Street vendor permits in Fort Worth, TX — sometimes called sidewalk vendor licenses, mobile vendor permits, or peddler permits — are the licenses required to sell goods or food on public property.
Fort Worth Code Sec. 16-186 requires a slot permit and food establishment permit to vend from a pushcart in the downtown area. Mobile vendors need a Vendor Certificate of Occupancy under Sec. 5.406. Food vendors handling potentially hazardous foods must report daily to a designated commissary. Permit updated by Ord. 27523-03-2025 (effective April 2025).
Fort Worth regulates street vending through multiple code sections. Section 16-186 (Permits) makes it unlawful to sell, vend, or serve items from a pushcart in the downtown area without both a valid slot permit and a food establishment permit. This slot permit is required in addition to any other license, permit, or certification required by law, including food handler certification under Chapter 16. Pushcart provisions were updated by Ordinance 27523-03-2025 (effective April 18, 2025). Section 5.406 (Mobile Vendors) requires a Vendor Certificate of Occupancy for mobile food vending units operating throughout the city. Food vendors handling potentially hazardous food products must report their mobile vending unit at least once a day to a designated commissary for food, supplies, cleaning, and servicing. Pushcarts on whole raw uncut produce or individually packaged non-TCS (non-time/temperature control for safety) foods do not require a food establishment permit but must comply with all other applicable provisions. As a condition of a downtown slot permit, vendors must police for trash and debris within a 25-foot radius of their location.
Vending without required permits: citation and fine up to $500. Operating a pushcart in downtown without a slot permit: unlawful per Sec. 16-186. Failure to maintain daily commissary reporting: permit suspension or revocation.
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