Street trading licence

Licences for street trading

If you're selling or offering a service in a street or public place, you must have a licence.

What types of licences are available?

There are three types of street trading licence.

• Stationary licence to trade from a designated permanent pitch.
• Licence to trade as a mobile trader.
• Temporary licence for an event.

You don't need a licence to sell newspapers or magazines from a container or bag carried by a seller, or for traditional doorstep deliveries like milk, bread or coal.

Busking

Buskers don't need a licence but if they want to sell items like CDs they must apply for a licence.

Stationary licence to trade from a designated permanent pitch

We only grant licences for areas which we've approved for stationary street trading.

If we want to designate new trading areas, we will publish legal notices (for 28 days) explaining our proposals in local newspapers to make sure the public and other organisations are consulted. 

Contact us if there is an area you would like us to consider designating as a permanent pitch. However, even if we do designate a pitch following your suggestion, you will still have to apply for the pitch by making a street trading licence application.

Mobile trading licence

All mobile traders, including ice-cream vans and mobile shops, must have a mobile trading licence which allows them to work within specific areas of Belfast. 

If you're applying for a mobile trading licence, you must tell us the route that you propose to trade from in your application form. You must also give details of the days and times you intend to trade.

Temporary licence for events

If you want to sell at a one-off event, you must have a temporary licence.

Apply well in advance of your event, as we assess all applications separately and consult with the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure Roads to decide if your proposal will cause any inconvenience to the public.

Temporary licences for events are only valid for up to seven days. We can only grant traders five temporary licences in one year.

If you're applying for a temporary licence, you'll need a map showing the exact location of your planned site. This should be included with your application form. 

How to apply

You can:

Apply online for a street trading licence

You can also email [email protected] or call 028 9027 0650 to ask for an application form. Once you have completed the application form you can:

• scan a copy of your completed application form, and email it to [email protected] and pay the relevant fee by bank transfer (BACS), or
• post a copy of your completed application form and cheque for the relevant fee, payable to Belfast City Council, to Building Control, Cecil Ward Building, 4-10 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8BP.

You can submit valid certificates (or other relevant documentation) by post or by email to [email protected].

Documents needed

To apply for a street trading licence, you will need:

• Basic Disclosure certificate from AccessNI (non-Northern Ireland residents can contact us to discuss how to get a similar certificate)
• electrical test certificates for all portable electrical appliances used and any generators
• Gas Safety certificates for all gas appliances, connections, and flues used
• certificate of maintenance of any fire extinguishers used, especially where gas or electrical equipment is being used
• relevant MOT test certificate for any vehicle used in the trading activity
• evidence that you have registered, or applied for registration, with the relevant local authority for food hygiene, health, and safety (if needed).

How much do street trading licences cost?

Licensing fees should only be paid once we have decided to grant or renew your mobile or stationary street trading licence. 

Cost of mobile and stationary street trading licences

Cost of temporary street trading licences

Cost of variations of a street trading licence

Locations for street trading

Stationary licence holders can only trade on designated sites. Licence applications will be considered for the streets marked as available in the table. All sites are for daytime trading unless otherwise stated.

Timescales

You should allow a minimum of 28 days from the date of receipt for us to process your application for a stationary or mobile street trading licence.

For a temporary street trading licence application, you need to submit this at least 42 days before the event.

You must not start trading until we have issued you with a street trading licence. 

Appeals

You have the right to appeal our decision if:

• an application is refused
• a licence is revoked, or
• terms, conditions or restrictions are imposed.

For stationary or mobile applications, we will let you know what our decision is and from the notification date, you have 21 days to write to us to appeal.

Once we receive your appeal, our Licensing Committee, will consider this. If our decision is confirmed by the committee, you will have 21 days from being notified to appeal to the magistrates’ court.

For a temporary street trading licence, if we refuse your application, your appeal must be made directly to the magistrates’ court within 21 days of us informing you of our decision. 

Our officers can seize any property, goods, holders, equipment, stalls or vehicles if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that someone is trading illegally. We can prosecute an illegal street trader, resulting in a fine. The seized goods can be destroyed.

We can also prosecute a person under street trading legislation, if they are illegally street trading by commercially selling or carrying out repairs to vehicles in person on the street.

More information

Email [email protected] or call us on 028 9027 0650 if you want more information or pre-application advice on street trading.

We also have guidance which you may find helpful. Contact us for copies of:

• street trading licensing policy
• policy for temporary street trading licences
• designating streets for street trading
• street trading stall design guidelines
• changed circumstances affecting street trading
• street trading commodities and services.