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Clovis, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Permitting agency
Clovis Police Department
Application review time
45 days from complete application
School buffer
300 feet during school hours
Freeway buffer
500 feet from ramps
Vendor-to-vendor spacing
200 feet apart
Vending hours
Barred 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
Permit term
Calendar year, expires Dec. 31

Summary

Selling food or merchandise from a pushcart, stand, bicycle, or one's person on a Clovis sidewalk requires a vendor permit from the Police Department under Municipal Code Chapter 5.33. Vendors must clear school grounds by 300 feet during school hours, stay 500 feet from freeway ramps, keep 200 feet from other vendors, and cannot vend between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.

(a) No vendor shall locate within three hundred feet (300') of the grounds of any elementary or secondary school on any school day while school is in session; (b) No vendor shall locate within five hundred feet (500') of a freeway entrance or exit; (c) No vendor shall locate within fifty feet (50') of any street or roadway intersection, crosswalk, fire hydrant, signal crossing, or bus stop... (f) No vendor shall locate within two hundred feet (200') of any other vendor operating during the applicable vending hours specified in this chapter... (q) No vending shall occur between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Specific types of vending may have shorter permitted hours.

Full Breakdown

04). Applications go to the Police Chief with names, financial interests, the type of goods sold, intended locations, vehicle counts, hours of operation, proof of a required toilet and hand washing facility, liability insurance, and a background check; the Chief must issue or deny the permit within 45 days and applicants are urged to apply more than 45 days ahead. on December 31 unless renewed before November 1; single-event permits max out at 30 consecutive days and one per vendor per year. 05 layers on siting buffers: 300 feet from school grounds on school days, 500 feet from a freeway entrance or exit, 50 feet from intersections, crosswalks, hydrants, signal crossings or bus stops, 200 feet from any other permitted vendor, and no vending in a designated white/yellow/blue/red curb zone or within 60 inches of clear sidewalk width. , and vending is barred along any business's storefront that holds its own sidewalk permit. 03).

Violations & Fines

Vending without a permit is unlawful under § 5.33.04(a), and vendors are subject to the same penalties as unlicensed businesses under Article 1 of Chapter 1 of Title 3 (§ 5.33.02). Permits are nontransferable and confer no vested property right, so the Police Chief can attach or revisit conditions of approval at any time. Operating outside the buffer zones, vending in a banned residential district, exceeding the 10-minute roaming stop, or vending after 10:00 p.m. all violate the operational standards of § 5.33.05 and § 5.33.06 and can support permit denial, suspension, or citation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to sell food from a cart on a Clovis sidewalk?
Yes. Municipal Code § 5.33.04 makes it unlawful to sell or distribute food or merchandise on any public sidewalk, pedestrian path, or park without a vendor permit from the Police Department, plus a City business tax certificate and, for food, a Fresno County health permit.
How close can a sidewalk vendor set up to a school in Clovis?
Not within 300 feet of the grounds of any elementary or secondary school on a day school is in session, per § 5.33.05(a). The same section also bars vending within 500 feet of a freeway ramp and 50 feet of intersections, crosswalks, or fire hydrants.
Can sidewalk vendors operate in Clovis residential neighborhoods?
Only roaming sidewalk vendors, and even they cannot vend in exclusively residential zones between 6:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. under § 5.33.06. Stationary sidewalk vending is prohibited in residential districts entirely.
How long does a Clovis sidewalk vendor permit last?
Annual permits run on a calendar year and automatically expire at 5:00 p.m. on December 31 unless renewed before November 1 with a renewal fee, per § 5.33.04(g). Single-event permits are capped at 30 consecutive days, one per vendor per year.

Sources & Official References

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