Virginia Beach, VA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Speed-limit cutoff
- No sales on streets posted over 25 mph
- Intersection buffer
- No sales within 25 feet of intersection
- Time limit
- 15 minutes per block, then must move
- Private-lot sales
- Need city permit plus approved plat
- Penalty
- Class 1 misdemeanor per violation
Summary
Virginia Beach bars street sales in the public right-of-way on any street posted above 25 mph or within 25 feet of an intersection, and caps vendors at 15 minutes per block before they must move on.
No such sale or exchange shall be made in any street or public right-of-way along any street for which the posted speed limit is greater than twenty-five (25) miles per hour, nor shall such sale or exchange be made in any street or public right-of-way within twenty-five (25) feet of any intersection. No person conducting such sale or exchange in any street or public right-of-way may remain within any one-block area for more than fifteen (15) minutes before moving to another block.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 170 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 33-6 governs sales of goods, food, or flowers from carts, tables, trucks, trailers, or hand-pushed vehicles on or near city streets. In the public right-of-way, no sale can occur on a street posted above 25 mph or within 25 feet of any intersection, and a vendor may not stay in one block more than 15 minutes or return to that block within 8 hours. Selling from adjacent private property instead requires a planning department-approved plat, an 800-square-foot area under the vendor's exclusive control, a 50-foot setback from the sidewalk, and a city manager permit. Farmer's Market and city-franchised vendors are exempt from the right-of-way limits.
Violations & Fines
Violating § 33-6 is a Class 1 misdemeanor; the city manager must revoke a private-property vending permit on conviction for violating the section.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell food from a cart on any Virginia Beach street?
How long can a street vendor stay in one spot?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Virginia Beach
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