Regulations, But Growing Demand for Taco Trucks

"Palos Verdes Estates is hardly the only community to crack down on the trucks in recent years. Los Angeles County supervisors last year passed an ordinance making it a misdemeanor for taco trucks to park in unincorporated spots for more than an hour after restaurateurs complained they were siphoning off customers. A Superior Court judge later ruled the law unconstitutional.

Similar restrictions have been imposed nationwide in cities large and small, rural and metropolitan, from Hughson, Calif., to Houston, and in seemingly unlikely spots, including Des Moines; Charlotte, N.C.; and Hillsboro, Ore.

As the Latino population has grown across the United States, so have the number of taco trucks catering to them.

How communities approach them varies widely."

"...Officials in many communities say the aim of their regulations is to ensure the food is sanitary, safety codes are followed and noise, late-night crowds and garbage don't get out of control. Some cities have passed ordinances that don't explicitly ban taco trucks but make it all but impossible for them to operate profitably."