Marin County, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing chapter
- Marin County Code Ch. 5.34
- License process
- Follows §§ 5.04.030-5.04.080
- Investigation fee
- $5.80 sheriff investigation fee
- Permit term
- Expires 1 year after issuance
- Fixed-business exemption
- Storefronts exempt under § 5.34.030
Summary
Marin County Code § 5.34.020 makes it unlawful to hawk or peddle any merchandise, including food, on a street, sidewalk, park, parkway, or other public place in the unincorporated area without a license. The license follows the same process as a solicitor's permit under Chapter 5.04: a sheriff's background investigation, a five-dollar-eighty-cent fee, and automatic one-year expiration.
It is unlawful for any person to engage in the business of hawking or peddling any merchandise, article, or thing whatsoever in, on or along any street, sidewalk, park, parkway or in any other public place without a license. Application and issuance of licenses shall be in accordance with the provisions of Section 5.04.030, to and including Section 5.04.080.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 2026 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
34, Street Peddlers, governs anyone selling food, goods, or merchandise from a cart, table, or stand on public rights-of-way in the unincorporated county. 080. Under that cross-referenced process, the applicant files a verified written application with the county clerk describing the goods to be sold and the source of supply, and either submits fingerprints or names three county residents who will vouch for the applicant's character. 070. 040(B) automatically expires every permit one year after issuance. 080 requires the peddler to show the permit on request.
030 exempts an established business operating from a permanent, fixed location that otherwise complies with the code, so a brick-and-mortar restaurant does not need a peddler's license to sell from its own storefront.
Violations & Fines
Hawking or peddling food or merchandise on a Marin County street, sidewalk, park, or public place without a Section 5.34.020 license is unlawful and enforced through the same revocation and appeal process as solicitor's permits: the board of supervisors can revoke a permit under § 5.04.060 for fraud, misrepresentation, or violating the chapter, after written notice and a hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell food on a Marin County sidewalk?
How does Marin County decide whether to issue a peddler's license?
How long does a Marin County peddler's license last?
Can I be denied a food-peddling license and appeal it?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Marin County
California rules heatmap·Compare Marin County to another location·View the California food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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