Bloomington, IL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing authority
- City Clerk, with Police Chief review
- Minimum sidewalk width
- 10 feet (32 feet for street sites)
- Distance from schools/parks
- 100 feet
- Distance from intersections
- 30 feet
- Operating hours ban
- 10:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m.
- Max site size
- 50 square feet
Summary
Selling food, drinks or merchandise from a stand or vehicle on a Bloomington sidewalk or street requires a vendor's license from the City Clerk. Fixed sidewalk locations must be at least 10 feet wide, 30 feet from any corner, and 100 feet from a park, playground or school.
STREET AND SIDEWALK VENDOR Any person engaged in the selling, or offering for sale, of food, beverages, goods wares or merchandise on the public streets, sidewalks or rights-of-way from a stand, motor vehicle or from his person by locating the same in a fixed location for a period of time rather than by going from place to place within the City. ... No person may engage in the business of a street and sidewalk vendor without first obtaining a license to do so. ... For sidewalk locations, the paved pedestrian area must be at least 10 feet wide. ... Locations on a street corner shall not be within 30 feet of the intersection of the street curblines. Further, locations shall not be within 30 feet of another licensed location. ... The location shall not be within 100 feet of a park, playground or school.
Full Breakdown
Bloomington City Code § 38-923 makes it unlawful to operate as a street and sidewalk vendor, defined in § 38-922 as anyone who sells food, beverages, goods, wares or merchandise from a fixed location on a public street, sidewalk or right-of-way using a stand, motor vehicle or their own person, without first getting a license from the City Clerk. Sidewalk cafe permit holders and registered solicitors are exempt. The application discloses the applicant's identity, State sales tax number, the goods to be sold, any criminal convictions, and written consent from the abutting property owner or occupant.
Fees differ for the downtown business district, other locations, and short engagements under one week, all set in the Schedule of Fees. Section 38-927 fixes where a vendor can locate: the paved sidewalk must be at least 10 feet wide, or 32 feet for a street location, the site must sit at least 30 feet from a street corner and at least 30 feet from another licensed vendor, at least 100 feet from a park, playground or school, and away from any bus stop. No more than two licenses may be held in the downtown business district at once.
, must keep a 32-gallon litter receptacle out for customers, cannot occupy more than 50 square feet or leave less than eight feet for pedestrians, and need a separate County Health Department license to sell food. The City Manager can suspend or revoke a license for up to 30 days after a hearing.
Violations & Fines
Operating as a street or sidewalk vendor without a City Clerk license, or violating any location, hours or conduct rule in §§ 38-922 through 38-931, exposes a vendor's license to suspension or revocation for up to 30 days by the City Manager after a hearing on 10 days' written notice. A licensee who leaves a stand unattended, sells outside approved hours, or occupies more than 50 square feet is in direct violation of § 38-929's prohibited acts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to run a sidewalk food stand in Bloomington?
How close to a school or park can a Bloomington sidewalk vendor set up?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bloomington
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