San Rafael, CA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential zones
- Stationary vending banned in R, DR, MR, HR (§ 10.50.110(A))
- Downtown Precise Plan
- Stationary vending also banned there
- Fire hydrant buffer
- 25 feet (§ 10.50.100(E)(1))
- Farmers' market buffer
- 500 feet during market hours (§ 10.50.100(E)(7))
- Residential roaming hours
- Banned 8 p.m.-8 a.m. (§ 10.50.100(C)(2))
- First-violation fine, permitted vendor
- Up to $100 (§ 10.50.140(A))
- First-violation fine, no permit
- Up to $250 (§ 10.50.140(B))
Summary
San Rafael bars stationary mobile food vending from every residential zoning district (R, DR, MR and HR) and from the Downtown Precise Plan area, confining stationary carts to commercial and industrial zones. All mobile vendors, stationary or roaming, must also stay clear of fixed buffer distances around fire hydrants, bus stops, business entrances, schools and farmers' markets.
Stationary sidewalk vending activity is prohibited from operating or establishing in any residential areas of the city, defined as zoning districts R, DR, MR, and HR under San Rafael Municipal Code Section 14.04.020 et seq., or within the Downtown Precise Plan area. ... No stationary sidewalk vendor shall vend, and no roaming sidewalk vendor shall stop to make sales within the number of feet designated below from the nearest portion of the following locations: ...Within 25 feet of a fire hydrant or connection, fire lane, fire call box, or other emergency facility; ...Within 25 feet of a bus stop, taxi stand, bus bench, or bus shelter; ...Within 500 feet of any permitted certified farmers' market, permitted swap meet, or an area designated for use pursuant to a temporary special permit, during the operating hours or duration...; Upon any sidewalk that is within 100 feet of the nearest property line of any property on which a school, a place of worship, or a child day-care facility is located.
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
130. 100(E) lays out fixed no-vend buffers that apply to every mobile vendor, stationary or roaming: 25 feet from a fire hydrant, fire lane or emergency facility; 3 feet from any curb cut, loading zone, parking space or disability access ramp; 25 feet from a bus stop, taxi stand or bus shelter; 25 feet from a business entrance during that business's open hours; 25 feet from another sidewalk vendor; 500 feet from a permitted farmers' market, swap meet or temporary-permit event during its operating hours; and 100 feet from the property line of a school, place of worship, day care, or college or university campus. Vending is barred outright on street medians, in landscaped or unpaved areas, and on private property without the owner's consent. 030).
Violations & Fines
A permitted vendor who breaks these rules faces an administrative fine of up to $100 for a first violation, up to $200 for a second within one year, and up to $500 for each further violation within that year (§ 10.50.140(A)). Vending without any permit draws steeper fines of up to $250, $500 and $1,000 for successive violations, though the fine drops to the permitted-vendor schedule once a valid permit is shown (§ 10.50.140(B)). The director may revoke a permit on a fourth violation, and citations cannot be enforced as an infraction, misdemeanor, or arrest (§ 10.50.140(C), (D)).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food truck park in a San Rafael residential neighborhood?
How close can a food cart set up to a school or church?
What happens if a vendor sells food near San Rafael's farmers' market?
What permit does a mobile food vendor need in San Rafael?
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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