Aliso Viejo, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

Sidewalk vending in the City of Aliso Viejo starts with a permit from the public works department (§ 4.05.030). The application asks for the vendor's identification, days and hours of operation, a description of the food offered, a California seller's permit, an Orange County health department permit when preparing or selling food, a city encroachment permit under Chapter 10.04, a general liability policy of $1,000,000 naming the city as additional insured, and a site plan showing 36 inches of accessible route. A LiveScan background check from the previous six months and a processing fee set by council resolution are also required. The public works director decides within no more than 30 days of acceptance. The permit expires after one year, cannot be transferred, and must be worn on the front of the vendor's outer garment (§ 4.05.040). No permit is needed for sale of agricultural products where they are grown, catering for private parties held exclusively on private property and not open to the public, or events under a lawfully issued temporary event permit. Vending on private property falls under § 15.22.130 instead.

The conduct rules in § 4.05.045 matter most for food. Vendors keep 36 inches of path clear of equipment and the customer queue, collect litter within 10 feet of the vending area before leaving, and cannot dispose of used oil or other cooking waste in the city's trash receptacles, storm drains or plant material. No tables, chairs, shade structures or freestanding signs are allowed, and vendors cannot attach to water, electrical or gas lines. Propane, natural gas, batteries and open flame are barred. Vendors cannot use a horn, siren or amplified music, cannot leave the operation unattended to solicit business, and cannot sell alcohol, marijuana, adult-oriented material, tobacco or nicotine products. Aggressive sales are defined to include touching a person without consent or continuing to offer food after the person has declined.