Chico, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Zone allowed
- Non-residential districts only
- Permit term
- Two years
- Issuing authority
- Community Development Director
- Hours near homes
- 9 a.m.-9 p.m. only
Summary
Chico limits mobile food vendors, food trucks and trailers, to non-residential zoning districts, with a two-year permit issued by the Community Development Director under Chapter 19.23 of the Municipal Code.
The following provisions are intended to permit food preparation and sales from a licensed motorized vehicle or a licensed trailer on a parcel located in a non-residential zoning district for a period of two years, subject to the standards in Section 19.23.040.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Supplement contains local legislation current through: Codified Resolution No. 53-26, adopted 7-14-26 and Ordinance No. 2622, adopted 6-2-26).
Full Breakdown
Chico Municipal Code Chapter 19.23 confines licensed mobile food vending, trucks and trailers preparing and selling food, to parcels in non-residential zoning districts. The Community Development Director issues a mobile food vendor permit for a two-year term after confirming the operation meets the Section 19.23.040 operating standards: annual Fire Department inspection of cooking equipment, hours capped at 9 a.m.-9 p.m. next to residential zones (6 a.m.-midnight elsewhere), off-site storage of the vehicle between shifts, and a ban on outdoor speakers and outdoor music. A vendor that cannot meet these standards must instead apply for a discretionary use permit under Chapter 19.24.
Violations & Fines
Operating without an approved mobile food vendor permit, inside a residential zone, or outside the Section 19.23.040 operating standards violates Chapter 19.23; the Director can deny the permit and route the operator into the Chapter 19.24 use-permit process instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food truck operate in a Chico residential neighborhood?
How long does a Chico mobile food vendor permit last?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Chico
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