Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Santa Monica, CA (2026)
3 verified food trucks & mobile vendors rules for Santa Monica, California, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Food Truck Permits
Food trucks in Santa Monica are regulated as vehicle vendors under SMMC Ch. 6.36. A city business license and LA County Health Permit are required. Sidewalk vending requires a separate permit under the city's vending program.
Santa Monica Food Truck Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsCalifornia SB 972 (2022) - California Retail Food Code Chapter 11.7 (Compact Mobile Food Operations / Sidewalk Food Vendor Permits)
SB 972, Gonzalez. California Retail Food Code. Existing law, the California Retail Food Code, establishes uniform health and sanitation standards for, and provides for regulation by the State Department of Public Health of, retail food facilities and requires local health agencies to enforce these provisions. This bill would authorize a cottage food operation or microenterprise home kitchen ope...
Vending Zones
Stationary sidewalk vendors are banned from the beach, the Transit Mall, residential zones, within 25 feet of the Third Street Promenade, and within 500 feet of the Pier bridge entrance in Palisades Park. Roaming vendors cannot operate in or adjacent to residential zones between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Street Vending: Vending Zones
Significant RestrictionsSanta Monica Municipal Code § 6.36.040
§ 6.36.040(b) No stationary sidewalk vendor shall vend within: (1) Twenty-five feet of the Third Street Promenade; (2) The Transit Mall; (3) The Beach; (4) Any area exclusively zoned for residential uses; (5) The 1700 block of Ocean Front Walk; (6) Any portion of Palisades Park that is within five hundred feet of the Ocean Avenue entrance point to the Pier bridge, except within any designated s...
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Sidewalk vendors must display their permit at all times, comply with the City's noise ordinance, keep their area litter-free with an on-hand trash container, and are prohibited from using open flames, leaning equipment against street furniture, or displaying goods not immediately for sale.
Street Vending: Cart Regulations
Some RestrictionsSanta Monica Municipal Code § 6.36.050
§ 6.36.050(a) A vendor shall: (1) Prominently display the vendor's vending permit at all times while on public property; (2) Maintain noise levels in compliance with Chapters 4.12 and 6.116 of this Code; (3) Keep the vendor's vending area litter free by removing litter caused by the vended products off of public or private property; and (4) Maintain a trash container in or on the vendor's perso...
Looking for Los Angeles County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Santa Monica city rules.
Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Los Angeles County →