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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – Santa Barbara County will launch a focused sidewalk food vending enforcement effort from April through October 2026 following the Board of Supervisors’ adoption of a Sidewalk Vending Ordinance and approval of a six-month Pilot Outreach Program.
The outreach program responds to a measurable increase in unlawful roadside and sidewalk food vending following passage of State laws, including SB 946 (2018) and SB 972 (2022), which limited local enforcement authority and expanded sidewalk vending activity. While intended to promote entrepreneurship, these laws reduced local regulatory tools and contributed to growing public health and safety challenges.
Documented Public Health and Safety Risks…