Stratford, CT Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Vending Zones (2026)

Stratford Code § 116-17(A) bars any unlicensed or unauthorized person from vending or peddling upon the public streets, public property, school property, or property of the Town of Stratford from any type of motor vehicle, trailer, cart or other mobile facility, except as otherwise provided by ordinance. Subsection C opens the door for authorized vendors: a properly licensed vendor can operate a mobile refreshment stand, or vend from a specific location on Town property, if the operator has a current written agreement with the Town of Stratford authorizing the activity and holds all necessary permits, licenses and approvals.

Two exceptions in § 116-18 name the places where mobile stands are expressly allowed. Subsection D covers a mobile refreshment stand approved by the Health Department at the Birdseye Boat Launch, under a valid written agreement with the Town, as long as the operator is not in breach of that agreement and holds all necessary permits. Subsection E covers special events on Town property, where an operator obtains all necessary permits, licenses and approvals from the Police Department, Fire Department, Health Department and any other governmental body with jurisdiction. A special event means any single or multiple day event on Town property, including fairs, carnivals and festivals, limited to a specific location for a specified time period.

Ice cream trucks have their own location rules in Article VI. Under § 116-31 the truck vends only when lawfully stopped, only from the side away from moving traffic and as near as possible to the curb, and never on the left side of a one-way street. At a Town park or other public area the truck stays off the grass and on concrete or asphalt at all times while vending. Before vending, the vendor submits to the Police Chief a detailed listing of the routes each vehicle will travel each day, and before vending at Town property the vendor complies with all other conditions set by the Chief of Police or the Town. Each truck needs a Health Director food permit and a Chief of Police license (§ 116-26), and the annual license fee is $200 (§ 116-29).