Salinas, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)

095 (Food Trucks) governs any vehicle used to dispense ready-to-eat food or beverages on private property, excluding delivery vehicles and trucks at city-approved community events. Before operating, an owner must obtain a conditional use permit under Article VI, Division 8, plus a separate vendor permit under Chapter 20, Article XVI (Food Trucks, Ice Cream Trucks, Nonmotorized Pushcarts and Street Vendors). The CUP application requires a detailed site plan showing property lines, adjacent zoning, drive aisles and fire lanes, parking and loading counts, fire hydrants, landscaping and screening, and any electrical outlets serving the truck.

Operationally, food trucks cannot sit in required yards or existing landscape areas, cannot operate on undeveloped lots or unpaved surfaces, and cannot include a drive-through lane, service is strictly walk-up. A truck must be positioned with at least six feet of clearance from curbs, landscaped areas, trash enclosures, buildings, and parking spaces so customers queuing for service aren't exposed to vehicle hazards. Only food and non-alcoholic beverages may be sold; alcohol sales are flatly prohibited. m. to midnight on Friday, Saturday, and holidays. Required parking is two spaces per truck on top of the site's existing required parking, though a parking reduction of up to thirty percent can be granted administratively and a larger reduction by the planning commission.

Outdoor furniture, portable toilets, amplified sound, and exterior generators are all prohibited, and the area within a twenty-five-foot radius of the truck must be kept free of trash and grease.