New York, NY Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)

Citywide, Admin Code § 17-315 lets food vendors use public sidewalks and streets by default but carves out mandatory clearances: pushcarts need a 12-foot clear pedestrian path, can't touch lamp posts, hydrants or bus shelters, and must stay 20 feet from any licensed sidewalk cafe, stoop line stand or building entranceway. Vendors also can't set up within 10 feet of a driveway, subway entrance or crosswalk, inside a bus stop, taxi stand or bicycle lane, or on Parks Department property without written authorization. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection separately designates fully restricted streets, including a Lower Manhattan zone near the World Trade Center and dozens of Midtown blocks with time-of-day bans.