Fairfield, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Fairfield's regulatory framework for food trucks layers state, county, and city requirements. The California Retail Food Code (Health & Safety Code §113700 et seq.), administered locally by the Solano County Health Department Environmental Health Division, classifies mobile food facilities into MFF Type 1 (limited food preparation), MFF Type 2 (full preparation in a fully enclosed unit), and Mobile Support Units (commissary support). Each unit must be inspected, registered with the county, and operate from an approved commissary that provides potable water, wastewater disposal, food storage, and sanitation. Required permits include a Mobile Food Facility Permit (annual), a commissary affiliation letter, and operator food handler / Food Manager certification (ServSafe or equivalent) per H&S Code §113947.1. The City of Fairfield requires a separate business license under Chapter 6, Article I of the Municipal Code, with the license fee based on gross receipts and business classification. Trucks operating on private property (e.g., brewery tap rooms, business parks, special events) need property-owner consent and must comply with zoning use standards in Chapter 25 — typically allowed in C-G commercial, M-1 light industrial, and special event areas, but not in pure residential zones except for resident-only catering arrangements. Trucks operating in the public right-of-way as 'roaming vendors' or at established truck stops are subject to vehicle-and-traffic Chapter 17 restrictions plus any specific street vending rules. SB 946 (2018, codified at Government Code §51036 et seq.) decriminalized sidewalk vending and limits Fairfield's authority to non-criminal time-place-manner restrictions for sidewalk-based food vendors (carts, pushcarts, not full trucks). Pre-existing Fairfield ordinances inconsistent with SB 946 are preempted to that extent. Special event permits through the City Manager's Office are required for food trucks operating at events on public property (Tomato Festival, downtown events, festivals at Allan Witt Park, etc.).