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Street trading

Street trading means selling, offering for sale, or displaying any item (including live animals) in a public place.

A street, for the purposes of street trading, includes any road, footway, beach or other area to which the public have clear unobstructed access without payment and may include laybys, garden areas, forecourts and car parks and may include land which is privately owned too.

Apply to trade

If you want to trade in a street in North Northamptonshire, please email [email protected] with details of where and when you want to trade.

If your activity needs a street trading licence, we’ll send you an application form and you'll be required to pay the relevant licence fees.

Where a street trading licence is required, you cannot start trading until your licence has been granted. Trading without a licence is an offence under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, Schedule 4, paragraph 10. You could be fined for each time you trade unlawfully.

Street trading licences cannot be transferred or sold, and you must not sub-let your pitch.

Other consents

We strongly recommend that anyone wishing to sell anything from an outside area, that the public has free access to, conducts some basic checks to establish what other authorisations or permissions may be required before making a significant business investment, making any sales or setting up any site or stall.

  • Check who owns the land
    • If the land is privately owned, you must get the landowner’s permission, the owner may also need to check with Planning Services to confirm the land can be used for street trading
    • If you think the land is owned by the council, please contact our customer services team for confirmation
  • If you plan to sell food or drink (hot or cold), you must register with the council’s food services team
  • If you want to sell alcohol, you’ll need a temporary event notice or a premises licence.

Exemptions

You do not need a street trading licence if your trade falls under one of the following exemptions:

  • you hold a valid pedlar’s certificate under the Pedlars Act 1871
  • you are a roundsman (for example, a milkman) — this does not include ice cream sellers
  • you trade at a petrol filling station
  • you are a news vendor selling only newspapers and magazines (with limits on stall size)
  • you are a market trader operating at a licensed market venue
  • you trade from a shop forecourt, selling goods that are part of your usual stock or authorised as a street collection
  • the area (land, unit or stall) where you trade does not allow public access

Contact us

If you have any questions, please email [email protected].

Last updated 28 October 2025