Flint, MI Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- License
- City Clerk peddler license required
- Sidewalk sales
- Only in front of licensed premises
- Vehicle hours
- 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., or dusk
- Food license
- State or county food license needed
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine, 90 days jail
Summary
Flint's peddler ordinance limits sidewalk food sales to the area immediately in front of a licensed premises and restricts vehicle-based street vendors to 9 a.m.-9 p.m., or dusk if earlier.
However, a property owner or lessee who is licensed to sell food on his premises may sell food on the sidewalk immediately in front of his premises, if done in such a manner as does not obstruct the free passage of persons along the sidewalk. ... All vendors licensed in accordance with this article and operating from motorized vehicles shall operate or be permitted on the streets, sidewalks, and other public places of the City between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m., or dusk, whichever comes first.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2016 Code: Local legislation current through Ordinance 3821, passed 3-1-2012).
Full Breakdown
Flint's peddler ordinance (Code §§ 12-171 through 12-179) governs general street vending, including food sales from carts and vehicles. A City Clerk license is required, and § 12-172(a) bars peddling in any area where sales are prohibited. Section 12-172(b) lets a licensed food business sell on the sidewalk directly in front of its own premises, as long as pedestrian passage isn't blocked. Vendors operating from motorized vehicles are further limited to the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., or dusk, whichever comes first, on streets, sidewalks, and other public places (§ 12-176(b)(7)), and food sellers must have a state or county food establishment license on file with the City Clerk.
Violations & Fines
Peddling without a license, or outside licensed hours or zones, violates § 12-172; the City Administrator may suspend or revoke a license for breaking its conditions (§ 12-178), and § 12-176(b)(9) sets a fine up to $500 and/or 90 days in jail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a street vendor sell food anywhere on a Flint sidewalk?
What hours can a mobile street vendor operate in Flint?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Flint
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