Piscataway, NJ Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $50 (veterans $2.50)
- Sales hours
- 9:00 a.m. to sunset
- Time limit per spot
- 10 minutes, then move 500 feet
- Minimum age
- 18 years old
- Approval
- Township Council must approve each license
Summary
Selling food or any other merchandise on Piscataway's streets and sidewalks requires a $50 hawker-and-peddler license from the Township Clerk under Code § 4-2.1. Vendors can only sell between 9:00 a.m. and sunset, and § 4-2.3 caps how long they can stay in one spot to 10 minutes before moving at least 500 feet.
No person shall sell, offer for sale, hawk or peddle in the Township any goods, wares or merchandise, with or without a basket, pack or bundle, without first obtaining a license. The license shall be obtained from the Township Clerk's Office at a fee of $50, and veterans shall pay a fee of $2.50, which is the fee for a badge. ... No vendor of goods, wares, or merchandise who has obtained, or is required to obtain, a license pursuant to this section shall remain at any location for the purpose of selling or offering goods, wares, or merchandise for sale for a period longer than 10 minutes. Following the expiration of 10 minutes, the vendor will be required to move a distance not less than 500 feet, prior to the resumption of the sale, or offer of sale, of goods, wares, or merchandise. This section shall not apply to the sale of goods, wares, or merchandise from a residential location. ... No person licensed shall sell or offer for sale wares, goods and merchandise except between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and sunset.
Full Breakdown
Township Code § 4-2, the Hawkers and Peddlers chapter, governs anyone who sells, offers for sale, hawks or peddles 'goods, wares or merchandise' on Piscataway's streets, which covers mobile food sellers along with any other street merchandise. Section 4-2.1 requires a license from the Township Clerk's office for $50, reduced to $2.50 for veterans, before any sale can begin. Under § 4-2.2, every licensed hawker or peddler must wear a badge reading 'Licensed, Township of Piscataway, New Jersey,' and any cart, wagon or vehicle used must display a matching metal plate; the licensee's photograph, supplied by the Police Department, is attached to the license and must be shown to any officer or customer on request.
Section 4-2.3 limits how long a vendor can work one spot: no more than 10 minutes before moving at least 500 feet before resuming sales, a rule that does not apply to sales from a residential location. Section 4-2.4 restricts selling hours to 9:00 a.m. through sunset. Section 4-2.5 bars anyone under 18 from holding the license, and § 4-2.6 requires the Township Council itself to approve every hawker-and-peddler license before it issues, on top of the Clerk's application processing under the chapter's general licensing rules in § 4-1.
Violations & Fines
Selling food, goods or merchandise on Piscataway's streets or sidewalks without the § 4-2.1 license, or outside the 9:00 a.m.-to-sunset window set by § 4-2.4, is punishable under Chapter 1's General Penalty provision. The Township Council can also revoke any hawker-and-peddler license under § 4-1.9 after notice and a hearing for fraud, misrepresentation, a Code violation, or conducting the licensed activity in a way that breaches the peace or menaces public health or safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a permit to run a food cart on Piscataway sidewalks?
How long can a street vendor stay parked in one spot?
What hours can street vendors sell in Piscataway?
Can the Township take away a vendor's license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Piscataway
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