Colorado Springs, CO Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License required
- Mandatory for all mobile food vendors
- License term
- Expires 1 year from issuance
- Fee
- Set by City Council resolution
- Enforcing office
- City Clerk's Deputy Licensing Officer
- Exemption
- Permanent-location deliveries excluded
- Max penalty
- $2,500 fine / 189 days jail
Summary
Any person selling food from a truck, cart, wagon or mobile stand on Colorado Springs streets or sidewalks must hold a City mobile food vendor license before operating. City Code § 2.3.702 makes unlicensed operation unlawful, sets an annual license term, and exempts orders delivered from a fixed, permanent restaurant location.
A. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate as a mobile food vendor within the City without first obtaining a license. Fees for mobile food vendors shall be as established by City Council under article 1, part 5 of this chapter, and the license shall expire one (1) year from the date of issuance, unless suspended or revoked earlier. B. Nothing in this part is intended to inhibit or prohibit the lawful order, sales, or delivery of food from regularly established permanent business locations.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 26-23, passed June 9, 2026).
Full Breakdown
701 defines a mobile food vendor as anyone who sells, takes orders for, or offers to sell food from or upon the public right-of-way, using a cart, food truck, wagon, mobile stand, motor vehicle or other apparatus. 702 makes it unlawful to operate as a mobile food vendor within the City without first obtaining a license from the Deputy Licensing Officer. Fees are set by City Council under Chapter 2, Article 1, Part 5 of the Code, and every license expires one year from issuance unless suspended or revoked sooner: renewal means reapplying and paying the annual fee again.
E makes it unlawful for a licensed vendor to violate 'any regulations or licensing requirements of the Colorado or El Paso County Departments of Health and Environment,' so a truck must carry both the City vendor license and a county mobile food establishment permit at the same time. B carves out an exemption: nothing in Part 7 restricts the lawful order, sale or delivery of food from a regularly established permanent business location, so a brick-and-mortar restaurant's own delivery service does not need a separate mobile food vendor license for that activity.
The license attaches to the vendor rather than a fixed address, reflecting the definition's focus on selling 'from or upon the public right-of-way,' which is what separates a licensed mobile vendor from an ordinary restaurant.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a mobile food vendor without a City license violates § 2.3.702.A and is punishable under the Code's general penalty, City Code § 1.1.201: a fine up to $2,500, up to 189 days in jail, probation, or a combination, imposed by Colorado Springs Municipal Court. A license can also be suspended or revoked on top of any court fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a City license to run a food truck in Colorado Springs?
How long does a Colorado Springs mobile food vendor license last?
Does a restaurant delivering food need a mobile food vendor license?
Do I still need a health permit if I have the City vendor license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Colorado Springs
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