Alhambra, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Enforcing agency
- Community Development Department
- License/permit term
- One year, non-transferable (§ 5.25.060(B)-(C))
- Cleanliness rule
- 10-foot trash-free radius, stationary carts (§ 5.25.070(E))
- First-offense fine
- $250 unlicensed vending (§ 5.25.110(A)(1))
- Escalated fine
- $1,000 for third-plus violation (§ 5.25.110(A)(3))
- Revocation bar
- One-year wait to reapply after revocation
Summary
No sidewalk vendor may operate anywhere in Alhambra without a sidewalk vending business license, and no cart can be used without a separate permit for that cart, both issued under the city's Sidewalk Vending Program in Chapter 5.25.
§ 5.25.040 LICENSES REQUIRED. No sidewalk vendor may operate anywhere within the city without first obtaining a sidewalk vending business license. Sidewalk vendors must comply with the terms and conditions set forth in the sidewalk vending business license. ... § 5.25.050 PERMITS REQUIRED. No cart may be used for sidewalk vending anywhere within the city without first obtaining a sidewalk vending permit for that cart.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 4851, passed 10-27-25).
Full Breakdown
050 require, respectively, a sidewalk vending business license to operate at all and a sidewalk vending permit for every cart used, whether stationary or mobile. 060, an applicant must submit valid identification, a description of the merchandise, proposed stationary or mobile operation, proposed location and hours, a completed Food Vendor Best Management Practices form, proof of liability insurance, a fee set by City Council, a state seller's permit, and, for food vendors, a food handler certificate and a Los Angeles County Department of Public Health permit.
Licenses and permits expire one year after issuance, are not transferable, and a vendor whose license or permit is revoked cannot reapply for a year. 070 require a cart to display its permit, follow city-set hours, and clear all carts, trash and cooking oil off the sidewalk by closing time; a stationary vendor must keep a clean, trash-free ten-foot radius during operating hours and provide a customer trash receptacle without using city bins.
Violations & Fines
Vending without a valid license or permit draws an administrative fine of $250 for a first violation, $500 for a second within a year, and $1,000 for a third and each later violation, reduced to $100/$200/$500 if the vendor later proves a valid permit existed, under § 5.25.110(A). Other Chapter 5.25 violations, such as ignoring the ten-foot cleanliness rule or leaving a cart out past closing, draw $100 for a first offense, rising to $500 plus license or permit revocation by a fourth violation, under § 5.25.110(B). Fines are civil, not criminal, and a vendor may request an ability-to-pay reduction to 20% of the fine.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an Alhambra sidewalk vendor need one permit or two?
What is the fine for sidewalk vending without a permit in Alhambra?
Can a stationary cart leave trash on the sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Alhambra
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