Street vendor permits in Berkeley, CA — sometimes called sidewalk vendor licenses, mobile vendor permits, or peddler permits — are the licenses required to sell goods or food on public property.
Berkeley regulates sidewalk vending through two parallel chapters of the BMC: Chapter 9.48 covers arts-and-crafts and flower vending, and Chapter 9.49 covers food vending on sidewalks and rights-of-way. Both chapters require a city-issued vending permit and ID card before any vending may occur. Vending without a permit is unlawful.
BMC 9.48.060 governs issuance, expiration, renewal, and non-transferability of arts-and-crafts/flower sidewalk-vending permits. The total number of arts-and-crafts vending permits in effect at any time is capped at 350 citywide. Each approved applicant receives a vending permit plus a photo ID card; employees vending on the permittee's behalf must also carry their own ID card. Food sidewalk vending is governed separately by BMC Chapter 9.49 (definitions in BMC 9.49.020), which requires an ID card issued under that chapter, a 'site allocation' from the city specifying where vending may occur, and compliance with all Alameda County Environmental Health food-handler rules. Berkeley's framework was updated in 2021 by Ordinance 7,750-N.S. and Ordinance 7,777-N.S. to comply with California SB 946 (the Safe Sidewalk Vending Act), which decriminalized sidewalk vending and limited municipalities to administrative citations and objective health/safety/ADA-based restrictions.
Vending without a valid permit and ID card is unlawful under BMC 9.48 and 9.49. Consistent with SB 946 (Cal. Gov. Code § 51038), enforcement is by administrative citation only — no criminal penalty, no arrest. Typical SB 946 citation amounts are up to $100 for a first offense, $200 for a second within one year, and $500 for additional violations within one year; vending without a required state/local business license carries higher caps ($250 / $500 / $1,000). Permits may be suspended or revoked for repeated violations.
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