Denver, CO Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitting agency
- Manager of Transportation and Infrastructure
- Annual fee
- $165 plus $25 application fee
- Permit term
- 12 months, renewable annually
- Allowed zones
- B-2 through B-A-4 business districts only
- Cart size cap
- 16 sq ft, max 5 ft tall
Summary
Denver requires a permit from the Manager of Transportation and Infrastructure to operate a pushcart or vending device on a public sidewalk, limited to designated business zone districts and away from schools and the 16th Street Mall.
The manager of transportation and infrastructure may issue to any person a permit to occupy the public right-of-way outside of the roadway for the purpose of placing a pushcart or other vending device at a location approved by the manager and selling therefrom food, beverages, food products, including ice cream, frozen milk, frozen dairy or ice confection products; merchandise, including handcrafted goods and objects, souvenir items, or printed media, but specifically excluding flowers; or services, including portrait sketching or silhouettes...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 147 Update 3).
Full Breakdown
Under Denver Revised Municipal Code section 49-539, the manager of transportation and infrastructure issues pushcart or vending-device permits for public sidewalks after the planning office approves the cart's design and the manager confirms the location will not create pedestrian or street congestion. Per section 49-543, permits are allowed only in business zone districts B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, B-7, B-8, B-A-2, B-A-3 and B-A-4, and are barred within 1,000 feet of a school or inside the separately regulated 16th Street Mall. Per section 49-544, permits run 12 months and cost $165 a year plus a $25 application fee; no one may hold more than two at once. Carts are capped at 16 square feet under section 49-545.
Violations & Fines
Vending without a permit or violating siting rules is a criminal Code violation under section 1-13, punishable by up to a $999 fine, 300 days in jail, or both, plus permit revocation for cause under section 49-544.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sell anywhere on a Denver sidewalk with this permit?
Does this permit cover food trucks or carts that move around?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Denver
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