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

FMC Sec. 9-1103 makes it unlawful to operate as a mobile vendor, defined in Sec. 9-1102 as anyone who sells food, drinks, or merchandise from a DMV-licensed vehicle such as a trailer or food truck, without a valid mobile vendor permit, and it also reaches anyone who hires or lends equipment to an unpermitted operator. To get the permit, Sec. 9-1104 requires applying to the City Manager or designee, complying with the operating standards in Sec. 15-2741, signing an indemnification agreement approved by the Risk Manager and City Attorney, paying the fee set in the Master Fee Schedule, and, for food or beverage sales, showing proof of all required County Health Department permits or certificates.

Sec. 9-1105 requires a complete application (zone clearance, County Health permit, signed indemnification, paid business license tax) to be decided within five business days, processed in order received; a written denial can be appealed to the City Hearing Officer under Chapter 1, Article 4. Ice cream trucks face extra vetting under Sec. 9-1108: compliance with Vehicle Code Sec. 22456 and a state/federal fingerprint background check, with no permit issued to anyone convicted or pleading no contest within the prior five years to a moral-turpitude or drug-related misdemeanor or felony.