Factsheet
Content
Street Vending Regulations in NYC
An overview
All Vendors
● May not vend (display or sell) without a license –if you do, you are subject to arrest and confiscation of your
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● goods / pushcart which you may not ever get back, even after you pay your fine. License fees range from $25 - $200 per year. To apply for a license you must be a U.S. citizen or show valid work authorization. Must display license and tax ID at all times while vending. Sd w lhave a 12 foot wide clear path before you put your table/cart there. Must place your table/cart within i a e k 18 inches of curb. May not vend on any restricted street (see various lists) or your cart/ goods may be seized and forfeited. Table/cart may only be 8 feet long and 3 feet wide, and you may not have any boxes beside cart or poking out from underneath. You may only sell from a table or cart (not the ground) Ma n t e dwti 2 fe o s r e t n e wt 10 feet of subway entrance, or within 10 feet of y o v n i n 0 e t f t e nr c , i h o a hin crosswalk. Table/cart may not touch any street furniture such as phone booth, fire hydrant, tree, etc. Ma n t e di ree n tob ap leofe b c u eo a e re c s c a ap rd fire, or y o v n f d rd o t y oc f r e a s f n meg n y u h s aa e, o i i c unusually heavy pedestrian traffic. May not block pedestrians so as to significantly impede ped. traffic. Ma n t e di a y ak i o t s e i p rs emi e c p Frt me d n v n os. y o v n n n p r wt u a p c l ak p r t xe t i A n me t e d r) h a ( s Selling counterfeit goods is a crime which may lead to arrest and confiscation of goods.
1st Amendment Protected Vendors
● N le s n e e o i n e e d dto vend books, c magazines, news- papers, or art. But you must have a valid tax ID. ● At c d s a t g pi s p oo , ri l e p i i , r t h ts nu nn n, sculpture, and some crafts (but craft vendors often receive wrongful tickets). ● May not vend on any street that is restricted to both food and general vendors (unless there is a disabled veteran vendor on the block). ● A y o d s i db p lemust be n g o s e e y oc z i returned to vendor, regardless of outcome of case.
Food Vendors
● I a d i t ale s , s a oh v p r to n d i n o i n e mu t l a e emi r t o c s f your pushcart. There is no limit on licenses, but the limited number of permits (3,000 city-wide) makes it very difficult to obtain one. Each person may have only one permit. ● May not vend on any of approx. 120 restricted streets (see list) ● Mu t abide by NYC Health Code regulations s governing restaurants, as well as 20 special regulations for mobile food vendors. One person at cart must have taken the Health Dept. food protection course.
General Vendors
● Limit on licenses (853 city-wide) makes it nearly impossible to obtain one –except for military veterans, who are not included in the cap. th th ● Ma n t e di mi o n(0 to 60 y o vn n d w 3 t nd th Street, 2 Ave to 9 Ave) or in any C4, C5, or C6 zoning area. ● Ma n t e don any of approx 300 y o vn restricted streets (see list). ● Must display prices of goods. Must offer receipt for every purchase. May not vend on any subway grating.
Disabled Veteran Vendors
● Disabled veterans are covered by NY state law rather than city law. ● T emo t e i 6 d a l ( l le s ” h s s n r 0 i b d “ u i n e) o s e bec vets are given the special privilege of vending on most streets (not avenues) in mi o n Al te d a l ( eo ”le s d w . l h r i b d “ lw )i n e t o s e yl c vets may vend 1-per-block on all other streets and avenues city-wide.
An overview
All Vendors
● May not vend (display or sell) without a license –if you do, you are subject to arrest and confiscation of your
● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● goods / pushcart which you may not ever get back, even after you pay your fine. License fees range from $25 - $200 per year. To apply for a license you must be a U.S. citizen or show valid work authorization. Must display license and tax ID at all times while vending. Sd w lhave a 12 foot wide clear path before you put your table/cart there. Must place your table/cart within i a e k 18 inches of curb. May not vend on any restricted street (see various lists) or your cart/ goods may be seized and forfeited. Table/cart may only be 8 feet long and 3 feet wide, and you may not have any boxes beside cart or poking out from underneath. You may only sell from a table or cart (not the ground) Ma n t e dwti 2 fe o s r e t n e wt 10 feet of subway entrance, or within 10 feet of y o v n i n 0 e t f t e nr c , i h o a hin crosswalk. Table/cart may not touch any street furniture such as phone booth, fire hydrant, tree, etc. Ma n t e di ree n tob ap leofe b c u eo a e re c s c a ap rd fire, or y o v n f d rd o t y oc f r e a s f n meg n y u h s aa e, o i i c unusually heavy pedestrian traffic. May not block pedestrians so as to significantly impede ped. traffic. Ma n t e di a y ak i o t s e i p rs emi e c p Frt me d n v n os. y o v n n n p r wt u a p c l ak p r t xe t i A n me t e d r) h a ( s Selling counterfeit goods is a crime which may lead to arrest and confiscation of goods.
1st Amendment Protected Vendors
● N le s n e e o i n e e d dto vend books, c magazines, news- papers, or art. But you must have a valid tax ID. ● At c d s a t g pi s p oo , ri l e p i i , r t h ts nu nn n, sculpture, and some crafts (but craft vendors often receive wrongful tickets). ● May not vend on any street that is restricted to both food and general vendors (unless there is a disabled veteran vendor on the block). ● A y o d s i db p lemust be n g o s e e y oc z i returned to vendor, regardless of outcome of case.
Food Vendors
● I a d i t ale s , s a oh v p r to n d i n o i n e mu t l a e emi r t o c s f your pushcart. There is no limit on licenses, but the limited number of permits (3,000 city-wide) makes it very difficult to obtain one. Each person may have only one permit. ● May not vend on any of approx. 120 restricted streets (see list) ● Mu t abide by NYC Health Code regulations s governing restaurants, as well as 20 special regulations for mobile food vendors. One person at cart must have taken the Health Dept. food protection course.
General Vendors
● Limit on licenses (853 city-wide) makes it nearly impossible to obtain one –except for military veterans, who are not included in the cap. th th ● Ma n t e di mi o n(0 to 60 y o vn n d w 3 t nd th Street, 2 Ave to 9 Ave) or in any C4, C5, or C6 zoning area. ● Ma n t e don any of approx 300 y o vn restricted streets (see list). ● Must display prices of goods. Must offer receipt for every purchase. May not vend on any subway grating.
Disabled Veteran Vendors
● Disabled veterans are covered by NY state law rather than city law. ● T emo t e i 6 d a l ( l le s ” h s s n r 0 i b d “ u i n e) o s e bec vets are given the special privilege of vending on most streets (not avenues) in mi o n Al te d a l ( eo ”le s d w . l h r i b d “ lw )i n e t o s e yl c vets may vend 1-per-block on all other streets and avenues city-wide.
