General Vendor License

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Coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert

Limited In-Person Assistance Available by Appointment Only

For health and safety reasons, the DCA Licensing Center and NYC Small Business Support Center cannot serve walk-ins, but you can schedule an appointment.

Email

Email LicensingAppointments@dca.nyc.gov

By Phone

Call (212) 436-0441 (Monday - Friday, 8 AM - 4 PM).

Online Services Available

You can:

  • Use online services to get an application or to apply for or renew a license
  • Contact a representative by email or phone

See sections below.

Need something else?

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 Affairs (DCA) 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.

If you are a New York State resident and a veteran who previously held a General Vendor License, you must pay a $10 NYC Department of Finance clearance fee payable to NYC Department of Consumer Affairs.

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 Affairs (DCA) 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:

  • DCA will notify you in writing of your waiting list number. You don't need to do anything further at this time.
  • DCA 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. DCA will mail a notice with instructions to your most recently provided contact address

More information about the waiting list is available by phone.

Call 311 for assistance.

Call 311 to request a paper copy.

Online

To apply online, you need a Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) account.

Log in or register for a DCA account.

In Person

If you’re applying in person, you will have to complete an application and bring it to the Department of Consumer Affairs Licensing Center or the NYC Small Business Support Center.

  • DCA Licensing Center
    42 Broadway
    New York, NY 10004
    Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Wed: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
  • NYC Small Business Support Center
    90-27 Sutphin Boulevard, 4th Floor
    Jamaica, NY 11435
    Mon: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

The centers are closed on major holidays. If you need to take an exam, you should arrive before 3 PM.

About three months before your license expires, the Department of Consumer Affairs will mail you a renewal package.

You can complete and submit the application DCA sent you 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 DCA online account and a Personal Identification Number (PIN). The PIN is required to link information about your DCA records to your online account.

Log in or register for a DCA account.

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

In Person

You can drop off your completed application and any required documents at the Department of Consumer Affairs Licensing Center or the NYC Small Business Support Center.

  • DCA Licensing Center
    42 Broadway
    New York, NY 10004
    Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Wed: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
     
  • NYC Small Business Support Center
    90-27 Sutphin Boulevard, 4th Floor
    Jamaica, NY 11435
    Mon: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM 

The centers are closed on major holidays. If you need to take an exam, you should arrive before 3 PM.

By Phone

You can:

  • Get answers to questions about renewing
  • Report if you haven’t gotten a renewal package within 30 days of the license expiration date

Call 311 for assistance.

Online

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

Log in or register for a DCA account.

By Phone

Call 311 for assistance.

Online

On the DCA website you can:

  • Live chat with a DCA 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 DCA inspectors look for in your industry and avoid violations
  • Learn how to handle consumer complaints
  • Pay fines by credit card
  • Resolve a DCA 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 DCA license document
  • Download DCA's model contracts and model receipts, required signs, and other templates

Go to the DCA Business Toolbox.

With a DCA online account, you can:

  • Access your DCA 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 DCA Licensing Center)

Log in or register for a DCA account.

In Person

  • DCA Licensing Center
    42 Broadway
    New York, NY 10004
    Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
    Wed: 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
     
  • NYC Small Business Support Center
    90-27 Sutphin Boulevard, 4th Floor
    Jamaica, NY 11435
    Mon: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

The centers are closed on major holidays. If you need to take an exam, you should arrive before 3 PM.

By Phone

Call 311 for assistance.

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

  • Log-in problems
  • Resetting user names or passwords
  • Problems uploading documents
  • Error messages
  • Web page not loading
  • Button not responding

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Alert

Phone assistance is currently unavailable. Send an email to ELP@dca.nyc.gov for assistance.

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

Call 311 for assistance.

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