Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Merced, CA (2026)
3 verified food trucks & mobile vendors rules for Merced, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Food Truck Permits
Merced requires a site plan review or conditional use permit before any food truck can park in a fixed location for more than an hour a day, restricts operation to 7 a.m.-9 p.m., and caps parking to one truck per developed parcel under Municipal Code Section 20.44.020.
Merced Food Truck Fixed-Location Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 20.44.020(A)-(C)
A.Location. Food trucks (or "mobile food vendors") that park in fixed locations, instead of being "street and sidewalk vendors" as defined in Chapter 5.54 (Street and Sidewalk Vendors), are only permitted in zoning districts as shown in the land use regulation tables in Part 2 (Zoning Districts). A "fixed location" is considered to be parked on any one (1) parcel for more than one (1) hour a da...
Vending Zones
A food truck that parks on the same parcel for more than an hour a day is no longer a roaming sidewalk vendor under Merced's rules; it becomes a fixed-location use restricted to specific zoning districts and requires a site plan review or conditional use permit under Municipal Code Sec. 20.44.020.
Merced Food Truck Fixed-Location Zoning Rules
Some RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 20.44.020(A)-(B)
A.Location. Food trucks (or "mobile food vendors") that park in fixed locations, instead of being "street and sidewalk vendors" as defined in Chapter 5.54 (Street and Sidewalk Vendors), are only permitted in zoning districts as shown in the land use regulation tables in Part 2 (Zoning Districts) and planned developments with those same designations. A "fixed location" is considered to be parked...
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Merced requires every sidewalk or street vendor, including pushcart and food-cart operators, to obtain a permit from the city manager before selling anywhere in city limits. Permits expire every December 31 and must be renewed annually, and vendors must carry $500,000 in liability insurance and pay a public property use fee under Merced Municipal Code Sec. 5.54.020.
Merced Sidewalk Vending Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsMerced, CA, Municipal Code Sec. 5.54.020
A.It is unlawful for any street vendor or sidewalk vendor to operate in the city without having first obtained a permit to do so from the city manager or his/her designee. Permits shall be issued if all the requirements of this chapter are met and the city manager or her/his designee finds that granting such permit will not unduly interfere with the rights of the public or significantly contrib...
Looking for Merced County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Merced city rules.
Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Merced County →