Allentown, PA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

Chapter 626 of the Allentown Code sets the operating rules for anyone vending food from a stand, pushcart or motor vehicle on a public sidewalk. Under Section 626-2, it is unlawful to sell food, service or merchandise on any street, sidewalk or parking lot without a street and sidewalk vendor license issued by the Department of Community and Economic Development, and vendors selling food must also hold a health license; a health license alone does not permit vending in a location barred by Section 626-7.

The license application, per Section 626-4, must describe the stand or pushcart's dimensions: a stand or pushcart cannot exceed four feet in width, eight feet in length and eight feet in height without added encroachment approval from the Bureau of Engineering, and applicants must carry a $1,000,000 liability policy naming the City as additional insured. D requires every approved sidewalk vendor to set up as close as is reasonably possible to the curb line, never obstruct the free passage of pedestrians, and keep five feet of sidewalk clear for foot traffic at all times.

Section 626-10 layers on health and sanitation duties: food vendors must comply with all local ordinances, state laws and federal statutes on food safety, as enforced by the City's Bureau of Health and other regulatory agencies. Licenses run on a calendar year and expire December 31 (Section 626-11), and vendors who leave trash, use noise-making devices, keep animals near the stand, or leave a stand or pushcart on the sidewalk overnight face suspension or revocation of the license under Section 626-12.