The City of Atlanta’s Public Vending Program includes permitted cart vending locations situated on public right-of-way throughout the city, where small business owners may operate their businesses.

The program is overseen and managed by the Department of City Planning, Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD). Permitting and enforcement are administered through the City of Atlanta Office of Revenue and the Atlanta Police Department (APD).

Approved small business owners may be offered the opportunity to operate at a designated location. Upon acceptance, vendors must satisfy all applicable compliance and permitting requirements before beginning operations. Applicants are encouraged to review the full program guidelines.

Please complete the following steps, which are required for issuance of your public vending permit.

Step 1: Register for lottery and attend lottery for a chance to receive awarded location

The official date for the upcoming lottery is currently pending. Please continue to check this page for updates.

Step 2: Submit City of Atlanta public vending cart permit application

Submit a public vending cart permit application via ATLBIZ, the city’s Occupational Tax & Permitting Portal. The portal can be accessed by clicking here. A valid email address is required to register for an account with ATLBIZ, submit a new or renewal application, or check the status of an application. Instructions for registering and applying for an account can be found here.

In your application, you will need to provide:

• Applicant’s name, address, and email.
• Social Security number.
• Valid vending location awarded to you in the lottery.
• The times that you wish to vend from your location (public vending hours are 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m., 7 days per week).
• Georgia Department of Revenue Sales and Use Tax ID number. Visit the Georgia Department of Revenue’s website to learn more.
• A copy of the applicant’s state-issued picture ID
• A description of the items permissible for sale to be sold or offered for sale at the vending location.
• A valid mobile food unit permit (Fulton County Board of Health) if selling prepared food or beverages.

Step 3: Submit cart specifications and site plan to the Department of City Planning

Submit your cart specification and site plan to the Department of City Planning for review. Upon being awarded a cart location, you will be provided with information on how to submit these items.

Your cart specifications and site plan must meet these City of Atlanta size requirements and standards:

• Operating area cannot exceed 28 square feet of sidewalk, including the area of the vending cart, and, when externally located, the operator and trash receptacle.
• Length of the cart cannot exceed 7 feet.
• Width of the cart cannot exceed 4 feet.
• Height - excluding canopies, umbrellas, or transparent enclosures - cannot exceed 5 feet.
• Umbrellas or canopies shall have a minimum clearance of 7 feet and a maximum height of nine feet six inches (9' 6") above the sidewalk.
• Umbrellas or canopies not to exceed forty-eight square feet (8 ft by 6 ft).
• All carts must be mobile and able to roll on wheels.
• Design, materials, and colors are to be of high quality (natural wood or metal products) and considerate of the immediate surroundings of the proposed location.
• Materials must be in a good state of repair (working order, no peeling paint, no visible defects or areas requiring maintenance).
• Wheels located under the cart are preferred (such as casters), projecting wheels must have fenders.
• Hitches attached to cart must be removable and detached when in operation.

Step 4: Submit required fees

Following the submission and review for completeness of your public vending permit application via ATLBIZ and the submission and approval of your cart specifications and site plan to the Department of City Planning, the Office of Revenue will issue you an invoice for how to submit payment for the vending permit fees.

• Annual permit application fee: $75.
• Annual criminal background check fee: $50.
• One-time fingerprinting fee: $20.

Step 5: Complete background check and fingerprinting at the Atlanta Police Department License and Permit Unit

After you submit payment for all required fees, you must take the payment receipt to the Atlanta Police Department License and Permit Unit located at 3493 Donald Lee Hollowell Pkwy, NW, Atlanta, GA 30331 to complete your fingerprinting and background check requirements.

Upon background check clearance, you will be issued your public vending permit.

Step 6: Apply for your business occupational tax certificate (OTC), formally known as your business license.

Apply for your city of Atlanta business occupational tax certificate. You may apply for a business occupational tax certificate via the ATLBIZ Occupational Tax & Permitting Portal. More information on how to apply is available here.

Yes. Each designated vending cart location is authorized for the sale of either food OR retail items. A few of the locations are authorized for the sale of food AND retail items.

Locations authorized for food sales mean that prepared food, prepared non-alcoholic beverages (i.e., coffee, fresh lemonade, etc.), commercially pre-packaged food, and non-alcoholic commercially pre-packaged beverages may be offered for sale. The sale of prepared food or prepared non-alcoholic beverages at these locations requires a mobile food unit permit from the Fulton County Board of Health.

Locations authorized for retail sales means that certain retail items may be offered for sale. These retail items include tourist/traveler convenience items; third-party published (non-adult) materials; commercially pre-packaged food; non-alcoholic commercially pre-packaged beverages; spirit merchandise; and cut single-stem or bunched flowers.

The sale of commercially pre-packaged food and non-alcoholic commercially pre-packaged beverages at either food or retail locations may require a food license from the Georgia Department of Agriculture or a letter from the department stating that this license is not needed.

Email vending@atlantaga.gov with any additional questions.