Lexington regulates mobile food units and vending carts under Code of Ordinances Chapter 15 and the Zoning Ordinance. Each mobile food unit requires a separate per-unit license, and carts must comply with health department standards and zoning site plan requirements.
Mobile food unit vendors in Lexington are licensed on a per-unit basis under LFUCG Code of Ordinances Chapter 15. Each separate mobile food unit requires its own license, and operators running more than one unit must pay an additional fifty-dollar fee per additional unit. Carts and mobile food units must comply with Lexington-Fayette County Health Department requirements for food preparation, storage, and sanitation, including hand-washing facilities and proper waste disposal. The unit must obtain a zoning compliance permit from the Division of Planning, with a site plan showing the proposed operating location. Cart placement must allow proper vehicular and pedestrian circulation on the site, including maintaining required fire access lanes. Carts may not block sidewalks, crosswalks, fire hydrants, or building entrances. All merchandise must be displayed only within the permitted vending area. Carts operating on private property require written permission from the property owner. Vendors must ensure the cart or unit does not create noise disturbances under Chapter 14. Carts selling prepared food must meet Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services retail food service requirements, and operators must have valid food handler certifications. The zoning compliance permit for a mobile food unit is valid for two years and may be renewed through the Division of Planning.
Contact your local code enforcement office for specific penalty information.
See how Lexington's cart & stand rules rules stack up against other locations.
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