Minneapolis, MN Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Curb clearance
- Park within 1 foot of curb
- Crosswalk buffer
- No parking within 20 feet of crosswalk
- Restaurant buffer
- 100 feet from sidewalk restaurants/cafes
- Event buffer
- 500 feet from permitted fairs, festivals
- Hours
- 6 a.m. to midnight citywide
Summary
Minneapolis licenses mobile food vehicles and sidewalk carts and restricts exactly where they can operate: curbside parking only, no operating within 100 feet of a sidewalk restaurant or cafe on the same block face, plus meter and crosswalk rules.
Parking on streets is permitted when in compliance with all ordinances, regulations, parking zones and posted signage. Sales by the licensee shall be made on the curbside only and the vehicle shall be parked within one (1) foot of the curb. No mobile food vendor shall operate from the public right-of-way where a restaurant, with direct access to the sidewalk, or a permitted sidewalk cafe is within one hundred (100) feet on the same block face.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 72).
Full Breakdown
The city's mobile food vehicle license (Minneapolis Code § 188.485) requires vendors to park curbside within one foot of the curb, forbids reserving or blocking metered spaces, and bars parking within 20 feet of a crosswalk or 30 feet of a stop sign or signal per Minn. Stat. § 169.34. Vendors can't operate within 100 feet of an existing sidewalk restaurant or cafe on the same block face without the owner's written consent, within 500 feet of a permitted fair, festival, or sports arena entrance, or within 200 feet of park board property without park board authorization. The licensing official keeps a public map of eligible operating locations.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the mobile food vehicle license, or in a restricted location, is grounds for license denial, suspension, or revocation after notice and a hearing; unlicensed street vending can also draw a misdemeanor citation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I park a food truck anywhere on a Minneapolis street?
How close can a Minneapolis food truck park to a festival or park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Minneapolis
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