For information on Sidewalk Vending in Cincinnati Business Districts, see the Frequently Asked Questions below or contact the Vending Program Coordinator at vendingcoordinator@cincinnati-oh.gov or call the Department at (513) 352-6146.  To register to be a vendor, please fill out the online application.  

Frequently Asked Questions:

1. What is a sidewalk vendor?

2. What is the Business District Vending Program and how does it work?

3. Why would I want to register as a sidewalk vendor?

4. How do I register to be a sidewalk vendor?

5. How much does a lease cost?

6. How long can a sidewalk vendor lease a particular location?

7. What types of sidewalk vending locations are available?

8. How are sidewalk vending locations assigned?

1. What is a sidewalk vendor?

A sidewalk vendor is a person who is licensed to sell food and/or merchandise at a particular, fixed location in the public right-of-way.  The term ‘vendor’ applies to someone selling from a fixed, predetermined location either Downtown or in the City’s neighborhood vending districts (e.g. Short Vine in Corryville).*  Anyone wishing to sell in a designated vending district must apply to be a vendor and may not move from place to place without the City’s permission. 

A ‘vendor’ is different from a ‘peddler.’ A ‘peddler’ is defined by the Cincinnati Municipal Code section 839 as “any person who goes from city-to-city, or from place-to-place, or from door-to-door, selling or offering to sell or barter, or carrying for sale or barter, or exposing therefore, any goods, wares, merchandise, food, confectionery, drink, or other commodity, carried by hand, from portable stands or tables, or by manually propelled vehicles, or by motor- or animal-drawn vehicles.”  Peddler activity is not allowed in the Downtown business district or in any outlying vending districts.  For more information about peddling in the City of Cincinnati, contact the City Treasurer at (513) 352-3224.

*Fountain Square Management Group LLC, a private/ non-profit organization, manages vending on Fountain Square.  Please direct inquiries to the following website: http://www.myfountainsquare.com/booking.  This handout also provides general information about Fountain Square vending: http://www.myfountainsquare.com/files/uploaded/For_Booth_Sponsors_and_Vendors.pdf.

*Vending operations within the physical boundaries of major downtown events (Taste of Cincinnati, Macy’s Music Festival, etc.) are generally managed by the event promoters.  Inquiries regarding vending within the event boundaries should be directed to the event promoters.

NOTE: Organizations recognized as charitable under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code may be assigned without cost two vending locations for use in information distribution or fundraising appropriate to the mission of the organization.  Spaces will be assigned as they are available.

2. What is the Business District Vending Program and how does it work?

The purpose of the program is to allow the City to manage vending activity in certain Cincinnati business districts and to ensure that it takes place in a safe, orderly, and lawful manner.  The program is run by the City’s Market Manager and the Vending Program Coordinator, who typically oversees the day-to-day operations.  The Market Manager is responsible for approving the market leases and identification badges that permit vendors to set up at specific locations within official vending districts.  The Market Manager maintains a map of all vending locations.  The leases for these locations are issued either by annual lottery or by individual request throughout the year.

For program rules and regulations, please refer to the Downtown Vending District Sales Regulations, and also to Cincinnati Municipal Code Chapter 839 (“Peddlers and Itinerant Vendors”) and Chapter 845 (“Markets”).

3. Why would I want to register as a sidewalk vendor?

If you want to sell food or merchandise on the sidewalks of City business districts, you are required to have a license and permit.  Operating without a license may result in the confiscation of merchandise/equipment and possibly fines or other penalties (See Cincinnati Municipal Code Sections 845-65 and 845-99).

4. How do I register to be a sidewalk vendor?

1.   For fastest replies, please fill out the electronic pre-application by clicking here.  The Vending Program Coordinator will respond via email within three (3) business days. 

2.   Next, the Coordinator will schedule a meeting with you to review the pre-application and determine whether a suitable location is available.  Meetings are usually scheduled on Tuesdays or Thursdays between 10:00 AM and 3:30 PM.

3.   If a suitable location is available, then the Coordinator will prepare a lease agreement.  The lease payment and a non-refundable, $25.00 application fee are due at that time (and payable to the City Treasurer).  Please note that the fees apply to each location to be leased by the applicant.

4.   Once payment is made, the Treasurer issues a license receipt for each location leased by the Vendor.  This document is considered a valid vending license.  Each vending location must have a separate license receipt associated with it.  Copies of the license receipts must be kept at their respective vending locations during vending hours.

5.   At that time, the Vendor and all of the Vendor’s employees will receive identification (ID) badges, which they are required to wear in a clearly visible manner.  In order to create the ID badges, the City requires that the Licensee provide two passport-size photos of each employee.

5. How much does a lease cost?

Lease rates for each type of vending location are indicated in the chart below.  Payment plans may be established within the lease to allow for multiple payments by persons with annual lease payments totaling over $2,000.

Payments must be made to the Treasurer’s Office on the second floor of the City Hall building.  Forms of payment accepted include cash, check, and money order.

6. How long can a sidewalk vendor lease a particular location?

Lease terms may be anywhere from one day to one year, with two 1-year options to renew (available upon request and pending approval by Market Manager).  All lease terms end in March, regardless of the start date.  In March, if a lease is not renewed or is not eligible for renewal, that location automatically goes back into the Lottery.

7. What types of sidewalk vending locations are available?

There are 2 types of vending locations allowed: food locations and merchandise locations.  A food license requires a Board of Health permit.  Please note that the category of ‘merchandise’ includes any non-food items and any pre-packaged snacks and beverages, such as bottled water and bagged peanuts.  Vendors and peddlers are not permitted to sell counterfeit merchandise that is protected by trademark or copyright laws.  This merchandise includes (but is not limited to) counterfeit CDs, DVDs, handbags, and eye apparel. 

8. How are sidewalk vending locations assigned?

1.      By lottery – in March of each year

2.      First-come, first-serve (non-lottery)

The Vending Lottery is held as a random drawing in March of each year.  The Lottery takes place at the Department of Community Development, which is located at Centennial Building #2 at 805 Central Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45202.  A non-refundable, $25.00 application fee must be paid in order to enter the Lottery.  Applicants draw numbers that decide the order in which locations are selected.  Once the order is decided, the applicants choose from the allowed locations.  If any locations remain available after all applicants have completed the 1^st “round” of selection, then another round takes place, in which the entire process is repeated, and so on.  The Lottery ends either once there are no more locations available or once no more locations are requested. 

If any locations remain available after the Lottery, it is possible to apply for them throughout the year on a first-come, first-serve basis, but all lease terms end in March.  However, anyone who secures a lease after the Lottery may still be eligible for two 1-year renewals after their leases expire in March.  Current vendors can renew their leases by making payment arrangements at least 30 days prior to the vending lottery.  Please note that the $25.00 application fee applies for each renewed location.

For more information on Sidewalk Vending, contact the Vending Program Coordinator at vendingcoordinator@cincinnati-oh.gov or call the Department at (513) 352-6146.  To register to be a vendor, please fill out the online application.