Street vendor permits in New York, NY — sometimes called sidewalk vendor licenses, mobile vendor permits, or peddler permits — are the licenses required to sell goods or food on public property.
NYC street food vendors need both a Mobile Food Vending License (personal) and a Mobile Food Vending Unit Permit (for the cart/truck) from DOHMH. The Green Cart program offers additional permits for fresh produce vendors in underserved neighborhoods.
NYC regulates street vending through a dual-permit system administered by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH). Every vendor needs a personal Mobile Food Vending License and a separate Mobile Food Vending Unit Permit for each cart or vehicle. General vending permits have been capped since 1983 at approximately 5,100, creating a waitlist of 10,000+ applicants. The Green Cart program (established 2008) created up to 1,000 additional permits specifically for vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables, raw nuts, and bottled water in underserved neighborhoods. Green Cart permits cost $75 for a 2-year term and restrict vendors to designated police precincts where produce consumption is below citywide averages. General merchandise vendors (non-food) are regulated by the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) under a separate permit system capped at roughly 853 citywide. A 2021 law created 445 new full-term permits to be issued over 10 years. Veterans have priority for a limited number of permits.
Vending without a permit: $250-$1,000 fine, cart confiscation. Vending in a restricted area: $100-$500. Health violations: up to $2,000. Repeat offenders face permanent license revocation.
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