Los Banos, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- School/church/park buffer
- 300 feet
- Intersection buffer
- 100 feet
- Residential zone
- Move 400 ft every 10 minutes
- Commercial zone hours
- 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Industrial zone
- Up to 18 hours per day
- Private-property cap
- 1 unit per 1,000 sq ft, max 3
Summary
Los Banos restricts where mobile food vendors can park by zone and distance: no vending within 300 feet of a school, church, park or recreation center, none within 100 feet of an intersection, and residential-zone vendors must relocate every 10 minutes and limit return visits.
A mobile food vendor shall not operate within three hundred (300′) feet of any church, school grounds, park (except as set forth in Section 9-3.3608(b)), playground or City-operated recreation center; ... A mobile food vendor shall not operate within one hundred (100′) feet of any street intersection; ... In a residential zone, a mobile food vendor shall move not less than four hundred (400′) feet at least every 10 minutes and may not return more than three times to a previous location or within four hundred (400′) feet of a previous location on the same calendar day. ... Permitted hours of operation are from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4356507; v3 updated 2025-03-05).
Full Breakdown
§ 9-3.3606(a) sets citywide distance buffers for the public right-of-way: a mobile food vendor "shall not operate within three hundred (300′) feet of any church, school grounds, park... playground or City-operated recreation center," and "shall not operate within one hundred (100′) feet of any street intersection." Zone-specific rules layer on top. In a residential zone, a vendor "shall move not less than four hundred (400′) feet at least every 10 minutes and may not return more than three times to a previous location or within four hundred (400′) feet of a previous location on the same calendar day," may not park within 400 feet of another mobile vendor, and can only operate 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Commercial-zone vendors get looser rules, moving 400 feet every two hours between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., but a commercial-zone vendor within 100 feet of a residence must follow the stricter residential rules instead. Industrial-zone vendors can operate up to 18 hours a day, or as long as businesses within 300 feet stay open, whichever is shorter, and again must switch to residential rules if within 100 feet of a home. In construction zones and business parks, hours run Monday through Saturday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
On private property, § 9-3.3606(b) confines vendors to commercial or industrial zoning districts (with a narrow residential exception for private catering under § 9-3.3609(c)), bars them from vacant parcels or unpaved surfaces, requires two dedicated on-site parking spaces beyond those needed for the primary use, and caps units at one per 1,000 square feet of paved area, up to three per parcel.
Violations & Fines
Operating outside these zones or distance limits is grounds for permit suspension or revocation under § 9-3.3611(a), following written notice from the Community and Economic Development Director and an opportunity to request a hearing within five business days; a vendor can also be cited for violating other City parking and traffic provisions incorporated by § 9-3.3610.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can a food truck park to a school in Los Banos?
Can a food truck stay parked all day in a residential neighborhood?
What are the mobile food vendor rules in a commercial zone?
Can a food truck park on private property in Los Banos?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Los Banos
California rules heatmap·Compare Los Banos to another location·View the California food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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