Lexington, KY Street Vending: Vending Zones (2026)

The LFUCG Code of Ordinances Chapter 15 and the Zoning Ordinance together regulate where vending may occur in Lexington. No itinerant merchant or peddler may operate within a residential zone or within 100 feet of the property line of a dwelling unit in an area zoned as a residential district. Vendors also cannot operate within 100 feet of a government-permitted special event without written permission from the event organizer. All merchandise, goods, or wares must be displayed only within the area lawfully permitted for the business. Mobile food unit vendors must obtain a zoning compliance permit from the Division of Planning, and the site must be zoned in a category that permits restaurants as a principal permitted use. The zoning compliance permit application requires a site plan showing the proposed location, and the Division of Planning verifies that the site allows proper vehicular and pedestrian access and circulation, including fire access. Existing minimum off-street parking for the site must be maintained, though no new parking spaces are required specifically for the mobile food vendor. The zoning compliance permit is valid for two years from the date of issuance. Public rights-of-way and public places require that vendors not create continuous noise disturbances, per Chapter 14 noise provisions.