Glendale, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- License
- Required per vending receptacle
- Term
- Expires every December 31
- Residential hours
- Dawn to dusk only
- Nonresidential hours
- Banned only 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.
- Max cart size
- 6 feet by 4 feet
- Appeal
- Section 5.20.080, then court review
Summary
Glendale requires a sidewalk vendor license under Municipal Code Chapter 5.20 before selling food or merchandise from a cart, and a separate license is required for every receptacle. Vending in exclusively residential areas is limited to dawn until dusk, while nonresidential vending is only barred between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Licenses expire each December 31.
No person shall engage in sidewalk vending, as defined in this chapter, without first obtaining a sidewalk vendor license. A separate license is required for each receptacle used by a sidewalk vendor. ... Sidewalk vendors are subject to the following operating conditions when conducting sidewalk vending activities: ... Conducting sidewalk vending activities shall be limited as follows: On sidewalks or pathways within or directly adjacent to exclusively residential areas, between dawn and dusk daily; In non-residential areas, vending activities are prohibited between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m.; and In parks, during the times the parks are open to the public until one hour before closing. ... The sidewalk license shall be displayed conspicuously at all times on the sidewalk vending receptacle or the sidewalk vendor's person.
Full Breakdown
050 and must supply valid ID (a California license, ITIN, or another municipality's ID card, kept confidential under Government Code Section 51038(c)(4)), a description and photo of the receptacle, a seller's permit number, Los Angeles County health approval for food carts, a fingerprint background check, a description of proposed stationary locations, and a statement of days and hours of operation. 040, the director can deny, suspend, or revoke a license if the vendor blocks the required unobstructed pedestrian route, fails to meet health, zoning, fire, or building codes, must register under Penal Code Section 290, or was convicted of a controlled-substance felony within the past five years.
A license is not required for vendors operating under a commercial special event permit, such as a certified farmers' market. Operating rules cap receptacles at six feet by four feet, require the license to be displayed on the cart or vendor's person, ban electrical, flashing, or animated signage, bar leaving a cart unattended, and require sidewalk widths of at least ten feet in commercial zones with five feet of clear walkway (four feet for roaming vendors in residential zones). Sidewalk vendors cannot sell alcohol, cannabis, live animals, or tobacco and vape products. 6.
Violations & Fines
Vending without a license, or violating an operating condition such as the unobstructed-access rule, health and safety compliance, or the sex-offender and drug-felony disqualifiers, is grounds for the community development director to deny, suspend, or revoke the license under Section 5.20.040. Equipment left in the public right-of-way overnight or outside licensed hours is treated as discarded property and can be seized or disposed of by the city. Aggrieved vendors must appeal through Section 5.20.080 within the timeframe set by the code before seeking judicial review.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell food from a cart on a Glendale sidewalk?
What hours can I operate as a sidewalk vendor in Glendale?
How big can my vending cart be in Glendale?
What happens if my Glendale sidewalk vendor license is denied?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Glendale
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