Street vending cart rules in Bakersfield, CA β also called pushcart, food cart, or sidewalk vendor regulations β set where mobile vendors can operate and what permits they need.
Under BMC Chapter 5.45, a sidewalk vending cart must be non-motorized and operated by the permittee, maintain 4 feet of unobstructed sidewalk clearance, and β if used for food β meet Mobile Food Facility (MFF) standards enforced by the Kern County Public Health Department under the California Retail Food Code (CalCode, Health & Safety Code 113700 et seq.).
BMC 5.45.010 defines a sidewalk vendor as a person who sells food or merchandise from a pushcart, stand, display, pedal-driven cart, wagon, showcase, rack, or other non-motorized conveyance on a public sidewalk or pedestrian path. The cart must be controlled by the permitted vendor at all times, may not be left unattended, and may not extend beyond the size the city's permit allows. Food carts additionally need an MFF certification from Kern County Public Health under CalCode (HSC 113700 et seq.), routine commissary use, food handler card, and a current Kern County Environmental Health permit decal displayed on the cart. Trash must be collected by the vendor and removed at the end of each operating shift β leaving litter on the sidewalk is a separate violation under BMC 8.27 (property maintenance) and 8.32 (litter).
Operating a cart that fails ADA clearance, exceeds permitted size, or operates without required food permits is subject to the BMC 5.45 administrative-fine schedule ($100 / $200 / $500). Health-code violations are enforced separately by Kern County Public Health under CalCode, which can suspend or revoke the MFF permit. Litter and abandoned-cart violations are infraction-level citations under BMC 8.32.
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