restaurant (without drive through) P P P P
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-17: Code current through: Ord. 2026-1329-O, passed 8-18-2026).
Full Breakdown
Section 10-10-2 opens by declaring that "any use not specifically permitted, permitted with standards, or conditionally permitted is prohibited" and that "only the following uses are allowed" under the Commercial Use Chart. Within the "Food service establishments" line of that chart, "Food truck" carries a "P" under all four columns, C-1 Convenience Commercial, C-2 Highway Commercial, C-3 General Commercial, and PDC Planned Development Commercial, meaning a food truck is a by-right use in any of those zones without a conditional use permit. The Manufacturing and Industrial chart at § 10-11-2 lists the same "Food truck" entry with a "P" in both the MFG and IND columns, so unincorporated commercial and industrial land county-wide qualifies.
The chart is silent on food trucks in the county's residential, agricultural, or open-space zones, and because §§ 10-10-2 and 10-11-2 both prohibit any use not specifically listed, a food truck parked as its own principal use in those zones falls outside the plain use chart. Site plan approval under § 10-10-3 still governs any accompanying commercial improvements, such as parking or access drives, before a building permit issues. The commercial zone chapter's most recent amendment is Ord. 2025-1292-O, effective May 6, 2025.
Violations & Fines
Operating a food truck as the principal use of a lot outside a zone where the use chart lists it is an unpermitted use under §§ 10-10-2 and 10-11-2. Washington County's building inspector and public works director enforce Title 10 under § 10-1-12, and § 10-1-11 makes an unlawful use a public nuisance the county attorney can sue to abate and enjoin; § 10-1-18 authorizes a stop-work "red tag" on a noncompliant site.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a food truck need a conditional use permit in Washington County?
Can a food truck operate in the county's Manufacturing or Industrial zones?
Is a food truck allowed on residentially zoned land in the unincorporated county?
Does a food truck still need any county approval to set up in a permitted commercial zone?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washington County
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