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

Compton's Sidewalk Vending Program (§ 9-26, enacted by Ordinance No. 2317) requires a permit from the Business License Division before anyone may sell food or merchandise from a pushcart, stand, cart, wagon or similar non-motorized device, or from one's person, on a public sidewalk (§ 9-26.3). A separate permit is required for each vending facility, and the application must include the applicant's identity, a description or map of the vending location for stationary vendors, the proposed hours of operation, a description of the goods or food to be sold, dimensions of the cart, capped at five feet long, three feet wide and five feet tall, a valid California ID, a Los Angeles County health permit for food sales, a City business license, a seller's permit, $1,000,000 in liability insurance, and consent to a criminal background check (§ 9-26.4).

The Business License Division must approve or deny the application within 30 days and may deny it for incomplete information, unpaid fees, a disqualifying criminal conviction, or four or more administrative citations within the prior 12 months (§ 9-26.5). Permits run 12 months, are nontransferable, and must be displayed while vending (§ 9-26.6). Section 9-26.7 bans vending in residential zones, except for roaming vendors, on medians or in parking lots, on private property without the owner's written consent, and anywhere it would block the not-less-than-three-feet of sidewalk clearance the law requires for pedestrians, wheelchairs and mobility devices.

It also sets buffer zones: 500 feet from a certified farmers' market, swap meet, school during school hours, place of worship during services, or the Civic Center; 100 feet from another vendor or a park entrance; 25 feet from a bus stop or fire hydrant; and 10 feet from any driveway or marked crosswalk. Farmers' market, swap meet, street fair and City-authorized special-event vendors are exempt from the sidewalk vending permit altogether (§ 9-26.3(b)(2)).