Howard County, MD Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Howard County Code § 18.207
- Allowed hours
- 8:00 a.m. to sunset only
- Road speed limit
- 45 mph or less only
- Shoulder placement
- 8 ft from lane, 100 ft from intersections
- Licenses required
- Valid state and local licenses displayed
- Max penalty
- $100 fine and/or 30 days jail
Summary
Howard County Code § 18.207 bans "nontransit activity," including selling from a stationary spot, on County roads unless a vendor meets the "site-specific vending/operating" exception. Food trucks and roadside vendors may sell from the paved shoulder only between 8 a.m. and sunset, only on roads posted 45 mph or slower.
(e)Exception for Site-Specific Vending/Operating With Licenses and Permits. Subject to subsection (2) below, a person may conduct site-specific vending/operating in the shoulder area on a County road as follows:(1)The activity shall be permitted and conducted:(i)Only with appropriate and valid State and local licenses and permits displayed; and(ii)Only between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and sunset; and(iii)Only on roads that have a posted speed limit of 45 miles per hour or less; and(iv)Only at a location in the shoulder that is at least eight feet from the edge line of the travel lane and at least 100 feet from the nearest intersections and other points of ingress or egress.(2)If the Department of Police or the Department of Public Works determines that a site-specific vending/operating activity at a given location impedes traffic or endangers the person or the public, then the appropriate department may order the activity to cease operating or relocate to an area deemed safe by the Department.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 91 | Zoning: Supplement 25).
Full Breakdown
207(a) prohibits "nontransit activity," defined to include "buying, selling, offering, giving of anything, and soliciting or seeking patronage," on any County-owned road, right-of-way, shoulder, or median. Subsection (e) carves out an exception for "site-specific vending/operating," defined as "selling or offering to sell goods or services from a stationary location on a County road with valid licenses and permits" - the category covering a parked food truck or roadside stand. 207 separately allows it. If the Department of Police or Department of Public Works decides a vending operation impedes traffic or endangers the public, either department can order the vendor to stop or relocate to a location it deems safe.
The section runs alongside a separate median-use permit for temporary nontransit activity limited to four days a year, requiring a 21-day advance application, a $100 permit fee, and Police sign-off, but that median permit does not itself authorize selling food.
Violations & Fines
Vending on a County road outside the 8 a.m.-to-sunset window, on a road posted above 45 mph, or without displayed state and local licenses is a misdemeanor under § 18.207(f), punishable by a fine up to $100.00 or up to 30 days in jail, or both. The County also enforces the section with civil penalties under Title 24, with a violation classified as a Class B offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food truck legally park and sell on a Howard County road?
What happens if a vendor blocks traffic in Howard County?
Does a peddler's license let someone sell from a County road?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Howard County
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