Itinerant Vendors
Itinerant vendor means any person, either principal or agent, including any person whose principal place of business is not in this state, who engages in a temporary or transient business in this state, either in one locality or traveling from place to place, selling goods, wares and merchandise, with a total value greater than $500.00 from stock or by sample for future delivery, and who, for the purpose of carrying on such business, hires or occupies a temporary place [of] business. The term “temporary place of business” means any public or quasipublic place, including but not limited to a hotel, motel roominghouse, storeroom, building, part of a building, tent, vacant lot, railroad car, or trailer temporarily occupied for the purpose of making retail sales of goods to the public. For example: a rug merchant or furniture sales out of a trailer.
Itinerant vendors are permitted on sites in the central business, central business limited zone, and commerce zones or any other commercial property that is a lawful non-conforming use or has received a variance or special exception from the zoning board of adjustment. The site shall have sufficient on-site parking and an adequate and safe means of entrance and exit. The itinerant vendor and/or customer parking shall not be on public streets or fire lanes in private lots. The itinerant vendor and/or customer parking shall not use private parking that has been previously allocated by zoning or site plan decisions.
Obtaining a License
The City Clerk is the licensing authority for Itinerant Vendor Licenses. To obtain a license, the applicant must complete an application that is submitted to the City Clerk’s Office along with the applicable fee. The applicant will also need to submit a copy of their NH State License and a signed letter of permission from the property owner. The location will need to be reviewed by the Office of Planning to determine if there is enough parking for the activity to occur at the chosen site. The Community Development Department will confirm the location is appropriately zoned for the activity. The City Clerk’s Office will ask that the applicant obtain sign-offs on their application from these Departments prior to submitting, and upon receipt of a complete application, will initiate a review process including performing a background check on any vendor listed on the application. Once the review process has concluded, the City Clerk will issue the license.
Licenses issued under this section of the City Code will expire April 1 of each year. The application fee for this license is $150.00 per year or any part thereof.
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