A vendor sent a question about some ridiculous limitations on business permits for a town. I hear stuff like this all the time and my first piece of advice is always this: ask to see it in writing.

Business Permits for Food Carts Too Limited?

One vendor reported having heard that you have to take a picture and submit an application for a vending license, and if that location gets turned down, you have to repeat the picture and application process every time you try for a new spot. Crazy!

Another vendor said the officials required a special license for every location you want to set up your food cart. And somebody else said they got the runaround with permitting by only being able to do business a certain number of days per year. Well that's unlikely, but if it is actually in their written codes, it's unconstitutional.

Get it in Writing

The only way to know for sure is to go and speak with somebody in person. Be nice, but get them to find where the rule is, in writing. That way, you will know what the actual requirements are for your street food business permits. And if it's not really as restricted as people were saying, that's great. And if you find that is really written down that you can only sell hot dogs on days when there's a full moon and the pigs are flying south, then you have proof that their codes are violating your constitutional rights to work.

Additional Resources

Hearing something crazy about street food business permit rules? Check here for advice. Want to get advice and tips from other street food professionals? Join Vendors United.