As of October 1st, 2023, The Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act of 2023 is fully in effect! This historic victory is the result of five years of organizing by Vendedores Unidos/Vendors United (VU) and Beloved Community Incubator.
DC’s new vending laws remove the following key barriers to obtaining licenses that vendors fought against for years.
Vending is decriminalized: The misdemeanor offense for vending without a license has been removed from the criminal code as of July 1st, 2023. Previously, vending without a license was a criminal offense which led to police harassing and arresting vendors. Data shows that Black and brown vendors were specifically targeted for arrest.
License costs are now drastically reduced: Street vending licenses previously cost over $2000. The Street Vending Advancement Act reduces this cost to less than $300.
Steep food code barriers have been removed: A new microenterprise home kitchen permit is the first permit in DC history that will allow small business owners, including street vendors, to start and operate a food business from their home kitchen. Street vendors are also able to sell any type of cooked food and pre-cut fruit and vegetables - previously, vendors had been functionally restricted to selling only hot dogs & half smokes
Criminal backround check requirements have been removed: Unlike other business owners, street vendors were previously required to undergo a criminal background check to get a license.
New vending zones are being created: Previously, only three licensed vendors were allowed to sell on a block. The Street Vending Advancement Act creates vending zones that allow vendors to participate in self-management of the street and support vendors to create dense vending zones throughout the city.
Amnesty for vending fines and unpaid sales tax: Many vendors suffered from debt accrued under previous vending laws, including unpaid ~$1000 fines for minor offenses, or minimum sales tax requirements of $375 every 3 months even if they were not currently vending. The Street Vending Advancement Act provides amnesty for any fines related to vending violations and unpaid sales tax incurred during the past five years.
Since the Street Vendor Advancement Amendment Act was passed, BCI has spent hundreds of hours speaking with vendors to ensure they understand their rights under the new laws, and hundreds of additional hours engaging with DC Government agencies to ensure the new vending laws are implemented in a fair and accessible way for all vendors. Today we celebrate this historic win and continue our work to ensure the new law becomes a reality for DC Street Vendors!