San Bernardino, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit issuer
- City Clerk
- Permit term
- One year
- Background check
- Police Dept., 45 days
- Fee
- Set by Council resolution
- County requirement
- Food permit if required
- Penalty
- Misdemeanor, up to $1,000/6 months
Summary
Anyone running a motorized mobile food business in San Bernardino, including ice cream trucks, must get a peddling permit from the City Clerk before selling on any street or door to door. Municipal Code Chapter 5.19 covers this motorized activity separately from the non-motorized sidewalk vending permit in Chapter 5.30.
PEDDLING. The act by any person of going from house to house, place to place or in or along the streets within the city, either on foot, by wagon, cart, automobile, motor truck, ice cream cart, ice cream wagon, ice cream truck or any conveyance, selling and making immediate delivery of, or offering for sale and immediate delivery of, any goods, wares, merchandise or anything of value, in possession of the person. ... It shall be unlawful for any person to engage in the business of peddling goods, wares, merchandise, fruits and vegetables or prepared/prepackaged foods, including, but not limited to: ice cream; ... without first having secured a peddling or soliciting permit. A separate permit shall be required for each person who will be peddling or soliciting.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-2: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. MC-1666, passed 8-5-2026).
Full Breakdown
020(A) makes it unlawful to peddle prepared or prepackaged foods, including ice cream, without first securing a peddling permit; a separate permit is required for each person who peddles. 020(B) and may be renewed before expiration to stay in force during review. 030, providing identifying information, any conviction within the past ten years for moral turpitude, battery, fraud, burglary or theft, fingerprints if the Police Department requests them, a copy of the state sales tax permit, and a statement that the applicant need not register under Penal Code § 290.
A non-refundable investigative fee set by City Council resolution accompanies the application. 040 the Police Department has 45 calendar days from filing to report a recommendation to the City Clerk. 060.
Violations & Fines
Violating Chapter 5.19, including peddling food without a permit or failing to display one, is a misdemeanor under § 5.19.090, punishable under the citywide general penalty at § 1.12.010 by up to six months in county jail, a fine up to $1,000, or both; § 1.12.020 makes each day of continued violation a separate offense. A denied applicant may appeal under §§ 5.82.100 through 5.82.150.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do ice cream trucks need a permit in San Bernardino?
What does the food truck peddling permit application require?
Do I also need a county food permit?
What happens if I operate without the permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Bernardino
California rules heatmap·Compare San Bernardino to another location·View the California food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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Food Truck Permits in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Bernardino County handle food truck permits.