Jacksonville Beach, FL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Minimum lot
- 6,000 square feet with a principal building or use
- Vehicles per lot
- One up to 43,559 sq ft; two at 43,559 sq ft or more
- Distance from restaurants
- 100 feet from entrance and from outdoor dining
- Fire hydrant clearance
- 15 feet in all directions
- Standard hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m.
- Hours near homes
- 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. within 150 feet of residential dwelling
- Hearing body
- Special magistrate under Chapter 2, Article VI
Summary
Mobile food dispensing vehicles in Jacksonville Beach operate only on lots of 6,000 square feet or more that already hold a principal building or use, in the C-1, C-2, CS, CBD and I-1 districts and certain commercial PUD and RD districts. One vehicle is allowed on lots from 6,000 to 43,559 square feet and two on larger lots, each kept 100 feet from restaurant entrances and outdoor dining.
(2) Location and separation requirements. a. Mobile food dispensing vehicles may be located on a lot in a Commercial Limited: C-1, Commercial General: C-2, Commercial Service: CS, Central Business District: CBD, I-1: Industrial, and certain commercial Planned Unit Development: PUD and Redevelopment District: RD zoning districts, as determined by the city planning and development department, having six thousand (6,000) square feet or more of area, and containing a principal building or use. The maximum number of mobile food dispensing vehicles per lot is limited as follows: 1. Maximum of one (1) mobile food vendor on lots containing six thousand (6,000) to forty-three thousand five hundred fifty-nine (43,559) square feet of area; 2. Maximum of two (2) mobile food vendors on lots containing forty-three thousand five hundred fifty-nine (43,559) or more square feet of area. ... c. Mobile food dispensing vehicles must be located at least one hundred (100) feet from the main entrance to any eating establishment or similar food service business and one hundred (100) feet from any outdoor dining area.
Official source re-checked November 3, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 60).
Full Breakdown
Section 12-33 of the Jacksonville Beach Code ties mobile food vending to the zoning code. Vendors operate only where the permitted use provisions in Division 2 of Article VII of Chapter 34 allow it, and they must then meet the conditions listed in the section.
Subsection (2)(a) names the districts: Commercial Limited C-1, Commercial General C-2, Commercial Service CS, Central Business District CBD, Industrial I-1, and certain commercial Planned Unit Development and Redevelopment District zones, as determined by the city planning and development department. The lot must contain 6,000 square feet or more and a principal building or use, so a vacant parcel does not qualify. A lot from 6,000 to 43,559 square feet holds a maximum of one mobile food vendor, and a lot of 43,559 square feet or more holds a maximum of two.
Spacing comes next. Under (2)(c) a vehicle sits at least 100 feet from the main entrance to any eating establishment or similar food service business and 100 feet from any outdoor dining area, and that separation applies only during the normal hours of operation of the restaurant or dining area. Subsection (2)(d) adds site rules: stay outside the required sight visibility triangle, stay at least five feet from a public sidewalk, utility box or vault, handicapped ramp, building entrance or exit, or emergency access way, keep 15 feet in all directions from a fire hydrant, never block traffic, and never occupy a handicap accessible parking space.
Operating limits sit in subsection (3). Hours run from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m., but a spot within 150 feet of the property line of a dwelling unit in a residential zoning district closes at 10:00 p.m. No audio amplification is authorized, and each vehicle gets one A-frame sign no taller than 42 inches or wider than 36 inches. The vehicle, signage and outdoor seating leave the approved location outside permitted hours and cannot be left overnight on a public street or sidewalk. Subsection (8) requires separate zoning approval and a separate local business tax receipt for each location, and approvals do not transfer when the vehicle is sold.
Violations & Fines
Under subsection (7)(c), a vehicle operating outside these guidelines draws a notice of violation to both the lot owner and the mobile food vendor, and the case is referred to the special magistrate under Article VI Code Enforcement of Chapter 2. Code enforcement inspectors, building code inspectors, the fire marshal or police officers can inspect at any time. If the State revokes or suspends the vehicle's permit, the city receipt is revoked at once and reapplication is barred for ninety (90) days. The property owner's affidavit makes the owner answerable with the vendor for zoning violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What hours can a Jacksonville Beach mobile food vendor operate?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Jacksonville Beach
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Vending Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle vending zones.