Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Denver, CO (2026)
3 verified food trucks & mobile vendors rules for Denver, Colorado, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Food Truck Permits
Denver requires a license from the Department of Excise and Licenses to operate a mobile retail food establishment or pushcart, with menus and routes subject to manager approval before the license is issued.
Denver Mobile Food Establishment License Required
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code §§ 23-50–23-51
Except as provided in section 23-56, it shall be unlawful for any person to ... operate a mobile retail food establishment or pushcart ... without first having obtained a license from the director. No license to ... operate a mobile retail food establishment or pushcart ... shall be issued without the manager's approval. All licenses shall be prominently displayed and visible at all times.
Vending Zones
Denver confines legal street vending to permitted locations on the 16th Street Pedestrian and Transit Mall: pushcarts, kiosks, and vending clusters all need a location-specific permit approved by the manager of transportation and infrastructure before they can operate.
Denver Limits Vending to Approved Mall Sites
Significant RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 49-538.3
The manager may issue to any person or organization a permit for a pushcart, kiosk, public seating area, sidewalk cafe, sidewalk sale, special event, entertainment or vending cluster area on the 16th Street Pedestrian and Transit Mall at a location approved by the manager. The manager has authority to promulgate rules and regulations as necessary to implement this process.(2)The manager may iss...
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Denver requires a permit from the Manager of Transportation and Infrastructure to operate a pushcart or vending device on a public sidewalk, limited to designated business zone districts and away from schools and the 16th Street Mall.
Denver Sidewalk Vending Cart Permit
Some RestrictionsDenver Revised Municipal Code § 49-539
The manager of transportation and infrastructure may issue to any person a permit to occupy the public right-of-way outside of the roadway for the purpose of placing a pushcart or other vending device at a location approved by the manager and selling therefrom food, beverages, food products, including ice cream, frozen milk, frozen dairy or ice confection products; merchandise, including handcr...