Loveland, CO Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

Chapter 12.30, Licensing of Vendors in Public Rights-of-Way and Certain Other Public Places, makes it unlawful under Section 12.30.030 for any person to vend from or upon any public right-of-way, sidewalks included, without first obtaining a vendors license from the city clerk. The application under Section 12.30.050 requires the vendor's name and address, the type of merchandise, food or service sold, and, for mobile food trucks, the vehicle's license plate number and photographs of all four sides; the city clerk has 15 working days to review a complete application against congestion, safety and existing-vendor factors listed in Section 12.30.070.

Once licensed, Section 12.30.110's operating restrictions apply: mobile food trucks must serve the public only from the sidewalk and not from the street or adjacent parking spaces (12.30.110.D), must leave at least a six-foot-wide unobstructed pedestrian passageway along the sidewalk (12.30.110.F), cannot stop to vend within 200 feet of any kindergarten, primary or secondary school (12.30.110.E), and cannot operate within 100 feet of a directly competing business without that business's written approval (12.30.110.H). Trucks may never vend from a federal or state highway or an arterial street as defined in the city's master transportation plan, and must use flashing warning lights while stopped in the street portion of a right-of-way.

Licenses run January 1 through December 31 and are not transferable. Vendors at a city-sponsored event, under an encroachment permit, or covered by a Chapter 12.26 local-event permit are exempt from the separate vendors license under Section 12.30.040.