Knox County, TN Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Knox County Code § 12-31(b)-(c)
- Permit required
- Temporary use permit, Codes Administration
- Public property
- Streets, ROW, sidewalks off-limits
- License fee
- $50, non-refundable, § 12-29(b)
- Penalty
- Up to $500 per day, § 12-36
- Must display
- License and permit on official demand
Summary
Knox County treats a mobile food vehicle as a "transient vendor" under Code section 12-31 and bars it from ever setting up on a street, right-of-way, sidewalk, or other public area, or anywhere that blocks the view of traffic. Before serving a single customer, the operator must get a temporary use permit from the department of codes administration and inspections.
(b)A transient vendor shall not operate in the county until a temporary use permit is obtained from the department of codes administration and inspections in accordance with the County Code requirements provided in Appendix A, Zoning, Chapter 10, Building Regulations, and Chapter 30, Fire Prevention and Protection.(c)A transient vendor shall not be permitted to set up or operate any booth, stand, vehicle or other display of merchandise on any street, right-of-way, sidewalk or other public area within the county or in any location that will interfere with the view of traffic.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 12, Article II of the Knox County Code defines a "transient vendor" as anyone who brings temporary premises, including a tent, vacant lot, or motor vehicle, onto private property to exhibit and sell merchandise to the public; that definition is what pulls a mobile food truck into this chapter rather than the general zoning code. Sec. 12-31(b) requires a transient vendor to secure a temporary use permit from the department of codes administration and inspections before operating, applying the County Code's Appendix A zoning standards, Chapter 10 building regulations, and Chapter 30 fire prevention and protection requirements to that permit.
Sec. " In practice, that confines lawful mobile food vending to private property with the owner's consent and the codes administration permit in hand; the county right-of-way, medians, and sidewalks are off-limits outright. A transient vendor must also carry the separate peddler-type license required chapter-wide under Sec. 00 non-refundable fee set by Sec. 12-29(b), and must display both the license and the temporary use permit on demand to a sheriff's officer or county official under Sec. 12-32. These sections were adopted by Ord. No. O-97-5-101 on July 28, 1997, and amended by Ord. No. O-12-10-101 on November 19, 2012.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the Sec. 12-31(b) temporary use permit, or setting up on a street, right-of-way, sidewalk, or public area barred by Sec. 12-31(c), is a violation of Chapter 12 punishable by up to $500.00 per offense under Sec. 12-36, with each day of continued operation charged as a separate offense. The county clerk, or the Knox County Commission after notice and a hearing, can also suspend or revoke the vendor's license under Sec. 12-33.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food truck park and sell on a Knox County road shoulder?
What permit does a mobile food vendor need in unincorporated Knox County?
Does the county license fee apply to food trucks the same as other peddlers?
What happens if a food truck vends without the required permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Knox County
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