Baltimore County, MD Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- General rule
- No sidewalk stands, must keep moving
- Narrow exception
- Blind or handicapped licensee selling food only
- Restaurant buffer
- 100 feet from the nearest restaurant
- School buffer
- 200 feet, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Max fine
- $100 per offense, § 21-11-107
Summary
Baltimore County bars a licensed peddler from setting up a sidewalk stand at all: § 21-11-104 requires hawkers to keep continuously moving. The only exception is a legally blind or handicapped licensee selling food from a small, self-contained sidewalk stand kept at least 100 feet from the nearest restaurant, and mobile vendors also can't park near a school during school hours.
(a)Standing prohibited.(1)A license issued under this title does not authorize the licensee to maintain a sidewalk stand or place for selling.(2)A licensee shall keep continuously moving and may not hawk, sell, peddle, vend, or offer for sale goods in any one place.(b)Exception. This section does not apply to a person who:(1)Possesses a valid license;(2)Is legally blind or is a handicapped individual as defined in § 2-501 of the State Finance and Procurement Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland;(3)Sells only food products from a self-contained sidewalk stand which includes within it the food products and accessories, any necessary storage space, and any necessary means of food preparation; and(4)Maintains the sidewalk stand at least 100 feet away from the nearest permanent restaurant or similar establishment for the retail sale of food.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 29 | Zoning Regulations: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
Baltimore County Code § 21-11-104 makes standing sidewalk sales illegal for anyone holding a hucksters and peddlers license: a license 'does not authorize the licensee to maintain a sidewalk stand or place for selling,' and the licensee must keep continuously moving rather than hawking goods from one spot. The county carves out a single, narrow exception. A licensee who is legally blind or a handicapped individual, as defined under § 2-501 of the State Finance and Procurement Article, may run a self-contained sidewalk stand, but only if it sells food products exclusively, houses its own storage and food-preparation equipment within the stand itself, and sits at least 100 feet from the nearest permanent restaurant or similar retail food business.
on weekdays within 200 feet of any public or private school entrance or exit. Vendors also can't trade on county right-of-way or county-owned property without the County Administrative Officer's prior approval, and, separately, food trucks licensed under Title 8 face their own 200-foot restaurant buffer under § 21-8-109 rather than the sidewalk-stand rule in this title.
Violations & Fines
Setting up a fixed sidewalk stand without qualifying for the blind-or-handicapped food-vendor exception, or parking a mobile vendor vehicle within 200 feet of a school during school hours, violates § 21-11-104 and § 21-11-106. Any violation of the hucksters and peddlers title is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $100 per offense under § 21-11-107, on top of losing the underlying license.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell food from a sidewalk stand in Baltimore County?
Why can't a regular peddler set up a stand?
How close to a school can a mobile vendor park?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baltimore County
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