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Dallas, TX Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified July 2026

Key Facts

License
CBD concession license required
Public-site fee
$600 per year
Private-site fee
$150 per year
Scope
Central business district only
Agency
Consumer Health Division

Summary

Selling goods or services on public or private property in downtown Dallas requires a Central Business District concession license from the city's Consumer Health Division, with a separate license for each vending site. Public-property sites cost $600 a year; private-property sites cost $150.

The director may issue a central business district (CBD) concession license to enable the holder and the holder's agents to conduct business as street vendors on public or private property in the central business district. ... A separate CBD concession license is required for each vending location site from which a person wishes to conduct business as a street vendor on public or private property in the central business district.

Full Breakdown

The Consumer Health Division issues Central Business District (CBD) concession licenses under Dallas City Code Chapter 50, Article XII. No one may work as a street vendor in the central business district, the area bounded by Woodall Rogers Freeway, Central Expressway, R. L. Thornton Freeway, and Stemmons Freeway, without a license for each specific vending location site. Vendors must also wear a city identification badge, do business only at director-designated sites, and keep to set operating hours. The director cannot license sales on park and recreation board property, at the convention center, or at Reunion Arena. Violations are Class C misdemeanors prosecuted in Dallas municipal court.

Violations & Fines

Working as a street vendor in the central business district without a valid CBD concession license, or operating off your designated vending site, is a Class C misdemeanor enforced by Code Compliance and prosecuted in Dallas municipal court.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a Dallas CBD concession license cost?
$600 a year for a public-property vending site and $150 a year for a private-property site. A separate license is required for each vending location.
Can I vend anywhere I want downtown with the license?
No. You may only operate at the specific vending location site on your license, and never on park board property, at the convention center, or at Reunion Arena.
Do I need anything besides the license?
Yes. Vendors must carry a city identification badge, and mobile food units also need a valid state Department of State Health Services mobile food unit permit.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Dallas

All Dallas rules

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