Santa Barbara County will begin a six-month street vendor enforcement effort in April to ensure that food vendors — like the vendor pictured La Cumbre Plaza on Upper State Street in January — have permits and are storing food properly.
Santa Barbara County will begin a six-month street vendor enforcement effort in April to ensure that food vendors — like the vendor pictured La Cumbre Plaza on Upper State Street in January — have permits and are storing food properly. Credit: Daniel Green / Noozhawk photo

Santa Barbara County’s new six-month food vendor task force will step up enforcement of the county’s sidewalk vending ordinance in April.

Santa Barbara County Environmental Health Services staff have already begun inspections of unpermitted food vendors. The task force approved by the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors in February will continue and reinforce that work, according to EHS Director Jason Johnston.

The supervisors at that same meeting also set stricter regulations for street vendors and approved a public relations program to warn the public about eating at unpermitted locations.

County rules require food vendors to obtain all necessary permits, outline where and when vendors are allowed to set up, and clarify what kind of cooking equipment is allowed.

EHS staff conducted nine compliance operations between September and January, according to a county press release. Inspectors issued 14 notices of violation and disposed of approximately 575 pounds of contaminated meat.

County staff also began after-hours and weekend inspections last year, logging more than 400 hours of overtime in 2025.

Starting in April, alongside EHS, staff from the Public Works Department and a Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office deputy will assist in inspections and equipment confiscation.

The task force will focus on unincorporated parts of the county, primarily in the Santa Ynez Valley and areas surrounding Santa Maria, as well as highways 154 and 246.

Those roadside locations have “traffic and other safety issues beyond just the food,” Johnston said.

He said that when a task force worker finds a food vendor, they will check for the proper permits and ensure staff are following proper health codes.

If the operation is not in compliance, county staff will issue a notice of violation and confiscate any food that is not properly stored.

Confiscated inedible food is destroyed by staff. Confiscated equipment is stored and may be returned if the owner provides a valid reason to return it. Equipment may be recycled or destroyed if it is not claimed.

Local restaurant owners and residents have complained for years that unpermitted food vendors were stealing customers and selling unsanitary food.

Some business owners have said unpermitted vendors will set up outside their shops during their busiest periods.

County health workers also have documented food vendor locations without proper sanitation, a lack of restrooms for workers, improperly stored food and open flames.

California law prohibits local governments from banning food vendors if the vendor follows certain guidelines. Food operations that are allowed under the law include pushcarts, stands, pedal-carts and wagons. Those setups are known as compact mobile food operations.

Pop-up locations — which may use tables and tents — are not permitted under state law because they do not count as compact mobile food operations.

Pop-ups have been an ongoing issue for the county. Many operators cook with open flames, do not follow health codes, or dump grease onto public land, county officials have said.

Johnston said staff from his department have seen the same people repeatedly setting up unpermitted stands. When they are shut down, they may leave for a few hours and return later that same night.

One of the challenges that the county has faced is balancing local ordinances and safety concerns with state laws protecting food vendors.

Even though EHS staff can issue fines, they are not always effective.

“It’s not a criminal citation — it’s an administrative fine,” Johnston said. “So that limits our ability (to) follow up.”

Staff have also struggled to get real names or addresses for people running the pop-ups.

Despite the challenges, Johnston said he believes being more proactive in confiscating equipment and issuing fines will help deter unpermitted food operations.

Third District Supervisor Joan Hartmann’s district has seen an increase in food vendors during the past few years.

She threw her support behind the new regulations at the supervisors’ February meeting.

“Protecting the public’s health and safety is our highest responsibility as supervisors,” Hartmann said in a press release. “State law has narrowed local enforcement tools for stopping unsafe food vending, but we are adapting to ensure food is prepared and sold safely in our communities.”

At the end of the task force’s trial period, it will return to the Board of Supervisors for an assessment. The board will then decide if it wants to continue the program or make changes.

Johnston reminded the public to be wary of eating at unpermitted places.

“Buying food from these vendors is putting the public at risk of food-borne illness,” Johnston said. “Our goal in stopping these vendors is the protection of the public and … consumers so that they don’t get food-borne illness from visiting these locations.”

— Noozhawk staff writer Daniel Green can be reached at dgreen@noozhawk.com.