Street vendors, including Queens cohort, rally at City Hall for increased number of licenses - QNS

"A coalition of street vendors, elected officials and brick-and-mortar groups rallied on the steps of City Hall on Dec. 4 to call on the City Council to vote on a piece of legislation that would reform New York's vending scene by significantly increasing the number of street vending licenses. Bronx Council Member Pierina Ana Sanchez, the prime sponsor of Intro 431A, was joined on the steps of City Hall by Council Members Julie Menin, Shaun Abreu, Oswald Feliz and Harvey Epstein to call on Council Speaker Adrienne Adams to hold a vote on the legislation in the final stated meeting of the 2025 legislative session on Dec. 18."

"Intro 431A would make 2,000 additional supervisory license applications and 2,100 additional general vendor license applications available to prospective vendors every year between 2026 and 2031 in a bid to clear a legal pathway for prospective vendors. Advocates say the legislation, which now boasts 32 co-sponsors, would help combat a significant backlog that has forced vendors to "operate in the shadows" because they cannot legally obtain a license from the city."

"Vendors have repeatedly stated that it is currently impossible to obtain a permit from the city because they cannot join the lengthy and closed waitlist to secure a permit. That backlog has made it impossible for new vendors to legally start a business, advocates say, leaving small business owners at risk of fines or of having their merchandise confiscated and destroyed. Intro 431A has been significantly amended since Sanchez first introduced the bill last year to help address concerns raised in a marathon public hearing in May. The amended legislation also requires the city to increase the number of enforcement"

Intro 431A would make 2,000 additional supervisory license applications and 2,100 additional general vendor license applications available each year between 2026 and 2031. The measure aims to clear a legal pathway for prospective vendors and reduce a significant backlog that prevents new vendors from legally starting businesses. Advocates, street vendors, elected officials, and brick-and-mortar groups rallied at City Hall and urged the City Council to hold a vote in the final stated meeting of the 2025 legislative session on Dec. 18. The bill now has 32 co-sponsors, has been amended to address concerns raised during a public hearing, and the amended legislation requires the city to increase enforcement resources. Vendors currently face a lengthy closed waitlist, risking fines and confiscation of merchandise when operating without permits.

Read at QNS