At a Glance
- Los Angeles County and City will distribute 281 code-compliant food carts at zero cost to eligible sidewalk vendors
- Vending registration fees-normally $604 annually-can be waived for the first two years, with a $100 discount in year three
- Applicants must earn under $75,000, live in LA County, and sell food in unincorporated areas or city neighborhoods
- Why it matters: Street vendors who have struggled with permit costs since California’s 2018 decriminalization can now operate legally without the upfront financial burden
Los Angeles is betting that $2.8 million in public funds can turn underground tamale stands and fruit carts into fully regulated micro-businesses. Officials on Monday announced the launch of the Sidewalk Vending Cart Program, a joint effort by the County Department of Economic Opportunity and the City’s Economic and Workforce Development Department that will give away more than 280 health-department-approved carts and slash permit fees for the city’s lowest-income vendors.
The program targets a bottleneck that has persisted since SB 946 made sidewalk vending legal statewide in 2018: the high price of staying on the right side of the law. A compliant cart can cost hundreds of dollars, and annual permits run $604-steep hurdles for entrepreneurs already living on thin margins.
How the Giveaway Works
County and city departments will purchase carts from three manufacturers, each built to LA County Public Health standards. Models include:
- Hot-holding units for grilled meats
- Cold-holding versions for ice cream or chilled drinks
- Cut-fruit configurations with sneeze guards
- Grill carts with integrated ventilation
Vendors who receive a cart keep it. No repayment, no lease, no equity stake required.
Applications are reviewed monthly. Staff rank requests by need; if demand exceeds supply in any service area, a lottery breaks the tie. From approval to delivery can take up to 12 weeks.
Fee Relief Adds Up
Besides the free hardware, the program layers on three years of financial breathing room:
- Years 1-2: the $604 vending registration certificate fee is waived in full
- Year 3: a $100 discount off the same fee
- 75% subsidy on the compact mobile food operation permit, trimming the annual cost to as little as $31.50 (down from $126-$592, depending on food type)
Who Qualifies
Applicants must tick every box on a seven-point checklist:
- Age 18 or older
- Resident of LA County
- Self-employed sidewalk vendor working either in unincorporated county pockets or within official Los Angeles city limits
- Annual income below $75,000
- Willingness to sign a compliance pledge covering health codes, safety rules, and cart maintenance
Undocumented vendors are explicitly eligible; immigration status is not a criteria.
Geography of the Giveaway
Of the 281 carts, 180 are reserved for vendors in the county’s unincorporated communities-places like East Rancho Dominguez, Florence-Firestone, and Lennox-while 101 are set aside for neighborhoods inside the City of Los Angeles.
Application Steps
- Submit an online form (linked on the program portal)
- Upload proof of address, self-employment, and prior year income
- Specify preferred cart type based on menu
- Wait for monthly review; if selected, schedule an in-person interview
- Pass a health-and-safety quiz and sign the compliance agreement
Staff aim to notify every applicant within six weeks of the monthly deadline.
Why Officials Say It’s Needed
Daniel J. Whitman reported for News Of Losangeles that after California decriminalized safe sidewalk vending, many vendors still risked citations because they could not afford code-compliant equipment or permits. By front-loading the public investment, the county and city hope to bring an estimated thousands of informal vendors into the regulated economy, expand access to safe food, and add legitimacy to a workforce that includes many recent immigrants.
Vendor Reaction
On a recent Tuesday in Pico-Union, where sidewalks normally buzz with food traffic, vendor Tomasa Chavez-an undocumented 63-year-old from Mexico-grilled meat while weighing her options. “There’s no need to stress,” she said. “If they take me, I’ll go.” Her comment captured the daily gamble vendors face: work and risk deportation, or stay home and lose income. The new program, she added, “sounds like help finally arrived.”
Budget Source and Oversight
The $2.8 million comes from federal American Rescue Plan dollars allocated to LA County and the City of Los Angeles. Supervisors and council members approved the line item last spring, capping individual vendor benefits at roughly $10,000 apiece when cart cost, waived fees, and training are combined. Departments must report quarterly on participation rates, permit issuances, and vendor earnings.
Key Takeaways
- 281 carts are up for grabs; 180 outside city limits, 101 inside
- Total fee waivers can exceed $1,800 per vendor across three years
- Income cap is $75,000, but no asset test applies
- The application portal stays open until every cart is allocated
- Staff expect the first carts to roll out before October 2025
