Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Reading, PA

If you live in Reading or are thinking about moving there, food trucks & mobile vendors are one of those things you probably won't think about until they affect you directly. Reading has 3 specific rules on the books covering different aspects of food trucks & mobile vendors, and some of them might surprise you.

Sidewalk & Mobile Vending

Reading confines sidewalk vending to the Downtown Improvement District: vending on public property anywhere outside the DID is flatly prohibited, and a permit is required to vend even inside the DID's mapped boundary between Franklin, Washington, Front and 11th Streets.

Key details: Vending zone: DID area only, outside DID barred. Annual permit cap: 20 sidewalk vendor permits. Permit year: April 1 to March 31. Max permits per person: Two. Fine range: $75-$1,000 per offense.

Violating any provision of the Sidewalk Vendor Ordinance is a summary offense under § 453-214, punishable by a fine of $75 to $1,000 per offense or up to 90 days' imprisonment, or both; each day of continued violation is a separate offense. A permit may also be revoked after 10 days' written notice, with a right to a City Council hearing before revocation takes effect.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Reading actively enforces its sidewalk & mobile vending requirements.

Vending Zones

Mobile food vendors in Reading need a license before operating anywhere, and the code steers licensed vendors specifically to the Pagoda parking area, where only two vendors may operate at once, on a schedule set by the Pagoda Foundation Board and locations chosen by the Public Works Director.

Key details: License required: Yes, before any mobile vending. Preferred location: Pagoda parking area. Pagoda vendor cap: Two vendors at a time. Location approval: Pagoda Foundation Board / Public Works Director. Fine range: $75-$1,000 per offense.

Operating a mobile vending business without a license, or outside the licensed Pagoda-area schedule and public-right-of-way limits, is a summary offense under § 453-313, carrying a fine of $75 to $1,000 per offense or up to 90 days' imprisonment, or both. Each day of continued violation is a separate offense, and enforcement runs through the Property Maintenance Division, the Fire Marshal and the Reading Police Department per § 453-312.

This is not one of those rules that cities tend to ignore. Reading actively enforces its vending zones requirements.

Food Truck Permits

Reading requires mobile food vendors to file a detailed license application with the Property Maintenance Division, including unit photos, a sale-items list, health permits and a business privilege license, before a one-year mobile vendor license can be granted.

Key details: Filed with: Property Maintenance Division. License term: One calendar year. Application review: Denial in writing within 10 days. Look-back on revocation: 5 years disqualifies. Look-back on felony/drug sale: 10 years disqualifies.

Operating without a valid mobile vendor license, or vending under a license obtained on a materially false or incomplete application, exposes the operator to the § 453-313 penalty: a summary-offense fine of $75 to $1,000 per offense or up to 90 days' imprisonment, or both, with each day of continued violation a separate offense. The Property Maintenance Division, Fire Marshal and Reading Police Department all enforce this Part under § 453-312.

The Bottom Line

Reading is tougher than many cities when it comes to food trucks & mobile vendors. Out of the 3 rules covered here, 2 are rated strict. If you are a homeowner, renter, or business owner in Reading, take the time to understand these requirements before they become a problem. Most violations come with fines, and some repeat violations can escalate.

These rules come from Reading's publicly available municipal code. For complete penalty schedules, exemption details, and answers to common questions, see the individual ordinance pages throughout this guide.