Lafayette Parish, LA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Location basis
- Accessory use only, not standalone lot
- Restaurant buffer
- 100 ft from entrances, outdoor dining
- Cart buffer
- 50 ft from other food vending carts
- Hydrant buffer
- 15 ft from fire hydrants
- Max trucks per lot
- 2 to 5, scaled by lot acreage
Summary
Lafayette City-Parish law restricts mobile food trucks to accessory use on non-residential private property: they cannot operate in the public right-of-way, and must sit at least 100 feet from any restaurant entrance or outdoor dining area.
Mobile food establishments shall only operate on property wherein its operation would constitute an accessory use to a lawful, non-residential principal use. ... Mobile food establishments shall not operate in the public right-of-way. ... All mobile food establishments shall be located at least 100 feet from the main entrance to any fixed food establishment, 100 feet from any outdoor dining area and 50 feet from any permitted food vending cart location.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 65).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 70-117 of the Lafayette City-Parish Consolidated Government Code confines mobile food trucks to lots where vending is an accessory use to a lawful non-residential principal use: a truck can't be the only business on a lot. Trucks are barred from the public right-of-way and must sit on durable all-weather surfaces like concrete or asphalt. They must keep 100 feet from any restaurant's main entrance or outdoor dining area, 50 feet from any permitted food-vending cart, 15 feet from fire hydrants, and 10 feet from driveways, sidewalks, and building entrances. Lot size caps how many trucks can vend at once, from two on a lot under half an acre up to five on lots over 1.5 acres.
Violations & Fines
Operating in the right-of-way or too close to a fire hydrant, restaurant entrance, or driveway can draw a fine and suspension or revocation of the mobile food establishment permit by the director.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food truck operate on its own vacant lot in Lafayette?
Can food trucks park on city streets in Lafayette?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lafayette Parish
Compare Lafayette Parish to another location·View the Louisiana food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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