Davis, CA Outdoor Cooking: Outdoor Kitchen Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Issuing authority
- Davis Police Chief
- Minimum age
- 18 years old
- Tied to
- Street use or parade permit
- Application filed with
- Davis Police Department
- Exclusion
- Licensed commercial food vendors
Summary
Using a grill, smoker or other outdoor cooking device at a Davis public event requires a police-issued permit tied to the event's street use or parade permit. Applicants must be 18 or older and apply through the police department in advance.
§ 13.03.030. Outdoor/portable cooking devices permit application. (a) The police chief shall issue a permit allowing the use of an outdoor or portable cooking device on the condition that the requirements of this article be complied with and that the police chief determines that the use of an outdoor or portable cooking device will not be detrimental to the public health, safety and welfare if the permit is granted. The police chief shall revoke such permit upon a finding that the permittee has failed or refused to comply with any provision of this article. ... (b) No person under the age of eighteen may obtain a permit. ... (c) The permit application shall be submitted to the city police department, and the permit shall be obtained prior to the desired use of an open campfire.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4915048; v22 updated 2026-05-19).
Full Breakdown
03's requirements and only after determining that the device's use will not be detrimental to public health, safety or welfare. The police chief also holds revocation power, and can pull the permit on a finding that the permittee failed or refused to comply with any provision of the article. 030(a) ties issuance to an existing street use or parade permit, meaning the outdoor cooking device permit fee is folded into that broader event permit's fee rather than charged as a separate line item, and the permittee must follow every condition of the underlying street use or parade permit as well.
No one under eighteen years of age may obtain the permit, and the application must go to the Davis Police Department and be approved before the cooking device is actually used. Commercial food vendors are excluded from needing this specific permit if they follow all other laws governing commercial food sale in the city, so a licensed food truck or vendor grill does not need a separate open campfire permit on top of its health and business permits.
Violations & Fines
A first or second violation of the outdoor cooking device permit requirements within a six-month period is an infraction fined under California Government Code section 36900(b), escalating to a misdemeanor with fine and possible county jail time under section 36901 for a third violation in that period. The police chief can also revoke the permit outright for noncompliance, and violations remain subject to administrative citation under Article 1.02 and abatement as a public nuisance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who issues the outdoor cooking device permit in Davis?
Can a minor apply for an outdoor cooking device permit in Davis?
Does a food truck need this permit to grill at a Davis street event?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Davis
California rules heatmap·Compare Davis to another location·View the California outdoor cooking overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.