Bridgeport, CT Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- District limit
- OR-S, OR-G, OR-R zones only
- Food exemption
- Food-only vendors exempt from district limit
- License
- Chief-of-police vending license required
- Vending hours
- 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Penalty
- Up to $200 fine per day
Summary
Bridgeport restricts street vendors to districts OR-S, OR-G, OR-R, and limited DC-B days, but exempts food-only vendors from those district limits entirely.
A street vendor may conduct vending operations only in districts OR-S, OR-G and OR-R, as such districts are set forth on the 1996 Zoning Map of Bridgeport, except that a street vendor may conduct vending operations in district DC-B on Fridays and Saturdays, and in district DC-B on any day on such city property that is not a public park and that has been designated by the chief of police of the city as a permissible vending site. The prohibition contained in this subsection shall not apply to street vendors or itinerant vendors whose vending operation is the vending of food only.
Full Breakdown
Bridgeport Municipal Code § 5.48.140 confines general street vendors to zoning districts OR-S, OR-G and OR-R, plus district DC-B on Fridays and Saturdays or wherever the police chief designates a permissible site. That district limit does not apply to food vendors: the ordinance exempts anyone 'whose vending operation is the vending of food only.' Food trucks and carts still need a chief-of-police vending license and a health department permit, and must follow the separate spacing and hours rules in § 5.48.100 (25 feet from crosswalks/driveways, 1,000 feet from schools during school hours, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.).
Violations & Fines
Vending outside the permitted district or without a license risks a fine up to $200 per day under § 5.48.160, plus license revocation for repeat violations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food truck operate anywhere in Bridgeport?
Do food trucks still need a permit in Bridgeport?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bridgeport
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Vending Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle vending zones.