NOTICE: The Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs is currently not authorized to issue street vendor licenses for those seeking to vend on city sidewalks. We have published new rules that, once approved by the DC Council, will allow us to begin issuing new vendor licenses and permits. Currently, we are only authorized to issue licenses for Mobile Food Trucks. For more information, please email bbl.infocenter@dc.gov.

NAICS CODE: 720100-1

NAICS DESCRIPTION: Any person who operates a vending business that sells any product or substance (including beverages) intended for human consumption while occupying public space in that portion of a street or highway that is improved, designed, or ordinarily used for vehicular travel.

Endorsement Class: Public Health: Food Establishment Retail

Legal Authority: DC Code: 47-2834 DC Municipal Regulations, Title 24, Chapter 5

License Duration: Two (2) Years

License Available Online: No

Category License Fee: $338.00

Application Fee: $70.00

Endorsement Fee: $25.00

Technology Fee: 10 percent of total

Step-by-Step Application Requirements

STEP ONE: Zoning Compliance

As a sidewalk vendor you can only locate in commercially zoned areas. There are no certificate of occupancy requirements for this license.

STEP TWO: Corporate Registration

Corporation Division Requirements

If you are a corporation, partnership or limited liability company you must be registered in the District and in good standing. For instructions on how to register, please go to DCRA Corporate Registration Information Center. If you are a sole proprietor, no registration is necessary and you can skip this step. For more information, please call the Corporation Division at (202) 442-4432.

If you are not a resident of the District of Columbia, you'll need to appoint a Resident Agent or an Attorney-in-Fact who lives or works in an office in the District, who will be the official recipient of any financial, process, or legal notices that we need to send to you. If you are not a DC resident, please complete the Certified Resident Agent Appointment Form.

Every corporation needs to have a registered agent office in the District of Columbia.This office can but does not need to be the same as your place of business. Foreign corporations doing business in DC need to certify that their named registered agent is duly authorized to represent that corporation.

If your business uses a Trade Name, you'll need to register the name with DCRA and indicate both the trade name and the official business name (including its corporation, LLC, or partnership classification) if applicable.

STEP THREE: Taxes
Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR) Registration
Before applying for your BBL, you'll also need to register your business with OTR and submit a copy of your tax registration certificate with your application. If you're not already registered, simply complete and file a Combined Business Tax Registration Application (Form FR500).You get all the necessary forms and submit your application online at the Business Tax Service Center. For more information, please call the Tax Customer Center at (202) 727-4829.

STEP FOUR: Clean Hands Certification
You'll also need to certify that you don't owe more than $100 to the District of Columbia government as a result of fees, penalties,interest, or taxes through completion of a Clean Hands form provided in your BBL application package. A signed form from the Office of Tax and Revenue is required.

STEP FIVE:Basic Business License Application
To make sure you get your BBL as quickly as possible, you must submit a properly completed Basic Business License Application after completing steps 1 through 4. All of your responses should be printed clearly in English.

Note on PDF Forms: To download and fill out the Basic Business License Application form you should open the form and save to your desktop. We recommend you also rename the form as you save to your desktop. For most users, you should be able to save your work. If you cannot, you should print the form before closing.

STEP SIX: Specific Category Requirements

Police Criminal History Report (Form PD 70)
You must attach a certified copy of your Police Criminal History Report, from the place where you live, to your application. If you live in the District, you can get this report (PD-70) from the DC Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) at 300 Indiana Ave NW #3055. Call the Police Criminal History Report Division at (202) 727-4245 to learn more.

Department of Health Inspection/Approval
Your business must be inspected and approved by DOH’s Health Care Regulation and Licensing Administration, Bureau of Community Hygiene, Food Safety and Hygiene Inspections Services Division, at 899 North Capitol Street, NE, 8th Floor. Please Call (202) 535-2180 to learn more. Inspections of carts or mobile vending trucks are held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 1201 New York Avenue, NE.

STEP SEVEN: Additional Business Activities

If you conduct more than one business activity (endorsement type), you'll need to indicate those activities on your BBL application. You might have any number of additional business activities connected to this particular license endorsement.

Special Notes: If your business includes any of the above endorsement activities, you can get additional fact sheets and application forms by contacting DCRA's License Center at (202) 442-4400, or by email at bbl.infocenter@dc.gov.