Help Finalize the New Program Rules and Regulations

As part of the City's new and improved Vending Program, the City is required to establish Rules and Regulations to guide residents and business owners through the new permitting process, outlining the requirements for successful operation.

The project team is seeking additional feedback to ensure the new Rules and Regulations are clear, accessible, and comprehensive. Suggestions for additional information that could complement this document are also welcome. In addition to the new Rules and Regulations, the project team is working to develop supporting resources to ensure these Rules and Regulations are comprehensive, clear, and offer as much assistance as possible.

When the final Rules and Regulations are published, the new program will go into effect. We anticipate final Rules and Regulationswill be published by March 12, 2026

To review a draft of the new Rules and Regulations, click the following button. Once reviewed, offer your feedback by completing the questions below!

UPDATE Nov. 18, 2025

Pittsburgh City Council officially approved the new vending program legislation on November 18, 2025. Ordinances 34 and 35 have been signed by Mayor Ed Gainey on November 19, 2025

The new licensing program will take effect when the Department of Permitting, Licenses and Inspections (PLI) publishes new rules and regulations. Check our Small Business Resources page for more updates in the coming months!

Chapter 719 of the Code of Ordinances governs Vendors and Peddlers in the City of Pittsburgh. The Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections licenses vendors operating in the public right-of-way. While mobile vendors move at least once every four hours and operate from metered parking spots, stationary vendors are licensed for specific locations on the street or sidewalk.

Currently, the City determines approved locations through nominations to the Street and Sidewalk Vending Site Designation Committee, which sends individual sites to City Council for final approval while the Zoning Code regulates vending on private property.

Policy changes have been submitted for City Council's review in two ordinances: one amending the Zoning Code, and the other amending Chapter 719 of the City Code, Vendors and Peddlers. A hearing will be held in fall 2025 to receive public testimony for or against these changes.

Working cross-departmentally and with stakeholder groups, we are seeking to identify opportunities to improve the mobile vending program in Pittsburgh. Through extensive research and conversations, our team developed a set of recommendations detailed in the linked report (see above). Feedback on these recommendations has informed the legislation proposed to Council and will continue to shape these policies during the Council process.

Goals for updating the program include the following:

• Develop a clear, transparent, and efficient process for matching vendors with appropriate locations in the right-of-way
• Expand opportunities for vending in the right-of-way and on public and private property
• Prevent forced movement of vendors, and have a clear process in place for when this is unavoidable
• Promote equity between stationary and mobile vendors
• Become a national leader in supporting vending as a means of economic mobility and incubation opportunity
• Develop a strategic and equitable fee structure that addresses licensing, inspection, maintenance, vacant lot use, trash collection, use of parking, and/or other considerations