Other permit provisions.
Houston Code of Ordinances § 40-267
in effectSec. 40-267. - Other permit provisions.
(a) A permit shall be valid only for the use of the site(s) stated thereon and must be maintained and prominently displayed at the site(s) at all times while in use.
(b) All activities by permittees will be conducted upon the designated site(s); provided however, that if the director of parks and recreation grants approval for a special event in a city park that is located within the theater/entertainment district and a permittee has selected a site(s) in or within 100 feet of the boundaries of that park, then the permittee agrees that upon notice by an employee of the parks and recreation department of that park event, for the duration of that park event, he shall suspend his operations at that site(s) during the time that the park event is occurring and select an alternative site(s) subject to any approval herein required and located outside of 100 feet of the boundaries of that park.
(c) The permittee shall not install, erect, or maintain any signs on the sidewalk except in the case of food vendors, those permitted on the unit itself.
(d) Sites for mobile food units and merchandise vendors shall be at least 20 feet apart.
(e) The size and location of sites must be such that they will not pose a hazard to vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
(f) The permittee shall not install any permanent improvement on the sidewalk.
(g) In the event that activities at any site should cause undue vehicular and pedestrian traffic congestion or any other unsafe condition, then the director or any peace officer of the city may direct the permittee to temporarily vacate the site until the situation has abated, and the permittee shall comply.
(h) All equipment and materials shall be removed from the site at any time that the permittee is not physically present upon the site. If equipment and materials are left unattended, they may be removed. The permittee shall then be liable for all reasonable removal and storage charges.
(i) Sales of food or merchandise shall be made only to pedestrians. No food or merchandise shall be offered or sold to any occupant of any vehicle.
(j) Permittees shall remain within their sites and shall not hawk their merchandise or services in any manner, but may respond to inquiries about their merchandise or services.
(k) The permittee shall maintain records of daily gross sales, purchases, and expenses of or from the unit and those records shall be available for inspection by the director upon request. These records need not be available on the unit itself.
(l) The permittee shall be responsible for supervising the conduct of its patrons and employees.
(m) The permittee and his employees shall wear clean outer garments and shall refrain from smoking and eating during working hours.
(n) A permit shall only be valid for the purpose described in the application.
(o) A permit may be canceled upon written request of the permittee and surrender of the permit itself to the director. The surrender of a permit shall be effective upon its filing in the office of the director.
(p) A permit shall be personal to the permittee and may not be transferred or assigned.
(q) The permittee shall update and supplement the information provided as a part of his application to ensure that it remains true and correct at all times.
(Ord. No. 91-1168, § 4, 8-14-91; Ord. No. 2023-238, § 8, 4-12-2023)
Source: City of Houston, Code of Ordinances and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/tx/houston/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH40STSI_ARTXISISA_DIV2PE_S40-267OTPEPRFetched: 10/26/2026