Santa Cruz County, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Santa Cruz County regulates food trucks through two separate tracks: a Health Officer permit and county zoning. 020, no person may operate a food facility, defined by reference to California Health and Safety Code § 113789 (which covers mobile food facilities), without a valid, unexpired permit issued by the County Health Officer. The same permit requirement covers nonprofit food facilities operating at occasional events of one to three days within any 90-day period. 030 sets the permit term at one year (or another period the Health Officer sets for the type of operation), requires the permit be displayed in the facility, and gives operators 30 days after expiration to renew before a late penalty applies.

040. Sanitation standards for most food facilities track the state Retail Food Code beginning at Health and Safety Code § 113700; nonprofit occasional-event facilities follow standards the Health Officer sets directly. 332-1, lists "Food truck" as permitted by right in every commercial zone district: C-1, C-2, VA, CT, PA, C-3 and C-4, with a chart note directing operators to Environmental Health Services for the mobile food facility health permit described above. No use permit or zoning discretionary review is required to park and sell in a commercial district; the health permit from the County Health Officer is the operative approval.