TABLE 1.

Comparison of Mobile Food Vending Laws in the 10 Most Populous US Cities: 2008

	Health and Safety		Permits or Other Regulations		Location			Nutrition Regulation
City	Are Vendors Required to Operate From a Commissary?	Are Vendors Subject to Inspection?	Fees for Mobile Vendor Permits or License	Other Special Regulations	Restriction on Duration of Vendor Stops	Hours When Vendors Are Allowed to Operate	Restrictions on Vendor Proximity to Schools	Nutrition Incentives
Chicago, IL	Commissary or other licensed fixed food service establishment.24	Yes. Vendors must pass inspection before license will be issued.24	$165 every 2 y for “peddlers” of fruits and vegetables25; otherwise $275, payable every 2 y.26	No.	No regulation.	7 am to 5 pm for peddlers of fruits and vegetables.27 Otherwise, there is no restriction on hours.	No regulation.	Vendors selling only fruits and vegetables pay a reduced permit fee.28
Dallas, TX	Yes.29	Yes.30	$100 for most vendors, but $465 for a mobile food preparation vehicle such as a “hot truck.”31	Vendors must provide a monthly itinerary indicating where they intend to operate32 and must be able to provide proof of liability insurance.33	Vendors may not stop longer than 1 in 1 place/d, or operate for a total of 3 h in 1 location within a 24-h period.31	No regulation.	No regulation.	No.
Houston, TX	Yes, and commissaries are required to keep servicing records for each mobile vendor.34	Yes. Vendors must pass inspection before receiving a permit, and then are subject to inspection without notice.35,36	$200 for a permit, $310 for a “medallion” to be placed on the vending vehicle, and a $200 electronic monitoring systems fee for “unrestricted mobile food units.”37	Vendors in the downtown district need permission from abutting store owners.38 A person certified in safe food handling must be on duty at all times.39	No regulation.	Vendors may designate a site for 24-h use.40	No regulation.	No.
Los Angeles, CA	N/A	N/A	N/A	Vendors must establish a “special sidewalk vending district”; at present, no district exists.41	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
New York, NY	Yes. All vendors must operate from a commissary, depot, or other licensed facility.42	Yes. Vendors are not allowed to operate until they have passed inspection.43	Permits are valid for 2 y,44 $50 if fresh fruits or vegetables or prepackaged food45; $100 if food is processed on site.46	Green Cart vendors only in underserved areas,47 and must have educational brochures.48	No regulation.	Varies by location.49	No regulation.	Green Cart vendors selling whole fruits and vegetables.50 Green Cart vendors have priority on permit waiting list.51
Philadelphia, PA	Yes.52	Yes. Vendors must submit to an official inspection53 and perform a self- inspection every 3 mo.54	$125 annually for vendors on foot; otherwise $300 annually for all other vehicles.55	No.	No regulation.	7 am to 12 am.56	No regulation.	No.
Phoenix, AZ	Yes. Vendors must report daily to a commissary.57	Yes. Vendors must be inspected at least every 6 mo under the Arizona Food Code.58	$250 first-time license application fee, then $30/y.59 There is also a 1-time fee for criminal investigation fingerprints.60	Vendors may not operate on any street abutting a public park within 150 ft of a lawfully established park concession.61	Vendors may not stop for more than 1 h within an 8-h period on any public street or alley.62	6 am to 2 am on private property63; the later of 7 pm or sunset and before sunrise on public property.64	Vendors on private property may not operate within 300 ft of any school between 6 am and 5 pm,65 or within 600 ft of any school, or between 7 am and 4:30 pm when located on public property.66	No.
San Antonio, TX	Yes. Vendors must operate from a commissary, unless they sell food that exempts them from this provision.67	Yes. Vendors are subject to routine unannounced inspections.68	$48 to $350 annually depending on the type of vehicle used and the type of food sold.69	Vendors may not sell within 300 ft of any food establishment unless they obtain permission from the owner.70	No regulation.	7 am to 30 min after sunset in residential areas. 7 am to 10 pm in June, July, and August.71	Vendors may not sell within 300 ft of any school 1 h before, 1 h after, and during school hours.72	Vendors selling whole fruits or vegetables, fresh fish, or shrimp do not have to operate from a commissary.73
San Diego, CA	Yes.73	Yes.74	$164 to $427 annually depending on the type of vehicle used and the type of food sold.75	Units propelled by “muscular power either human or animal” cannot be used to sell perishable food.76	Restrictions on duration of time vendors are allowed to stop varies by location.77	9 am to 8 pm.78	Vendors may not operate within 500 ft of any public school between 7 am and 4 pm on regular school days.79	Vendors may sell farm produce from the farm property without paying a permit fee.80
San Jose, CA	Yes, or other approved facility.81	Yes.82	$418 for an “approved location” vendor permit; $149 for all other vendors, plus $45 for an ID card.83	Vendors operating from a designated “approved location” must have liability insurance.84	Except for “approved location” (stationary) vendors, vendors may not stop in 1 place for longer than 15 min in a 2-h period.85	10 am to 7 pm or sunset; vendors at construction or industrial sites are exempt from this regulation.86 Approved location vendors may operate from 6 am until 7 pm or sunset.87	Vendors may not operate within 500 ft of any school property.88	No.