Lodi, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- School/park buffer
- 300 feet, § 9.18.050(A)(1)
- Intersection buffer
- 100 feet, § 9.18.050(A)(2)
- Residential hours
- 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Residential move rule
- 400 feet every 10 minutes
- Commercial hours
- 6:00 a.m. to midnight
- Industrial area
- Vendor may operate 23 hours
Summary
Lodi's motorized food wagon and cart vendors can't set up within three hundred feet of a school, park, playground, or city recreation center, or within one hundred feet of a street intersection, under Municipal Code Section 9.18.050. Where a vendor sits then determines the rest: residential streets require moving every ten minutes, commercial areas every three hours, and industrial areas allow a fixed stay.
A.A vendor may locate and operate in the public right-of-way subject to the following conditions:1.A vendor shall not operate within three hundred feet of any school grounds, park, playground, or city operated recreation center.2.A vendor shall not operate within one hundred feet of any street intersection.3.In addition to the above, a vendor must comply with the following regulations, depending upon the type of use in which it is located:a.Residential Use Area:i.In a residential use area, a vendor shall move not less than four hundred feet at least every ten minutes and may not return to a previous location or within four hundred feet of a previous location on the same calendar day.ii.Permitted hours of operation are from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).
Full Breakdown
18, 'Vending on Streets, Sidewalks and Private Property,' governs motorized food wagons, produce and seafood trucks, and other conveyances that sell from a vehicle. 050 sets the location rules city-wide: a vendor operating in the public right-of-way must stay at least three hundred feet from any school, park, playground, or city-operated recreation center, and at least one hundred feet from any street intersection, no matter the zone. m. through midnight; a commercial-area vendor within four hundred feet of a residence still has to follow the residential rules.
An industrial use area is the most permissive: a vendor there can operate twenty-three hours a day, unless it sits within four hundred feet of a residence, in which case the residential limits apply again. No vendor can set up within four hundred feet of another vendor, or anywhere inconsistent with the code, and a vendor on private property cannot be the site's primary use unless the parcel's Development Code zoning allows it, cannot occupy required parking, and needs a conditional permit to operate within two hundred feet of a residential zone. 030.
Violations & Fines
Vending closer than the distance limits, staying past the move-along interval, or operating outside the permitted hours violates Chapter 9.18 and is enforced by the code enforcement division of the Lodi Police Department under Section 9.18.150. Three or more violations within one year are charged as misdemeanors under Subsection 1.08.010(B); a permit to operate can also be suspended or revoked under Section 9.18.140.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can a food truck park to a Lodi school?
Can a food truck stay parked in a Lodi neighborhood all day?
Do the same distance rules apply to food trucks parked in an industrial park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lodi
California rules heatmap·Compare Lodi to another location·View the California food trucks & mobile vendors overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.
Vending Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Joaquin County handle vending zones.