NYC street vendors regulation

Mobile Food Vending

To sell food on the street you must obtain BOTH a license from the Department of Health AND a permit for the Food Cart as well. While there is no limit on the number of licenses granted, there is a cap of 3,000 Food Cart Permits. All of the authorized permits have already been issued and there is a long waiting list.

That said, there are a few options you may want to consider:

• Borough Food Vending Permits
  There are borough specific permits available. There will be 100 positions on the Brooklyn-only waiting list, 100 positions on the Staten Island-only waiting list, 100 position on the persons (non-veterans)waiting list, 100 positions on the veterans (non-disabled) waiting list and 1,000 positions on the temporary (seasonal) citywide waiting list.
• Seasonal Food Vending Permits
  Each year an additional 1,000 annually renewable seasonal permits are granted for the period from April to October. These permits are awarded on a lottery system

To obtain a license and permit, contact the Department of Health directly. Before applying for a Food Vending License you must take a 20 hour course on Food Handling given by Department of Health.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/sbs/nycbiz/html/starting/street_vendors.shtml