Tehama County, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Zones allowed
- C-1–C-4, M-1, M-2, PO
- Permit required
- Discretionary use permit, Ch. 17.70
- School buffer
- 1,000 feet minimum
- Unit spacing
- 600 feet apart
- Applies to
- Unincorporated county only
Summary
In unincorporated Tehama County, mobile food vending on private property is confined to C-1 through C-4, M-1, M-2, and PO zones, and requires a discretionary use permit before a truck or trailer can operate.
"No mobile food vendor may operate in Tehama County on private property without a valid use permit issued in accordance with Chapter 17.70... Mobile food vending shall not be permitted upon any premises within the unincorporated area of Tehama County unless the premises also contains a permitted commercial or industrial use... Mobile food vending may be permitted within C1, C2, C3, C4, M1, M2, and PO zoning districts throughout unincorporated areas of Tehama County only upon securing a use permit issued in accordance with Chapter 17.70."
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Tehama County Code § 17.82.030 bars mobile food vending on private property without a use permit issued under Chapter 17.70, and confines it to premises that already hold a permitted commercial or industrial use: vacant lots don't qualify. Vending is allowed only in the C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4, M-1, M-2, and PO zoning districts of the unincorporated county. Units must sit at least 600 feet apart (§ 17.82.040(L)) and 1,000 feet from any school (§ 17.82.050(O)), and operating hours track the host business's hours. This chapter governs only unincorporated Tehama County; Red Bluff, Corning, and the City of Tehama regulate vending under their own codes.
Violations & Fines
Vending without a permit, or violating the location and spacing standards, lets the planning director suspend or revoke the use permit under § 17.82.070, in addition to the county's general misdemeanor penalty, § 1.04.042.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food truck vend on any private lot in Tehama County?
How close can a food truck be to a school?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tehama County
California rules heatmap·Compare Tehama County to another location·View the California food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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