Street Trading Licences – the legal position

January 2 2016

Applying for a Street Trading Licence

In order to sell goods or services on the street, you need to obtain a licence from the local council. This could be from a mobile van selling food such as fish and chips or ice cream to stationary stalls selling flowers.

Licences can be obtained by submitting a written application and a fee with the following information:

Name
Address
Date of Birth
Location / Street Name (for stationary traders)
District Area (for mobile traders)
Trading Hours
Goods or Services to be Traded
Storage Arrangements
Description of the Vehicle or Stall

The council will consider the documentation provided and consult with both the highways agency and the police before making a decision on whether to grant a trading licence. They will take into consideration things like parking, impact on a local residence, what other outlets are already trading in that area etc.

The local council will then either grant a full licence or a temporary one if it is only needed for a certain number of days (e.g. for festivals). There is a limit to the number of temporary licences a local council will issue to one party within a year, this is usually around five.

If your application is accepted and you are granted a street trading licence it will come with terms and conditions which you must comply with, including a requirement to carry the licence with you at all times and produce it when requested upon inspection.

Staff do not have to apply for a separate licence; however, they must comply with the terms of the original licence.

Failure to Comply

Failure to comply with the terms of the licence will lead to it being revoked. Your licence may also be revoked if the council later find that you have made inaccurate or misleading statements in your application, which if done knowingly could also be a criminal offence.

Trading on the street without a street licence is a criminal offence and could result in a fine of up to £1,000 and if caught without a licence your goods are also likely to be seized. The following may also result in a criminal offence: