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.

How to apply

To apply to renew your street trading licence, you can:

Apply online for a street trading licence

Or you can 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 return it by email to [email protected] and pay the relevant fee by bank transfer (BACS); or
• post a copy of your completed application form to us including a cheque for the relevant fee payable to Belfast City Council.

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

You can also visit our customer reception on the ground floor of the Cecil Ward Building during office hours to make your application, collect forms or pay your fee.

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 event

For more information about Mobile trading in our Parks, visit our parks section.

You don't need a licence to sell newspapers or magazines from a holder carried by the seller. Milk men, bread men, coal men and delivery men are also exempt.

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. 

If there is an area you would like us to consider designating as a permanent pitch, contact us. 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

Even if you only want to sell at a one-off event, you'll need a temporary licence.

Apply well in advance of your event, as we assess all applications separately and liaise 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. 

Documents needed

To apply for a street trading licence you will need:

• Basic Disclosure certificate obtained from AccessNI (non-NI residents can get details of how to obtain a similar certificate by contacting us)
• 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 and health and safety (if required).

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. 

How to pay

You can pay monthly in person at our offices, located on Ground Floor, Cecil Ward Building, 4-10 Linenhall Street, Belfast, BT2 8BP, or by cheque or postal order.

The first monthly payment must be made before your licence is issued. All cheques and postal orders should be payable to Belfast City Council.

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

Location of areas approved for stationary street trading

Stationary licence holders can only trade on designated sites. Licence applications will be considered for the bold streets only. All sites are for daytime trading unless otherwise specified.

Check your planned location is available

This table shows the number and location of all designated pitches in Belfast. It also outlines the items which can be sold on each pitch and whether the pitch is currently available. If you are interested in applying for a stationary licence, you should check this information first to make sure your planned location is a designated pitch, and is available.

Timescales

Tacit consent does not apply.

It is in the public interest that Belfast City Council must process your application before it can be granted. The Police, Department for Infrastructure Roads, local residents and local shops and other street traders have a legitimate interest in the outcome of street trading applications.

Tacit consent does not apply to minimise the risk of a licence being granted inadvertently and subsequently resulting in public disorder, removal of protection to the public and a cumulative adverse environmental impact on the vicinity of the trader. If you have not heard from the council within a reasonable period, contact us.

Whilst Tacit Consent does not apply, we will strive to notify all applicants of the outcome of their application, including issuing the licence, within 10 working days of the council decision made in relation to the application.

The council must give written notice of its decision within a reasonable time.

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.

The application for a temporary street trading licence needs to be submitted at least 42 days before the event.

Appeals

You have the right to appeal our decision if:

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

The council will serve a notice of its intention and appeals must be lodged to the council in writing within 21 days of the date of the notice informing you of the decision.

If the council upholds their decision, appeals can be made to the magistrates court within 21 days of the notice of the final decision.

If an application for a temporary licence is refused the applicant can appeal to the local magistrates court within 21 days of the date of the notice of the decision.

Illegal trading

Under the Street Trading Act, our officers can seize any property, goods, holders, equipment, stalls or vehicles if they have reasonable grounds to suspect that someone is trading illegally. Illegal traders can be fined up to £1,000 and we can have the seized goods destroyed.

Report a nuisance vehicle

If we find a business is causing an obstruction by:

• selling two or more vehicles parked within 500m of each other on a road
• carrying out repairs to vehicles parked on a street

We can fine the business £100 under street trading legislation.

To report a nuisance vehicle caused by a business, email [email protected] or call us on 028 9027 0650.

Further information

We have further guidance which you may also find helpful. Email [email protected] or call us on 028 9027 0650 if you want further information on:

• 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

If you have any queries or complaints, or to find out if a licence has been issued, contact us.