Gary, IN Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)

Gary Municipal Code § 10-265(a) sets locational rules for any transient merchant, a category that under § 10-263(a) includes a food truck operator using a vehicle to transport, display and sell food. No two transient-merchant businesses may operate within 1,500 feet of each other; none may locate on a state road or federal highway unless off-street parking exists; and none may locate within 20 feet of the shoulder, curb, or sidewalk of a street. Section 10-265(b)(2) separately bars peddlers, vendors who sell without a fixed structure or vehicle, from operating in the city's B2 and B3 business districts at all.

Before selling, a mobile food vendor must obtain a zoning permit from the department of planning and zoning confirming adequate off-street parking and no interference with street traffic (§ 10-301(b)), plus a retail food permit from the health department, issued separately for each vehicle and noting its vehicle identification and license plate numbers, along with a food handler's certificate for anyone who sells or handles the food (§ 10-301(a)). Section 10-266 also bars using a horn, bell, radio or amplifier to attract customers from the street.