San Antonio, TX Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)

Sec. 13-63 governs where a mobile food establishment can operate once it holds a permit under Sec. 13-62. Vendors cannot operate within 300 feet of the property line of any public or private elementary, middle, or high school one hour before, during, and one hour after school hours. When stopping on a public street or right-of-way, the location cannot be within 50 feet of an intersection or in a no-standing zone, vending must happen from the curbside or rear of the vehicle, hazard lamps must be on except at a controlled intersection, and the operator must vend safely.

Trucks may stop on private property only with the property owner's written, notarized permission and access to flush toilets tied to an approved sewage system, and must park on pavement in clean surroundings. Operating in the downtown business district is unlawful unless the vendor has obtained a special permit from the center city development office, in addition to the standard mobile food establishment permit; that office's policies can add distance requirements from schools and other food establishments. the rest of the year, and total noise must comply with Chapter 21, Article III, with music and recorded messages shut off while stationary except at a controlled intersection.

Vending is also barred within areas listed as traffic hazards under Sec. 16-236(b), and parks are separately governed by Sec. 22-2. Sec. 13-63(a)(22) additionally bars placing tables, chairs, awnings, or seating areas around a truck for customer use, except inside a permitted mobile food court under Sec. 13-67. Most of these restrictions, including the school buffer and residential hours, do not apply while a truck operates at a permitted special event.