Bowling Green, KY Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

Sec. 15-7.02(d) of the Bowling Green Code of Ordinances governs Pushcart Vendors, defined in Sec. 15-7.01 as operators of a lightweight, non-self-propelled mobile food unit moved by one person and typically selling items like fruit, popcorn, hot dogs or flavored ice. Pushcarts can operate only on public sidewalks, never on streets, roads or alleys, and cannot block the ingress or egress of a driveway or building entrance. A pushcart must leave at least five feet of clear sidewalk width for pedestrian passage and cannot remain at the same location for more than four hours; operating hours run from 6:00 a.m. to midnight daily.

Like Mobile Food Units, pushcart vendors must hold a City business registration, comply with Fire and Health Department rules, use only cart-mounted lighting with no flashing, strobe or neon effects, supply their own electrical power rather than tapping City outlets, and keep the area free of litter and grease using their own waste containers. A pushcart left unattended or parked overnight can be removed by the City at its discretion, and City inspectors, fire inspectors and police can inspect an operating pushcart without notice during normal hours.