LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — More street vendors have been seen setting up shop across the Las Vegas valley. Operators are selling their food, made to order. But soon, they may have to change the way they’re running their business.
“It's great food. Great, quality stuff. Everyone’s cool and it’s a lot of fun,” said one customer who stopped to grab a late night snack from a stand located at the intersection of Desert Inn Road and Fort Apache Road in the west valley.
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While the reaction has been mostly positive from customers, street vendors do have to operate under a very specific set of rules, recently established by Senate Bill 92. The law provided a path to legalize street food vending across the state and gave jurisdictions, like the City of Las Vegas and Clark County, the platform to set their own regulations.
In January, the City of Las Vegas proposed an ordinance that would require street vendors to pay a total of $200 in business licensing and processing fees. Vendors would also have to provide a health card, health permit and sales tax permit.
Last fall, Clark County passed an ordinance that prohibits street food vending within 1,500 feet of a resort hotel, an event facility with capacity of over 20,000 seats for a minor or major league team, the convention center and in a median or highway, if adjacent to a parking lot. For example, the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas Sign.
The county is still working to establish separate rules that address licensing fees.
Meantime, separate task forces have been created to figure out ways to make licenses more affordable and accessible to street food vendors.
Channel 13 also contacted the Southern Nevada Health District to learn more about the do’s and dont’s regarding street vending. In 2023, the health district received 230 unpermitted vending complaints
“The volume of complaints has been steady without any significant increase,” said a health district spokesperson.
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The health district also has two dedicated employees assigned to investigate complaints.
“The SNHD has not currently issued any permits for sidewalk vendors. Any vendors currently operating are unpermitted. When sidewalk vendors do obtain a health permit, they must be compliant with all current SNHD regulations,” the spokesperson said.
