Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors in Somerville, MA (2026)
3 verified food trucks & mobile vendors rules for Somerville, Massachusetts, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Food Truck Permits
No one may run a food truck or cart in Somerville without a mobile food vendor license from the health division of Inspectional Services, posted where customers can see it, under Sec. 8-362. Getting one also requires a valid state hawker's license, and reviewers weigh noise, traffic and impact on nearby restaurants before approving a spot.
Somerville Mobile Food Vendor License Rules
Significant RestrictionsSomerville, MA Code of Ordinances §§ 8-362, 8-363
Sec. 8-362. Mobile food vendor license required. No person or business entity, including a religious or charitable organization, shall operate as a mobile food vendor in any public, private or restricted space without obtaining a license from the health division of the inspectional services department. Said license shall be conspicuously posted in a place that is visible to all customers. This ...
Vending Zones
Somerville licenses every mobile food vendor through the Inspectional Services Health Division, and the license fixes the truck's exact route or location and hours; a truck cannot park within 50 feet of a restaurant entrance without written consent from that restaurant's owner.
Somerville Food Truck Vending Location Rules
Some RestrictionsSomerville Code of Ordinances § 8-366(a), (g)
The issuance of a mobile food vendor license does not grant to, or entitle, the licensee the exclusive use of any service route or location, in whole or in part, other than the time and place specified in the license or permit for the term of the license or permit. ... The licensee shall not park within 50 feet of an entrance of a restaurant unless the licensee has received written consent from...
Sidewalk & Mobile Vending
Somerville licensed food trucks can't set anything on the public sidewalk, tables, coolers, A-frame signs, none of it, without council approval, and they can't park within 50 feet of a restaurant's door unless that restaurant signs off in writing. Both rules live in the mobile food vendor licensing article enforced by Inspectional Services, Police, and Traffic and Parking.
Somerville Food Truck Sidewalk Rules
Some RestrictionsSomerville Code of Ordinances § 8-366(f)-(g)
(f) No materials of any kind may be placed on the public sidewalk, unless otherwise approved by the council. This includes, but is not limited to, tables, chairs, or other seating, A-frame signs, coolers, or promotional materials. (g) The licensee shall not park within 50 feet of an entrance of a restaurant unless the licensee has received written consent from the owner(s) of any restaurant(s) ...