Street vendor permits in Palm Springs, CA — sometimes called sidewalk vendor licenses, mobile vendor permits, or peddler permits — are the licenses required to sell goods or food on public property.
Palm Springs regulates sidewalk vendors under California SB 946 (Gov. Code 51036-51039), which decriminalizes sidewalk vending statewide and limits cities to health, safety, and location rules. Vendors need a city permit, a county health permit for food, and a state seller's permit.
Sidewalk vending in Palm Springs is governed by California Senate Bill 946 (2018), codified at Government Code sections 51036 through 51039, which preempted most local bans and replaced them with administrative permit regimes. Palm Springs requires sidewalk vendors to obtain a city vendor permit, display it at all times, and comply with objective health, safety, welfare, and ADA accessibility rules. Food vendors must additionally obtain a Riverside County Department of Environmental Health Mobile Food Facility permit and a California Department of Tax and Fee Administration seller's permit. SB 972 (2022) extended similar rules to food vendors and streamlined health permits for compact micro-enterprises. Palm Springs cannot ban vending outright in any public space, but may prohibit roaming vendors in operating certified farmers' markets or during noticed special events, restrict stationary vendors to specific zones based on concrete public-health-and-safety findings, and require insurance for certain high-traffic areas like Palm Canyon Drive. Violations result in administrative fines (capped by state law at escalating amounts up to $500 for repeat offenses) rather than criminal penalties; goods cannot be confiscated solely for lack of a permit.
Specific penalty amounts for this ordinance are not published in a publicly accessible fine schedule. Contact Palm Springs code enforcement directly for current fines, enforcement procedures, and hearing options.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Riverside County.
See how other cities in Riverside County handle vendor permits.
See how Palm Springs's vendor permits rules stack up against other locations.
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