Yucaipa, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit required
- Itinerant vendor permit under Section 5.13.030
- Decision window
- 60 calendar days from a complete application
- Permit term
- Within one year; renew 30 days before expiry
- Insurance
- General commercial liability, not less than $1,000,000
- Health permit
- San Bernardino County environmental health, kept in the truck
- Overnight storage
- Approved commissary only
Summary
In the City of Yucaipa, California, no one can operate a food truck without a current itinerant vendor permit from the city, issued under Chapter 5.13 of the Yucaipa Municipal Code. The permit is displayed on the truck, the holder's name, address and telephone number go on both sides in letters at least four inches high, and a San Bernardino County health permit is also required.
A. No person shall own, control, operate, manage, lease, or contract with any other person for the operation of a food truck in the city without an itinerant vendor permit. It is unlawful for any person to operate a food truck or allow food truck activities in the city without having a current and valid itinerant vendor permit obtained from the city. A copy of the itinerant vendor permit shall be displayed in conspicuous view on each food truck at all times business is conducted. B. Every food truck shall have the name, address, and telephone number of the holder of the itinerant vendor permit permanently affixed on both the left and right sides of the food truck. Such information shall be in letters and numerals not less than four inches (4") in height and shall be in contrast to the color of the background upon which the letters are placed. ... 10. A copy of the county health permit for each food truck; 11. The address of the approved commissary where the food truck is stored overnight, and a copy of the lease or other documentation establishing storage at the commissary is authorized;
Full Breakdown
Chapter 5.13 came out of Ordinance 444 in 2024, and Ordinance 461 added the current exceptions in 2025. The City Manager or a designee takes the application, which must include the operator's name and contact details, the number of trucks, the locations, days and hours of operation, copies of the driver's license of every driver, a description of the food and any heating element, and a copy of the county health permit for each truck. Operators must name the approved commissary where the truck is stored overnight and attach the lease or other documentation. They must also show a California Department of Tax and Fee Administration seller's permit that lists the city, acknowledge general commercial liability coverage of not less than $1,000,000, and list every other jurisdiction where they operated a truck in the past twelve months. The nonrefundable application fee is set by City Council resolution.
Within sixty calendar days of a complete application, the City Manager or designee can issue the permit after finding, among other things, that the activity will not be a fire hazard, will not unduly interfere with traffic, that the operator has paid earlier administrative fines, and that no Yucaipa itinerant vendor permit was revoked within five years. Permits expire within a year, renewal applications are due at least thirty days before expiration, and a permit cannot be transferred: a change in ownership or operation needs a new permit.
Section 5.13.080 carves out four situations with no itinerant vendor permit: a truck at a city-approved special event, a single truck on private property serving only the owner's or tenant's guests under written permission, a truck at a city event on city property authorized by the City Manager, and a truck next to a qualifying bar, brewery taproom, winery or distillery tasting room, limited to ten days in any calendar year city-wide and backed by a license agreement or encroachment permit. Every one of those operators still needs the county health permit.
Violations & Fines
Under Section 5.13.130 a violation of Chapter 5.13 is a misdemeanor unless a prosecutor charges it as an infraction, and each day or part of a day is a separate offense. Enforcement officers can also issue an administrative citation under Chapter 1.13 of Title 1. The City Manager can revoke a permit for good cause, including a citation for the operator's third or subsequent violation, and a revoked operator cannot apply again for one year. Food truck activity in violation of the chapter is declared a public nuisance subject to abatement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a food truck need a permit to park outside a Yucaipa brewery?
What must be painted or posted on a Yucaipa food truck?
How long does the City of Yucaipa take to decide a food truck permit?
Can a Yucaipa food truck permit be revoked?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yucaipa
California rules heatmap·Compare Yucaipa 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.