Nashua, NH Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Intersection/crosswalk buffer
- 40 feet minimum
- Vendor license
- Required, City Clerk
- Location vetoes
- Police/Fire Chief discretion
- Sidewalk display permit
- Separate §285-9 permit
- Penalty basis
- City Code §1-12
Summary
Nashua requires a vendor's license from the City Clerk before selling from a sidewalk stand or food cart, and bars setting up within 40 feet of driveways, intersections, bus stops or crosswalks under City Code § 231-13.
E. Operate within 40 feet of driveways, intersections, bus stops or crosswalks;
F. Set up a parking lot selling operation without the written permission of the owner of the property on which the operation is located, and such written permission shall be available for display upon request at all times;
G. Operate in a manner that obstructs or prevents the free and convenient use of any street or sidewalk by pedestrian or vehicular traffic;
H. Sell, or offer to solicit for sale, any goods or merchandise in any park, playground, pool area, or other City recreational facility, without a special permit, nor give any entertainment or exhibition except under the direction, or by permission, of the Superintendent, as provided for under Article I of Chapter 215, Parks and Recreation Areas;
I. Sell, or offer to solicit for sale, any goods or merchandise, nor give any entertainment or exhibition in any land or water areas under the jurisdiction of the Conservation Commission of the City, as provided for under Article I of Chapter 12;
J.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4805762; v29 updated 2026-02-10; through 02-10-2026).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 231-11 requires anyone vending on Nashua's streets or sidewalks, including mobile food vendors, to hold a vendor's license from the City Clerk (plus a separate food service license from Environmental Health for food sales). Section 231-13 bars vendors from operating within 40 feet of driveways, intersections, bus stops or crosswalks, from setting up in metered or no-parking zones, and from obstructing pedestrian or vehicular traffic on any street or sidewalk. The Police Chief or Fire Chief may also bar a specific location outright if it would 'endanger or inconvenience the general public.' Placing merchandise on a sidewalk outside a licensed street fair additionally requires a sidewalk obstruction permit under § 285-9.
Violations & Fines
Any prohibited act under § 231-13 is punishable under the City Code § 1-12 general penalty provision, and the City Clerk may suspend or revoke a vendor's license after notice under § 231-21 for a violation of the article.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can a food vendor set up to an intersection in Nashua?
Does a food truck need a permit to vend on a Nashua sidewalk?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Nashua
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