General Vendor License

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You must have a General Vendor License to sell, lease, or offer to sell or lease goods or services in a public place that is not a store.

You can apply for a General Vendor License if:

  • You're a veteran or surviving spouse or domestic partner of a veteran and you live in New York State. See license application requirements.
  • The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) contacts you with a waiting list number. 

You don't need a General Vendor License to sell:

  • Newspapers, periodicals, books, pamphlets, or other written matter
  • Artwork, including paintings, photographs, prints, and sculptures
  • Food
  • Items at a garage sale on private property
  • Merchandise from a booth or stand at a street fair, block party, or festival
  • Christmas trees on public sidewalks during December (you can't block the sidewalk and need the owner's permission if you're in front of a business)
  • Plants and flowers on public sidewalks on the day of the Asian Lunar New Year and during the seven days before it (you can't block the sidewalk and need the owner's permission if you're in front of a business)

City rules and regulations apply.

Fee

The fee for the full one-year license term is $200 for non-veterans.

Eligible veterans and the surviving spouses or domestic partners of eligible veterans who reside in New York State don't need to pay a license fee.

Expiration Date

The license expires on September 30 each year.

Eligible veterans and the surviving spouses or domestic partners of eligible veterans who live in New York State can apply for a General Vendor License. The number of licenses issued to non-veterans is limited by law to 853.

Non-veterans who want a license can apply to be on a waiting list only during specific application periods. Currently, the waiting list is closed and won't reopen until the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) has run through the current pool of non-veteran applicants. The deadline to apply for the last application period was November 15, 2016.

 If you applied by the application deadline:

  • DCWP will notify you in writing of your waiting list number. You don't need to do anything further at this time.
  • DCWP will notify you in writing if you are determined, based on your position on the waiting list, to be eligible to apply for a General Vendor License. DCWP will mail a notice with instructions to your most recently provided contact address

More information about the waiting list is available by phone.

  • Agency: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
  • Division: General Vendor Special Application
  • Phone Number: (212) 487-4075
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 4 PM

Call 311 or 212-NEW-YORK (212-639-9675) to request a copy.

Online

To apply online, you need a Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) account.

Log in or register for a DCWP account.

In Person

To apply in person, you have to bring your completed application to the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Licensing Center or the NYC Small Business Support Center. Appointments are required.

  • DCWP Licensing Center
    42 Broadway
    New York, NY 10004
    Mon - Thu: 8 AM - 4 PM; last appointment at 3:30 PM
     
  • NYC Small Business Support Center
    90-27 Sutphin Boulevard, 4th Floor
    Jamaica, NY 11435
    Mon - Thu: 8 AM - 4 PM; last appointment at 3:30 PM

Email or call DCWP to schedule an appointment.

By Email

Email LicensingAppointments@dcwp.nyc.gov.

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
  • Division: Licensing Appointment Line
  • Phone Number: (212) 436-0441
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 4 PM

About three months before your license expires, the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) will mail you a renewal package.

You can complete and submit the application DCWP sent you by mail or in person, or you can renew online. Once your license expires, you are considered unlicensed and you may get penalties if you continue to operate. If you don’t renew your license within 59 days of expiration, you will have to reapply for a new license.

Online

To renew online you need to have a DCWP online account and a Personal Identification Number (PIN). The PIN is required to link information about your DCWP records to your online account.

Log in or register for a DCWP account.

If you don’t have a PIN already, you can request it by phone.

By Mail

Mail your application and required documents to:

DCWP Licensing Center
42 Broadway
New York, NY 10004

In Person

To renew in person, you have to bring your completed application to the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) Licensing Center or the NYC Small Business Support Center. Appointments are required.

  • DCWP Licensing Center
    42 Broadway
    New York, NY 10004
    Mon - Thu: 8 AM - 4 PM; last appointment at 3:30 PM
     
  • NYC Small Business Support Center
    90-27 Sutphin Boulevard, 4th Floor
    Jamaica, NY 11435
    Mon - Thu: 8 AM - 4 PM; last appointment at 3:30 PM

Email or call DCWP to schedule an appointment.

By Email

Email LicensingAppointments@dcwp.nyc.gov.

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
  • Division: Licensing Appointment Line
  • Phone Number: (212) 436-0441
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 4 PM

Online

You can check the status of your application through your DCWP account.

Log in or register for a DCWP account.

By Email

Email onlineappsdocs@dcwp.nyc.gov for assistance.

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
  • Division: General Vendor Special Application
  • Phone Number: (212) 487-4075
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 4 PM

Online

On the DCWP website, you can:

  • Live chat with a DCWP representative
  • Learn about laws you need to know and obey
  • Learn about other licenses you might need
  • Download valuable publications, tips, and FAQs
  • Request an inspection
  • Read checklists to learn what DCWP inspectors look for in your industry and avoid violations
  • Learn how to handle consumer complaints
  • Pay fines by credit card
  • Resolve a DCWP violation
  • Update important business information, including your contact information, your name or business name, or corporate officer information
  • Request the replacement of a lost, stolen, or damaged DCWP license document
  • Download DCWP's model contracts and model receipts, required signs, and other templates

Go to the DCWP Business Toolbox.

With a DCWP online account, you can:

  • Access your DCWP records
  • Renew a license
  • Change address
  • Change name
  • Change officer information
  • Request license replacement
  • Follow the status of applications
  • Submit additional documents as part of your license application (if you submitted your application at the DCWP Licensing Center)

Log in or register for a DCWP account.

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
  • Division: General Vendor Special Application
  • Phone Number: (212) 487-4075
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 4 PM

In Person

In-person assistance at the DCWP Licensing Center and NYC Small Business Support Center is by appointment only.

  • DCWP Licensing Center
    42 Broadway
    New York, NY 10004
    Mon - Thu: 8 AM - 4 PM; last appointment at 3:30 PM
     
  • NYC Small Business Support Center
    90-27 Sutphin Boulevard, 4th Floor
    Jamaica, NY 11435
    Mon - Thu: 8 AM - 4 PM; last appointment at 3:30 PM

Email or call DCWP to schedule an appointment.

By Email

Email LicensingAppointments@dcwp.nyc.gov.

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
  • Division: Licensing Appointment Line
  • Phone Number: (212) 436-0441
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 4 PM

If you’re using the online services portal to submit applications and other requests to the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP), you can get help with technical problems, including:

  • Log-in problems
  • Resetting user names or passwords
  • Document upload issues
  • Error messages
  • Web page not loading
  • Button not responding

Email ELP@dcwp.nyc.gov for help.

You can get answers to license-specific questions and information about application requirements.

By Email

Email onlineappsdocs@dcwp.nyc.gov for assistance.

By Phone

  • Agency: Department of Consumer and Worker Protection
  • Division: General Vendor Special Application
  • Phone Number: (212) 487-4075
  • Business Hours: Monday - Friday: 8 AM - 4 PM

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