Inglewood, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Business tax certificate + vehicle vendor permit
- Issuing body
- Committee on Permits and Licenses
- Fee range
- $25 to $500+ by goods sold
- Category 1 fee
- $25 for lunch/confection vehicle or cart
- Violation penalty
- Permit revocation, suspension, or non-renewal
- Governing ordinance
- Ord. 25-14, effective 9/16/2025
Summary
Selling food from a truck, cart, or trailer on an Inglewood street requires a business tax certificate and a separate vehicle vendor permit before a single sale, per Municipal Code Section 3-161. The Committee on Permits and Licenses sets the fee by what the vendor sells, running from $25 to $500 or more under Chapter 8's category schedule. Skipping either document risks the permit itself.
No person shall operate as a vehicle vendor in this City without first obtaining a business tax certificate and vehicle vendor permit in accordance with Chapter 8 of the Inglewood Municipal Code (IMC). The fees for a vehicle vendor permit shall be based on the goods being sold or services provided as outlined in IMC Sections 8-53.1 through 8-53.5. The failure to abide by any provision of this Article shall result in the revocation, suspension, or non-renewal of the vehicle vendor's permit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4954608; v8 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
Article 9 of Chapter 3, adopted by Ordinance 25-14 on September 16, 2025, governs anyone who sells goods, including food, produce and beverages, from a motor vehicle or unhitched trailer on a public Inglewood street. Section 3-160 defines a 'vehicle vendor' as a person who vends from such a vehicle, and 'vendor' extends to anyone who cooks, prepares or packages the merchandise or otherwise helps complete the sale. Section 3-161 requires the vendor to hold both a business tax certificate and a vehicle vendor permit issued under Chapter 8 before operating.
5, from Category 1 at $25 (which covers a 'lunch and confection vehicle or cart') up to Category 5 at $500 or more. Operators must also comply with the operating standards in the companion Section 3-162: food vendors need a customer trash receptacle, must police a 25-foot radius around the vehicle before leaving a stop, must follow Health and Safety Code Sections 114294-114327 for mobile food facilities, and must observe the noise limits in Chapter 5, Article 2. Section 3-161's closing sentence makes clear the permit is not a one-time formality: any failure to abide by Article 9 exposes the vendor to revocation, suspension, or non-renewal of the vehicle vendor permit, independent of any separate criminal penalty for the underlying violation.
Violations & Fines
Operating without the Section 3-161 permit, or breaking any Article 9 rule such as the trash, insurance, or hours requirements in Section 3-162, is punishable as an infraction under Section 3-162(b). Beyond a citation, Section 3-161 lets the City revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew the vendor's permit for any Article 9 violation, effectively shutting down the business until a new permit is obtained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a separate permit to run a food truck in Inglewood?
How much does an Inglewood vehicle vendor permit cost?
What happens if I vend without the permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Inglewood
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