New Sacramento County Regulations Aim to Tackle Unlicensed Food Stands: What You Need to Know

SACRAMENTO — Roadside food stands offer tasty quick meals, but Sacramento County is facing some challenges with them.

Ken Casparis, a county spokesperson, mentioned that they’ve received around 340 complaints about illegal food vendors in the past year.

One big concern is where these vendors set up, often on sidewalks. Most of them don’t get inspected, which raises worries about food safety. “It could be dangerous,” Casparis warned. “Customers might risk foodborne illness.”

To address these issues, county leaders are thinking about new regulations. One proposal is that food vendors would need to pay for an annual $61 license. They would also be restricted from setting up shop in certain areas, like near highways, schools, bike paths, and parking lots.

If vendors don’t follow the rules, they could face fines of up to $1,000 for repeated violations, and inspectors could confiscate their equipment. “We hope these measures will help reduce illegal vending on our sidewalks,” Casparis added.

Jaime Ruiz sells about 150 homemade tamales daily on Howe Avenue. He’s skeptical about whether the new rules will change anything, noting that none of his customers have ever gotten sick. “People know we sell good tamales here,” Ruiz said.

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors plans to discuss these changes at their meeting next Tuesday. If they approve the new regulations, the licensing requirements would start in March.