San Rafael, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Hand sanitizer
- Required for food/beverage vendors
- Residential hours ban
- 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
- Cooking equipment
- Needs fire dept./county health approval
- Pedestrian path
- Minimum 3 feet clear
- First-offense fine
- Up to $100 (permitted vendor)
Summary
San Rafael's mobile-vending ordinance sets food-specific sidewalk rules: hand sanitizer must be available to customers, and roaming vending in residential areas is barred between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m., as conditions of every mobile vending permit under Municipal Code section 10.50.100.
Roaming mobile vending within any residential areas of the city is prohibited daily between the hours of eight p.m. (8:00 p.m.) and eight a.m. (8:00 a.m.) of the following day. ... Mobile vendors engaged in the vending of food or beverages shall have hand sanitizer located in a conspicuous location readily available for use by customers.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 37).
Full Breakdown
Municipal Code section 10.50.100 lists the operating conditions attached to every mobile vending permit. For food and beverage vendors, subsection (L) requires hand sanitizer in a conspicuous, customer-accessible spot, and subsection (N) restricts roaming vendors' use of portable cooking equipment or open flame to what the director, San Rafael Fire Department, or Marin County Environmental Health approve. Subsection (C)(2) bars roaming mobile vending in any residential area of the city between 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. the next day. The same section sets minimum distances from fire hydrants, bus stops, schools and other vendors, and requires a three-foot clear path for pedestrians.
Violations & Fines
Breaching an operating condition is enforceable by administrative citation of up to $100 for a first violation by a permitted vendor, $200 for a second, and $500 for each additional violation within a year, per section 10.50.140(A).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a sidewalk food vendor operate in a San Rafael neighborhood at night?
Does a San Rafael food cart need approval to use a propane grill?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in San Rafael
California rules heatmap·Compare San Rafael to another location·View the California food trucks & mobile vendors overview
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