How to get a vendor’s license

If you want to sell food or handmade crafts at a specific site on municipal land, you need to have a vendor’s license.

There are four different kinds of vendor’s licenses in Halifax:

  • Food Service Vehicle
  • Food Stand
  • Bicycle Wagon
  • Artisan Stand

Please be advised, the 2024 5-Year Food Vendor Bids will be opening on Monday, December 18th at 8am. The Bid Process and application can be found here once it is open: https://halifax.bidsandtenders.ca/Module/Tenders/en 
The Tender name will be: 
Multi-Year Food Vending Licenses
This will close as of midnight (11:59pm) on Friday, January 5th, 2024. No applications for the 5-year licenses will be accepted after that date.

All Vendor Locations can be seen on the Map

Artisan Vendors

The Artisan selling season is now closed and applications will be accepted for the 2024 season beginning Friday, March 1st, 2024

There are two (2) ways to apply for an Artisan License on Friday, March 1, 2024.  

You can apply online (Note: payments can be made by VISA, Mastercard and American Express . A debit credit card will not be accepted by the online system), or; Apply in person at Bayers Road Customer Service Centre (7071 Bayers Road, Halifax 1st floor) or at Alderney Customer Service Centre (40 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth,1st floor) between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

 

For further details, please read the 2024 first day HRM Sells Artisan Licenses.  

Note: The application will not be available until March 1st, 2024.

Food Trucks & Stands

The application for Food Trucks and Stands is now closed. There will be two options to apply: 

  1. The bid process for 5-year vendor locations will open as of Monday, December 18, 2023 at 8am. The Bid Process and application can be found here once it is open: https://halifax.bidsandtenders.ca/Module/Tenders/en 
    The Tender name will be: 
    Multi-Year Food Vending Licenses
    This will close as of midnight (11:59pm) on Friday, January 5th, 2024. No applications for the 5-year licenses will be accepted after that date.
  2. For the annual (year to year) locations, applications will open on Friday, March 1, 2024.

There are two (2) ways to apply for an Annual Food Truck or Stand License on Friday, March 1, 2024.  

  1. You can apply online (Note: payments can be made by VISA, Mastercard and American Express . A debit credit card will not be accepted by the online system)
  2. Apply in person at Bayers Road Customer Service Centre (7071 Bayers Road, Halifax 1st floor) or at Alderney Customer Service Centre (40 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth,1st floor) between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Note: The application for the annual license will not be available until March 1st, 2024.

Vending Type Fee
Vending Type Fee
Food Service Vehicle $1060
Bicycle Wagon $170
Stand $300
Artisans and Crafts People - Spring Garden Road $42
Artisans and Crafts People - Waterfront (Sackville Landing and Nathan Green) $320
Artisans and Crafts People - Ferry Terminal Park $140
Newspaper Boxes $65

Ready to apply?

*Note: Applications for Annual Food and Artisan licenses will reopen on Friday, March 1, 2024.

To apply online you'll need a customer portal account. Not sure how to do that? View the job aide for setting up your customer portal account.

Apply Online

The applicant/license holder shall be familiar with and abide by all vending regulations in accordance with By-Law C-501. In accordance with Section 39 of By-Law C-501, a site license may not be permitted to operate during a Festival or Special Event approved by HRM.