Waco, TX Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Intersection buffer
- No vending in sight-distance zone of intersections
- Competitor buffer
- 100 feet from a similar business without consent
- School/park buffer
- 200 feet needs written no-objection statement
- Block density limit
- Max two vending sites per block face
- Insurance
- $500,000 public liability required, Sec. 13-410
- Permit term
- One year maximum, Sec. 13-407
Summary
Waco's open-air vending rules limit where a mobile food unit or roadside vendor can set up: no vending facility may sit in the sight-distance zone of an intersection, within 100 feet of a competing business without consent, or within 200 feet of a school, park, or residence without a written no-objection letter.
(a)Vending location.(1)No vendor shall locate a vending facility within the sight distance zone of any intersection, driveway, or alley....(3)No public or private open air vending shall take place where the vending facility is located within 100 feet of the property line of a place of business that provides the same or similar good or service, unless the public or private open air vendor owns or has written consent from the proprietor of said place of business....(6)No more than two vending sites can be assigned for each side of a block face.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
Article IX, Division 2 of Chapter 13 (Secs. ' Section 13-405(a), 'Vending location,' sets the siting standards: no vendor may locate a vending facility within the sight-distance zone of an intersection, driveway, or alley; no vending may occur within 100 feet of the property line of a business selling the same or similar goods or services unless that business's proprietor consents in writing; a vendor acquires no vested right to any location; and no more than two vending sites may be assigned per block face.
Section 13-406, governing the vendor's permit application, layers on additional buffers tied to sensitive uses: if a vendor wants to locate within 200 feet of a public or private school, park, institution, or government property, the applicant must submit a written no-objection statement from the entity controlling that property; if the site is within 200 feet of a residence, the applicant needs a written no-objection statement from the residence's owner. 00 in public liability and property-damage insurance naming the city as an additional insured under Section 13-410.
Violations & Fines
Vending within a banned buffer, such as inside an intersection's sight-distance zone or within 100 feet of a competitor without written consent, violates Section 13-405(a) and can trigger permit denial, suspension, or revocation under Section 13-414. The city can then remove and store the vending facility at the vendor's expense under Section 13-415; the vendor may appeal to the city council in writing within 15 days under Section 13-416.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can a food truck park to a similar restaurant in Waco?
Does a food truck need permission to set up near a school or park?
Can the city take away my vending permit?
What happens to my cart if my permit is revoked?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Waco
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