In an effort to support street vendors, the Los Angeles City Council voted Friday to drastically reduce annual street vending permit fees.
The new ordinance reduces the annual permit for street vendors from $541 to $27.51. Councilors agreed that the new reimbursement system will be more realistic and affordable.
This comes as elected officials continue to support vendors, most recently abolishing so-called “no street vending zones” in February.
The city decriminalized street vending in 2017 and began implementing a permit system. Permit fees were previously set at $291 from 2019 to 2022, and remained unchanged due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the 2022-2023 budget year, staff proposed increasing the fee to $541, but elected officials refrained from imposing the fee on street vendors.
“The city estimated there were 50,000 vendors in the city and expected to issue 16,000 permits annually,” said L.A. City Councilmember Nithya Raman. “But the reality on the ground was very different.”
Only 900 permits were issued each year, and many street vendors chose to operate without a permit.
On February 6, the City Council amended the city’s street vending laws, abolishing seven areas where street vendors were not allowed to operate: the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Hollywood Bowl, Dodger Stadium, the LA Live/Crypto.com Arena, Universal Studios/ City Walk, El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument and Exposition Park.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has taken similar steps, finalizing a number of ordinances related to the regulation of curbside food stalls. The Council also adopted a grant program to cover some of the costs of the permitting process.
In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom passed SB 972, which allows street vending throughout California.
