Los Angeles County is moving to reshape sidewalk vending by removing one of its biggest barriers: the cost of meeting health rules. The Sidewalk Vending Cart Program, led by the Los Angeles County Department of Economic Opportunity and the City of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department, will invest $2.8 million to give away more than 280 food carts. Each cart meets California health code standards and allows vendors to operate legally. The program launched in August 2024 as part of a broader county effort to formalize sidewalk vending after years of shifting rules. Since 2018, state and local laws have steadily changed how street food businesses operate. Those changes have often raised costs for vendors trying to stay compliant. County officials say the new requirements, while meant to protect public health, have priced many people out of the legal system. The cart program is designed to close that gap. Vending cart in Santa Monica, CA. (CREDIT: Shutterstock) Changing rules and rising costs Sidewalk vending in Los Angeles County was decriminalized in 2018 under …