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

Section 5.04.470 defines a 'mobile food truck' as a motorized vehicle or mobile food unit required to be licensed by the DMV that is designed to prepare or serve food and is temporarily stationed where food is sold to the public. The permit requirement applies to every vehicle operator and 'pedestrian solicitor' who vends goods, merchandise or food on a public street, private street open to the public, or other public property, but it does not cover sidewalk vending handled separately under Section 5.04.460, deliveries of pre-ordered goods, or vending under a documented private catering arrangement.

Applicants file with the Business License Division and must supply the business address, the operator's true name and driver's license or ID number, the residence and business addresses of every 10-percent-or-greater owner and vendor, the vehicle's make, VIN and license plate, proof of Vehicle Code insurance, and a description of the vehicle's logo and markings. The Division may deny a permit for false statements, code convictions, or unpaid City fees; a denial can be appealed to the City Manager within 10 days under Section 5.04.280.

Operating rules limit vending to streets under 45 mph, bar vending within 50 feet of an intersection, within 1,000 feet of a school's front entrance, or within 1,000 feet of an existing food establishment, and require vehicles under 6,000 pounds unladen that have come to a complete, curbside stop before selling. Residential-zone vending is allowed only from sunrise to sunset. Each vendor must display a City business certificate, the permit, any required county health permit, and a City-issued badge, and must keep an onboard trash receptacle.