Building Services & Business Licensing
451 South State Street, Room 225
P.O. Box 145458
Salt Lake City UT 84114-5458
801.535.6644
FAX 801.535.7779

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Vending Carts

Sidewalk Vending is governed by City Ordinance and is available online. To read the code, click here and go to Section 5.65.010.

Key points about sidewalk vending

1. A Sidewalk vending cart means a mobile device or push cart (5.65.010).

2. Items approved for sale from sidewalk vending carts shall be limited to the following (5.65.100):

Food for immediate consumption, including beverages;
Inflated balloons;
Fresh cut flowers;
Daily or monthly news publications.

3. A separate application is required for each location (5.65.050).

4. The permit is valid for one cart only (5.65.080).

5. Vending carts on private property are subject to the same size and operational restrictions as those in the public right of way (5.65.220).

Vending cart setup and location restrictions

1. You may not set up within ten feet, fifty feet in the Secondary Central Business District, of the intersection of the sidewalk with any other sidewalk or mid block crosswalk.

2. You may not reduce the clear, continuous sidewalk width to less that four feet.

3. You may not set up within five feet of a door or window.

4. You may not set up within five feet of any handicapped parking space, or access ramp.

5. You may not set up within ten feet of any bus stop.

Design requirements

A. The area occupied by the mobile device or pushcart, together with the operator and any trash receptacle, cooler or chair, shall not exceed thirty-four square feet of sidewalk space.

B. The mobile device or push cart shall not exceed three feet in width and eight feet in length including hitch.

C. The height of the mobile device or push cart, excluding canopies or umbrellas, shall not exceed five feet.

D. Umbrellas or canopies shall be a minimum of seven feet above the sidewalk if they extend beyond the edge of the cart.

E. Umbrellas or canopies shall not exceed sixty square feet in area.

F. The mobile device or push cart shall be on wheels and of sufficiently lightweight construction that it can be moved from place to place by one adult person without any auxiliary power. The device or cart shall not be motorized so as to move on its own power.

G. The vendor shall be limited to three coolers (stacked), one water container, one trash receptacle and one chair external to the cart. Coolers shall not exceed 3.75 square feet each in size.

Operational regulations

A. All persons operating under a sidewalk vendor regulatory permit issued by the city shall comply with the following regulations:

1. Display in a prominent and visible manner the business license issued by the city under the provisions of this chapter and conspicuously post the price of all items sold;

2.  Pick up any paper, cardboard, wood or plastic containers, wrappers, or any litter in any form which is deposited by any person on the sidewalk within a 50 foot radius of the place of conducting business; and clean up all residue from any liquids spilled upon the sidewalk within said 50 foot radius. Each person conducting business on a public sidewalk under the provisions of this chapter shall carry a suitable container for the placement of such litter by customers or other persons;

3.  Obey any lawful order of a police officer to move temporarily to a different location to avoid congestion or obstruction of the sidewalk or to remove the vending cart entirely from the sidewalk, if necessary, to avoid such congestion or obstruction;

4. Conduct no sidewalk vendor business at a location other than that designated on his/her permit;

5. Make no loud or unreasonable noise of any kind by vocalization or otherwise for the purpose of advertising or attracting attention to his/her wares;

6. Except for the day of the Days of '47 parade, leave no permitted cart or device unattended on a sidewalk nor remain on the sidewalk between midnight and six a.m. of any twenty-four-hour period;

7. Conduct no business in violation of the provisions of any ordinance or mayor's executive order providing for a special event, as defined by Section 5.65.010.