Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Boulder, CO (2026)
3 verified food trucks & mobile vendors rules for Boulder, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Food Truck Permits
Every mobile food vehicle operating in Boulder needs an annual license under Subparagraph 9-6-5(d)(2). Applicants must show a valid driver's license, vehicle registration and insurance (or ID and insurance for a bicycle cart), a Colorado retail food license for a mobile unit, a sales and use tax license, and pay the fee set in Section 4-20-66.
Boulder Mobile Food Vehicle License Rules
Significant RestrictionsBoulder Revised Code § 9-6-5(d)(2)(A)
(2)Mobile Food Vehicle License.(A)License: No person shall operate a mobile food vehicle without a license or in violation of the conditions of a license. The license will be valid for twelve consecutive months or such time as the city manager may by rule designate. The license applicant shall meet the following requirements in the application and, as applicable, during the license term:(i)Prov...
Vending Zones
Boulder confines mobile food vehicles to specific zoning contexts under Subparagraph 9-6-5(d)(1): Mixed Use, Business, Downtown or Industrial lots, certain right-of-way zones, designated city park areas, organized events, or the municipal airport. Trucks must also keep 150 feet from homes and existing restaurants, and 200 feet from each other in the right-of-way.
Boulder Mobile Food Vehicle Location Rules
Significant RestrictionsBoulder Revised Code § 9-6-5(d)(1)(A)-(C)
(A)Location: Mobile food vehicles may operate in any of the following locations:(i)Lot or Parcel: On a lot or parcel in the Mixed Use, Business, Downtown, or Industrial zoning districts...(B)Distancing Requirements: The mobile food vehicle shall be located at least:(i)150 feet from any residential zoning districts, unless the use is allowed by subparagraphs (d)(1)(A)(iii), (d)(1)(A)(iv), or (d)...
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Boulder regulates food trucks and carts as 'mobile food vehicles' under Land Use Code Section 9-6-5(d). Operators need a license, must stay off sidewalks within crosswalk boundaries or ten feet of doorways, may run only 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. for up to four hours per stop, and must keep at least 150 feet from homes and existing restaurants.
Boulder Mobile Food Vehicle Sidewalk Standards
Significant RestrictionsBoulder Revised Code § 9-6-5(d)(2)(C)
(C)Operating Requirements: No person who operates any mobile food vehicle shall:(i)Obstruct the pedestrian or bicycle access or the visibility of motorists, nor obstruct parking lot circulation or block access to a public street, alley, path, or sidewalk;(ii)Locate any vehicle, structure, or device upon a public sidewalk within the extended boundaries of a crosswalk, or within ten feet of the e...
Looking for Boulder County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Boulder city rules.
Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Boulder County →