Clifton, NJ Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- License required from
- City Clerk (§ 265-1)
- Employer license fee
- $100 + $10 first-time fee
- Employee/agent license fee
- $20 (§ 265-2E(2))
- Food vendors get
- Extra Health Dept investigation (§ 265-3B)
- Max penalty
- $500 fine and/or 90 days jail
Summary
Anyone who wants to hawk, peddle or vend food or beverages on Clifton's streets and sidewalks, whether from a cart, wagon or on foot, must first get a license from the City Clerk under Code § 265-1. Food and beverage vendors face an added Health Department review, and unlicensed vending draws up to $500 in fines or 90 days in jail.
A. No person shall sell, offer for sale, hawk or peddle in the City any goods, wares or merchandise from any wagon, automobile, cart, other vehicle or stand without first obtaining a license therefor, as hereinafter provided. B. No person shall sell, offer for sale, hawk or peddle in the City any goods, wares or merchandise while traveling on foot, with or without a basket, pack or bundle, without first obtaining a license therefor as hereinafter provided. ... Any hawking or peddling involving the sale of food and/or beverages shall require an investigation by the City Health Department with reference to the compliance or noncompliance of the proposed applicant with all municipal and state rules, regulations, statutes or ordinances relating to the sale and/or handling of food and/or beverages.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4963532; v64 updated 2026-07-21; through 07-21-2026).
Full Breakdown
Chapter 265, Hawking and Peddling, requires a license before anyone may sell, offer for sale, hawk or peddle 'any goods, wares or merchandise from any wagon, automobile, cart, other vehicle or stand' (§ 265-1A) or while traveling on foot (§ 265-1B). Applicants file with the City Clerk under oath, disclosing identity, business information, a description of the merchandise, and any prior arrests or convictions (§ 265-2C). Every individual applicant is fingerprinted and photographed and the application goes to the Chief of Police for investigation (§ 265-3A).
Because food carries extra risk, § 265-3B adds that any hawking or peddling of food or beverages requires a City Health Department investigation into the applicant's compliance with municipal and state food-handling rules, with the Health Department forwarding a recommendation to the Municipal Council. A license under § 265-2A costs $100 plus a one-time $10 processing fee; an employee/agent license under § 265-2B costs $20, and each vehicle must display a $5 metal plate reading 'Licensed, Clifton, New Jersey' (§ 265-6C). Licenses run through December 31 of the year issued (§ 265-4).
A licensee who violates the chapter, a criminal statute, or a Council regulation is subject to license suspension or revocation after a hearing before the Municipal Council (§ 265-9).
Violations & Fines
Vending without the required license, or violating any provision of Chapter 265, is punishable under § 265-10 by a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to 90 days, or both. The Municipal Council can also suspend or revoke a vendor's license after a hearing under § 265-9 for violating the chapter, a criminal statute, or a Council regulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell food from a cart on a Clifton sidewalk?
Is there extra screening for food carts?
What does a Clifton peddler's license cost?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Clifton
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