Melbourne, FL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)

Sec. 46-24(a)-(c) of the City Code ties where a mobile food dispensing vehicle can operate to its class. Class I food trucks, the ones that cook and assemble a full menu, may operate on private property only in commercial zoning districts (C-1A, C-1, C-2, C-3, C-E, C-P), industrial districts (M-1, M-2), and the institutional district (I-1); they can also work a residential district (R-1A, R-1AA, R-1AAA, R-1B, R-2, R-3, R-P) only where a non-residential use is already on that property, as spelled out in Appendix B of the land development code.

Class II canteen trucks, which vend fruits, vegetables, hot dogs, and pre-cooked or pre-packaged food and drinks without on-board food preparation, may operate on private property in any zoning district, residential included. Class III mobile vending trucks, limited to pre-packaged edibles and drinks such as frozen novelties, may operate anywhere Class I and II can, and additionally on locally classified streets during daylight hours between sunrise and sunset. That street-vending privilege comes with hard limits: the truck cannot interrupt traffic flow or block a sidewalk, cannot block a driveway or point of vehicular access, must pull as far to the side of the right-of-way as possible, and cannot remain stopped on any one block of the street for more than 15 consecutive minutes.

All three classes are barred from public rights-of-way for Class I and II trucks specifically under subsection (i), and every class is barred from unimproved surfaces, undeveloped lots, and stormwater retention areas under subsection (k).