NYC Four Street Vendor Bills Will Allow Free for All on NYC Streets

By Mindy Cohn

The New York City Council introduced four bills this week to make changes to the City's longstanding street vending rules.

The changes would prevent fines, fees, and jail time for street vendors already operating under the radar. Presently, restrictions force many vendors to operate illegally to earn a living. This leads to unsafe practices when it comes to health inspections and permits - or lack thereof. The passage of the bills would also remove a decades-old limit restricting vendor permits and allow unlimited vendors to apply for a license. 

While the number of street vendors in NYC, counted by the nonprofit Street Vendor Project nearly a decade ago, was 20,000, that number has only grown since Covid and with the endless stream of illegal migrants flooding the City. The Street Vendor Project presumes that most vendors operate without the required permits and licenses.

Business owners with brick-and-mortar locations are not keen to see changes to the vendor's laws as more vendors lead to more competition, added sidewalk traffic, and added garbage strewn on the streets.

Another of the bills removes criminal penalties and jail time for those who break the vending laws. Only civil penalties would apply, with the maximum punishment being reduced to a summons ticket with a $1,000 limit on any fine.

The new bills were written to create a gradual expansion of the number of licenses and permits available over five years, after which there would be no limit at all. 

The fact that an unlimited allowance would generate funding from the license and permit fees is another reason the City Council is interested in passing the bill.