Sidewalk Vending Generally
San Diego Municipal Code § 36.0105
in effect§36.0105 Sidewalk Vending Generally
(a) Sidewalk vendors shall visibly display their sidewalk vending permit at all times when vending, including any photo identification issued by the City.
(b) Vending activities on residential blocks may occur only between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and sunset.
(c) Vending activities on non-residential blocks may occur only between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m. or the hours of operation imposed on other businesses on the same block, whichever is least restrictive.
(d) A vending permit does not provide an exclusive right to operate on any sidewalk or portion thereof.
(e) Sidewalk vendors shall comply with all applicable laws relating to the employment of minors. Any minor assisting with or engaged in vending shall be accompanied by a sidewalk vendor with a valid vending permit. Any and all actions of the minor related to vending, including any violations committed by the minor, are attributable to the sidewalk vendor.
(f) Only roaming sidewalk vendors may operate in residential areas.
(g) Sidewalk vendors are responsible for ensuring that the 10-foot area immediately surrounding the vending space is kept clean and free of trash and debris associated with their vending operation.
(1) All sidewalk vendors shall provide a trash receptacle for customers and shall ensure proper disposal of customer trash. The trash receptacle must be large enough to accommodate customer trash so that public trash receptacles located on any block for use by the general public do not have to be used by customers.
(2) Sidewalk vendors shall not dispose of customer or sidewalk vendor trash in trash receptacles that the City provides for public use.
(h) Sidewalk vendors engaged in the vending of food or beverages shall display a valid San Diego County Environmental Health Permit and have hand sanitizer located in a conspicuous location readily available for use by customers.
(i) Sidewalk vendors shall not display any goods for sale on the ground or on any above-ground structure.
(j) No vendor shall vend to any person traveling in a motor vehicle along a public roadway. Vending in or from a parked vehicle is addressed in section 54.0122.
(k) Sidewalk vendors shall not leave vending equipment or goods unattended at any time.
(l) Sidewalk vendors shall not connect to an external source of power, water, or any other utilities located on public property.
(m) To maintain accessibility standards, sidewalk vendors shall not place or allow any obstruction to be placed on the sidewalk that would reduce the width of the sidewalk to less than 48 inches excluding the curb, except for the brief duration of time for a roaming sidewalk vendor to conduct a sale. Notwithstanding the foregoing, sidewalk vendors shall immediately move to provide access to the sidewalk to avoid impeding the flow of pedestrian or other traffic.
(n) No stationary sidewalk vendor is permitted on a sidewalk less than six feet in width.
(o) Sidewalk vendors shall not engage in or offer to engage in any type of rental activity, including the rental of any goods or services.
(p) Sidewalk vendors shall display only goods that are available for immediate on-site sale.
(q) Sidewalk vendors shall not display any signs advertising any off-site business.
(r) Sidewalk vendors who vend any food, beverage, or liquid product must implement the following best management practices:
(1) possess spill kits that are comprised of paper towels, cloth towels, cat litter, or sand at all times while vending;
(2) remove all spill materials from the public right‐of‐way and sidewalks once the spilled material is absorbed off the ground;
(3) capture and prevent spills leaving the area and moving into the surrounding streets from entering the storm water conveyance system, including curbs, gutters, and storm drains;
(4) properly dispose of grease, either by hiring and utilizing an on‐site grease collector or collection system, or at an acceptable facility; and
(5) ensure that any water or rinse residue used for vending activities (e.g., cooler water, ice, food preparation water) is not disposed in the curbs, gutters, streets, drains, or on any public property.
(s) As it relates to the space occupied by the sidewalk vendor as set forth in section 36.0108(b)(2), sidewalk vendors may not use more than five square feet or 25 percent of the vending space, whichever is less, for items not directly related to vending operations.
(t) Vending that substantially and adversely affects the health, safety, or welfare of any individual is prohibited.
(u) Sidewalk vendors shall not leave vending equipment on a sidewalk or public right-of-way when not vending or in the immediate process of setting up or concluding vending activity.
(“Sidewalk Vending Generally” added 5-23-2022 by O-21459 N.S.; effective 6-22-2022.)
(Amended 2-28-2024 by O-21775 N.S.; effective 3-29-2024.)
Source: City of San Diego Office of the City Clerk, San Diego Municipal Code and City Charter (docs.sandiego.gov PDFs)URL: https://docs.sandiego.gov/municode/MuniCodeChapter03/Ch03Art06Division01.pdf#page=8Fetched: 10/28/2026