Lakewood, CO Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Municipal Code § 12.17.080(A)-(F)
- Permit required
- yes, revocable, via Section 12.17.020
- Permit fee
- $100 non-refundable + $50 sales tax deposit
- ADA clearance
- 4-foot minimum unobstructed path
- Liability insurance
- $150,000/$600,000 minimum
- Appeal window
- 10 business days after revocation/denial notice
- Penalty
- up to $2,650 fine or 365 days jail
Summary
Lakewood requires anyone selling merchandise or services from the public right-of-way to hold a revocable permit and follow strict placement rules under Municipal Code Section 12.17.080: no carts or display tables in the right-of-way, a four-foot clear path for ADA access, no blocking street signs, no selling to cars in traffic lanes, and no selling from a median.
The permittee shall observe the following requirements: A.Permittee shall not place any carts, tables, display structures or similar devices in the public right-of-way.B.Permittee shall provide a four-foot minimum unobstructed area to allow access as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act.C.Permittee shall cause the public right-of-way permit and a sales tax license (if applicable) to be visible at all times.D.Permittee shall not block any street signs.E.Permittee shall not sell to people in cars in traffic lanes.F.Permittee shall not sell on a median.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Municipal Code: Supplement 14 | Zoning Ordinance: ?).
Full Breakdown
17 governs vendors who sell services or merchandise from the public right-of-way, a category that covers sidewalk food and merchandise vending. 020 requires a revocable permit before anyone may occupy the right-of-way to sell, though vendors of newspapers or religious, political, or ideological material are exempt. 040 that is applied toward the vendor's first sales tax return. 050. 060, and it is valid for only one location. 080's requirements then govern how the vendor operates at that spot: no carts, tables, or display structures may sit in the right-of-way itself, a four-foot unobstructed path must remain for ADA access, the permit and any required sales tax license must stay visible, and the vendor cannot block street signs, sell to occupants of cars in traffic lanes, or sell from a median. 100.
Violations & Fines
The Finance Director/City Treasurer can revoke a permit for cause, including trespass, unpaid sales taxes, abandoning the location, disorderly conduct, or violating any requirement of Chapter 12.17, and the city need not renew a permit at all under Section 12.17.120(A). A vendor can appeal a revocation or denial by filing with the Finance Director/City Treasurer within ten business days of the mailed notice; the hearing officer's written decision is final. The general municipal penalty in Section 1.16.020 also applies, up to a $2,650 fine, 365 days in jail, or both.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell food from a cart on a Lakewood sidewalk?
Where can a sidewalk vendor set up a cart in Lakewood?
Can Lakewood revoke a sidewalk vendor's permit?
How long does a Lakewood sidewalk vending permit last?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lakewood
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