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Lodi, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

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

Key Facts

Governing sections
LMC §§ 9.19.030, 9.19.070
Implements
Cal. Gov. Code §§ 51036-51039
School buffer
300 feet
Intersection buffer
100 feet
First-offense fine
$250 (unpermitted vendor)
Permitted-vendor fine
$100 first offense

Summary

Selling food or merchandise from a pushcart, stand, or table on a Lodi sidewalk, pedestrian path, or public recreation area without a permit is unlawful under Municipal Code Section 9.19.030. Vendors also can't set up within three hundred feet of school grounds or one hundred feet of a street intersection, per Section 9.19.070.

It shall be unlawful for any person to vend, or attempt to engage in vending or conduct any business for the purpose of vending upon a public sidewalk, other pedestrian path, or public recreational area, as defined in Section 12.12.010 of this code, within the city of Lodi except in accordance with all applicable provisions of this chapter. ... A.A sidewalk vendor shall not vend within three hundred feet of any school grounds.B.A sidewalk vendor shall not vend within one hundred feet of any street intersection.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 68).

Full Breakdown

19, 'Sidewalk Vendors,' was adopted in 2018 to implement California Government Code Sections 51036 through 51039, the state law that legalized sidewalk vending statewide. 030(C) through (F). 070 sets the location rules: no vending within three hundred feet of school grounds or one hundred feet of a street intersection, no vending from a street or private property, and no interference with pedestrian travel, ADA access, or vehicle travel or parking. to midnight. 010, and vending is barred outright in nature areas, sports fields, grass areas, beaches, pool areas, picnic areas, and playgrounds, with vendors confined to paved pedestrian paths and subject to posted park closure hours. 080. 030.

Violations & Fines

Violating Chapter 9.19 draws civil administrative fines rather than criminal charges: two hundred fifty dollars for a first offense, five hundred dollars for a second within a year, and one thousand dollars for each further violation, cut to one hundred, two hundred, and five hundred dollars if the vendor holds a valid permit. Section 9.19.130 bars any infraction or misdemeanor charge for these violations, and four or more violations can trigger permit suspension or revocation under Section 9.19.140.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I sell food from a cart on a Lodi sidewalk without a permit?
No. Section 9.19.030 makes unpermitted sidewalk vending unlawful on any public sidewalk, pedestrian path, or public recreational area. You need a vendor permit under Section 9.19.040, which requires an application, an annual fee, and a background check before you can legally set up.
Can a Lodi sidewalk vendor set up inside a city park?
Only in limited spots. Section 9.19.070 bars stationary vending in recreational areas, nature areas, sports fields, grass, beaches, pool areas, picnic areas, and playgrounds, and confines any vending to paved pedestrian paths, so most park interiors are off-limits even to permitted vendors.
What's the fine for vending without a permit in Lodi?
Section 9.19.130 sets a two-hundred-fifty-dollar administrative fine for a first violation, five hundred dollars for a second within a year, and one thousand dollars for each additional violation. A vendor who can show a valid permit pays a reduced schedule of one hundred, two hundred, and five hundred dollars instead.

Sources & Official References

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