Monterey County, CA Special Events & Permits: Street Fair Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Licensing agency
- Monterey County Sheriff
- License fee
- Set by County Fee Resolution
- Renewal cycle
- Semiannual, Jan 1 and Jul 1
- Application review deadline
- 15 days
- Food vendors
- Need Health & Safety Code §27551 permit
- Fee waiver
- Honorably discharged veterans
- Exempt
- Own-grown-produce farmers, newspaper carriers
Summary
Anyone who sets up a temporary stand or door-to-door display to sell goods, wares or produce at a street fair, festival or similar event in unincorporated Monterey County is an itinerant vendor under Chapter 7.20 and must obtain a Sheriff-issued license before vending, submitting fingerprints, photographs and a sworn application first.
"Itinerant vendor" means any person who goes from place to place, or from door to door, or sets up a temporary stand or place for the purpose of selling any goods, wares, merchandise, fruits or vegetables... Except as provided by this Chapter, it is unlawful for any itinerant vendor to engage in business in any unincorporated area of Monterey County, whether for himself or herself or as agent or employee of some other person, firm, corporation or association, without having procured from the Sheriff a license for such purpose.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 56).
Full Breakdown
010(B)), which covers a booth at a street fair or festival. 020 makes it unlawful to vend in the unincorporated area without first securing a license from the Sheriff. 030 requires a sworn application listing the applicant's name, physical description, permanent and temporary addresses, a description of the goods sold, two duplicate 2-inch by 2-inch photographs taken within the prior 60 days, and fingerprints taken by the Sheriff. Vendors who sell food from a vehicle must also show a current health permit under Health and Safety Code §27551 before a license can issue. 060). 050); honorably discharged veterans vend without paying the fee. 080). 100).
Violations & Fines
Vending at a street fair or any temporary location in the unincorporated county without a Sheriff-issued itinerant vendor license violates §7.20.020. The reviewing officer may suspend a license immediately upon discovering unlawful conduct and must file written charges with the Sheriff within five days; the Sheriff then sets a hearing on five days' notice and may revoke the license (§7.20.090). Entering posted property without permission after a 'no peddlers' sign violates §7.20.120.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to sell at a street fair in unincorporated Monterey County?
How much does the vendor license cost and how long does it last?
Are farmers market or farm-stand vendors exempt?
What happens if I vend without a license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Monterey County
California rules heatmap·Compare Monterey County to another location·View the California special events & permits overview
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