Paterson, NJ Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $250-$2,200 by group size
- Transient merchant fee
- $220 per 30 days
- Selling hours ban
- 9 p.m.-9 a.m.
- Downtown sales
- banned entirely
- Background check
- required via Chief of Police
Summary
Peddlers, hawkers, and street vendors need a Licensing Division license backed by a police background check before selling in Paterson; fees run $250 to $2,200, and downtown sales are banned outright.
No person, whether peddler, hawker, itinerant vendor or transient merchant, shall sell any goods, wares, merchandise or services or offer to sell the same without first obtaining a license therefor, as provided in this article.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4713536; v19 updated 2025-12-16; through 12-16-2025).
Full Breakdown
City Code § 367-35 requires any peddler, hawker, transient merchant, or itinerant vendor to obtain a Licensing Division license before selling goods or services in Paterson. The Chief of Police investigates each applicant's character and criminal history before approval (§ 367-38). Annual license fees run from $250 for up to four people to $2,200 for 16-25 (§ 367-39A); transient merchants pay $220 per 30-day period. Vendors may not sell between 9:00 p.m. and 9:00 a.m., set up within 15 feet of a fire hydrant, crosswalk, or driveway, block a bus stop, or sell anywhere in the defined downtown area bounded by Main, Market, and Memorial Drive (§ 367-39.1).
Violations & Fines
Selling without a license, or violating the placement and hours restrictions, is punishable under § 367-43 by a fine up to $1,000, imprisonment up to 90 days, or both, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a street vendor sell in downtown Paterson?
Is a food truck covered by this peddler license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Paterson
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