Credit: County of Santa Barbara

A grand jury report highlighted the challenges of enforcing against unpermitted street vendors in Santa Barbara County, with an investigation finding that unpermitted vending has become “so commonplace” that the Health Department doesn’t have enough resources to enforce even the existing food safety requirements.

The report details a dramatic growth of street vendors operating illegally, either without permits or with unsanitary and hazardous conditions. The grand jury also found other issues caused by the proliferation of unpermitted street vendors, such as other businesses reporting a loss in income due to the encroachment of illegal vendors.

Recent changes to state laws limited the penalties and enforcement against street vendors, which have been popping up in the form of roadside “tent restaurants,” food trucks, and sidewalk pushcarts. The grand jury report said this type of open-air mobile food vending “surged to unprecedented levels throughout Santa Barbara County in recent years,” and the report calls on county leaders to provide more funding to allow for enforcement and more frequent inspections.

While street vendors are popular in Latino working-class neighborhoods and for those looking for a late-night snack in the downtown area, the grand jury found the unpermitted vendors pose a risk of food-borne illness due to unregulated food handling practices. Members of the jury visited food trucks and carts around the county and directly observed “numerous violations of food safety laws and ordinances.” 

Of the 11 carts detailed in the report, none had valid health inspection permits, handwashing facilities, or food handler cards. Six of 14 food trucks visited by jury members were able to present health permits and food handler cards. Food carts were also observed storing cooked meat in Styrofoam containers, and meat and fruit were not kept in a temperature-controlled environment as required by county codes. 

The City of Santa Barbara and County Health Department each formed “vendor enforcement teams” to target unpermitted vendors in 2023 and 2024, with a focus on pop-up restaurants that used open flames — a violation that requires a more serious charge. Lesser violations are more difficult to enforce or come with penalties so negligible, the report said, that vendors would be able to pay and return at a later date or otherwise change locations and make it difficult for enforcement teams to find repeat offenders.

In recent months, there have been fewer pop-up vendors within the city of Santa Barbara — potentially due to the rise in immigration enforcement — but this has not put a complete stop to reported code violations. From January to March 2025, inspectors with the Environmental Health Services Division issued 137 notices for food safety violations, including food that was being kept at unsafe temperatures. In response, the Board of Supervisors voted for stronger enforcement in the form of a multi-jurisdictional task force.

The grand jury recommends the county fund more frequent inspections; create a public tip line to report illegal vendors; delegate sheriff’s deputies to support enforcement; and focus inspection on vendors without nearby restroom or handwashing facilities.

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