Lyon County, NV Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Operating hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
- Restaurant buffer
- 300 feet from a brick-and-mortar competitor
- Permit type
- annual temporary use permit, multiple locations
- Licenses required
- county business license and State Health permit
- Location rule
- private property only, owner's written permission
- Governing sections
- 15.335.03(QQ) and 15.335.04(D)(6)
Summary
In unincorporated Lyon County, Nevada, mobile food vendors operate under two Lyon County Code standards. Section 15.335.03(QQ) permits food trucks and carts as an ongoing use in zones where the use table allows them, while section 15.335.04(D)(6) lets a food truck run anywhere via an annual temporary use permit. Both require a Lyon County business license and limit hours to 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and the temporary-use track keeps trucks at least 300 feet from a competing brick-and-mortar restaurant.
QQ. Restaurants, Mobile - Food Trucks, Outdoor Vendors And Carts: ... ... 3. Hours of operation limited to the hours between six o'clock (6:00) A.M. and ten o'clock (10:00) P.M. Extended hours may be permitted by temporary use permit. ... ... 6. Food Trucks/Food Carts: ... Food trucks/food carts are permitted on an on-going basis subject to a temporary use permit subject to the following: a. Food truck/food carts must have a valid Lyon County business license, State Health Department permit and any required inspections for operation. ... ... f. Hours of operation are limited to six o'clock (6:00) A.M. to ten o'clock (10:00) P.M. Extended hours may be requested so long as reasonable justification (such as a special event) is provided. Approval of the extension of hours of operation shall be to the determination of the Director. g. Food trucks/food carts shall not be located closer than three hundred feet (300') of a brick-and-mortar restaurant establishment selling taxable food, as defined in Nevada Revised Statutes 372.284 as may be amended, during the establishment's hours of operation (as measured from the closest point of the building containing the food establishment to the food truck/food cart).
Full Breakdown
Lyon County's Title 15 zoning code addresses mobile food vending two ways. As a permitted use, "Restaurants, Mobile - Food Trucks, Outdoor Vendors And Carts" at section 15.335.03(QQ) may not set up on a public sidewalk, must not impede vehicular or pedestrian traffic, parking lot circulation or right-of-way access, and must operate between six o'clock (6:00) A.M. and ten o'clock (10:00) P.M. unless a temporary use permit extends those hours. Vendors must pick up litter, provide a trash container, stay attended at all times, display all licenses and permits, and secure a business license from the Lyon County Clerk's Office before operating.
Separately, section 15.335.04(D)(6) lets food trucks and carts operate on an ongoing basis countywide through an annual temporary use permit that can cover multiple locations, provided the vendor holds a Lyon County business license and State Health Department permit, transacts only on private property with the owner's written permission, and stays at least three hundred feet (300') from a brick-and-mortar restaurant selling taxable food during that restaurant's open hours. The temporary-use track also bars flood lights or strobes, broadcast music, and requires a designated clean-out location and customer trash receptacles. Community Development's use table at Table 15.320-1 cross-references both sections for the zoning districts where the use applies.
Violations & Fines
Operating a food truck without a Lyon County business license, outside permitted hours, on a public sidewalk, or within 300 feet of a competing restaurant during its open hours violates Lyon County Code Title 15. Under the general penalty at section 1.04.01, an unclassified violation is a misdemeanor under Nevada Revised Statutes, or a civil infraction penalty of up to five hundred dollars ($500.00) per offense, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. Community Development and the Sheriff's Office can order a vendor to cease operating until compliant.
Frequently Asked Questions
What hours can a food truck operate in unincorporated Lyon County?
Is there a distance rule keeping food trucks away from restaurants?
What licenses does a Lyon County food truck vendor need?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lyon County
Compare Lyon County to another location·View the Nevada 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.