District of Columbia Administrative Code

527 VENDING LOCATIONS: OLD GEORGETOWN VENDING ZONE 527.1 Except as specifically provided in § 527.2, no vendor shall vend on any sidewalk on public space within the area known as Old Georgetown enclosed by the following continuous boundary: (a) Bounded on the east by Rock Creek a…

528 VENDING LOCATIONS: NEIGHBORHOOD VENDING ZONES 528.1 The Neighborhood Vending Zones shall consist of the following streets: (a) Capitol Hill area: (1) H Street, NE, from 3rd Street, NE, to 15th Street, NE (Zones C-2- A, C-2-B, and C-3-A); (2) Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, from 2nd …

529 VENDING LOCATIONS: NATIONALS PARK VENDING ZONE 529.1 The streets listed in this section shall constitute the Nationals Park Vending Zone, in which sidewalk Vending Locations shall be allowed on the following streets and in the following numbers: (a) East side of First Street,…

530 VENDING LOCATIONS: STATIONARY ROADWAY VENDING LOCATIONS: GENERAL 530.1 A Stationary Roadway Vendor must vend from a fixed location with a valid Vending Site Permit in an assigned Roadway Vending Location as designated in § 531; 530.2 A Stationary Roadway Vendor may not vend i…

531 VENDING LOCATIONS: STATIONARY ROADWAY VENDING LOCATIONS: AUTHORIZED LOCATIONS 531.1 The authorized Stationary Roadway Vending Locations shall be on the streets and in the numbers set forth as follows: (a) 400 Independence Avenue, SW (National Air & Space Museum) – Location nu…

532 VENDING LOCATIONS: STATIONARY ROADWAY VENDING LOCATIONS: ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS 532.1 The DDOT Director, in consultation with the DCRA Director, may designate or modify Stationary Roadway Vending Locations in addition to those authorized in § 531.1; provided, that no additional…

533 VENDING LOCATIONS: MOBILE ROADWAY VENDING LOCATIONS: GENERAL 533.1 A Mobile Roadway Vending (MRV) vehicle operating in public space under this section shall have either an individual holding a valid Class A, Class B, or Class D Vending Business License or an individual holdin…

534 VENDING LOCATIONS: MOBILE ROADWAY VENDING LOCATIONS: AUTHORIZED LOCATIONS 534.1 The DCRA Director shall propose MRV locations to be designated, where MRV vehicles, with valid MRV Site Permits, may park in order to vend from public space. The DDOT Director shall review and, if…

535 VENDING LOCATIONS: MOBILE ROADWAY VENDING LOCATIONS: ADDITIONAL LOCATIONS 535.1 A MRV vehicle operating outside of a designated MRV location established pursuant to § 534 shall: (a) Vend in a legal parking space that meets the requirements of § 535.2; (a-1) Clearly display th…

536 VENDING LOCATIONS: MOBILE ROADWAY VENDING LOCATIONS: APPLICATION FOR NEW LOCATIONS 536.1 A person may submit a request to the DCRA Director to create a new designated MRV location, provided that the person specifies a location that is not in conflict with the above standards.…

537 VENDING LOCATIONS: MOBILE ROADWAY VENDING LOCATIONS: DIRECTORS’ DISCRETION 537.1 The DCRA or DDOT Director has the discretion to propose, modify, or remove a designated MRV location at any time. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 13055 (September 20, 2013). AUTHORIT…

538 ASSIGNMENT OF SIDEWALK VENDING LOCATIONS 538.1 Designated unoccupied sidewalk Vending Locations identified by the DCRA Director and approved by the DDOT Director may be assigned to licensed sidewalk vendors through a lottery conducted by the DCRA Director. No vendor or applic…

539 ASSIGNMENT OF STATIONARY ROADWAY VENDING LOCATIONS 539.1 For a period of one (1) year from the publication in the District of Columbia Register of a notice of final rulemaking adopting this chapter, MPD shall oversee the lottery for stationary roadway Vending Locations. Upon …

540 ASSIGNMENT OF MOBILE ROADWAY VENDING LOCATIONS 540.1 MRV location permits for each MRV vehicle shall initially be determined by a monthly lottery with each lottery assigning a MRV vehicle to a specific MRV location and for a specific day of the month. 540.2 The DCRA Director …

541 PUBLIC MARKETS 541.1 No person shall operate or vend from a public market unless the public or private market is located on: (a) Public space approved by the DDOT Director; (b) Private space; or (c) A combination of both public space approved by the DDOT Director and private …

542 TEMPORARY RELOCATION OF VENDORS 542.1 The DCRA Director, the DDOT Director, or MPD may order the temporary relocation of a vendor from the vendor’s permitted Vending Location in construction areas, for special events or transportation requirements, or any other situations whe…

543 ICE CREAM ROADWAY VENDORS OPERATIONAL STANDARDS 543.1 No ice cream vending vehicle shall remain in any one (1) place for a period longer than necessary to make sale after having been approached or stopped for that purpose. 543.2 When stopped, an ice cream vending vehicle shal…

544 DESIGN STANDARDS: GENERAL 544.1 The DCRA Director may develop design standards for vending vehicles, vending stands, and vending carts in addition to those set forth in this chapter. 544.2 The provisions of §§ 545, 546, 547, 548, 549, 553, 554, and 559 shall not apply to acti…

545 DESIGN STANDARDS: VENDING CARTS 545.1 No vending cart, including any display on or attachments to the cart allowed by this section, shall exceed the following dimensions unless specified by the DCRA Director on the Vending Site Permit: (a) Four feet six inches (4 ft. 6 in.) i…

546 DESIGN STANDARDS: VENDING VEHICLES 546.1 No vending vehicle, including any display on or attachments to the vehicle allowed by this section, shall exceed the followings dimensions unless otherwise authorized by the DCRA Director: (a) Eighteen feet six inches (18 ft. 6 in.) in…

547 DESIGN STANDARDS: VENDING STANDS 547.1 The design and operation of all vending stands shall conform with the following requirements, unless otherwise authorized by the DCRA Director on the Vending Site Permit: (a) The stand shall consist of a wood, plastic, or metal table wit…

548 DESIGN STANDARDS: FOOD VENDING CARTS AND VEHICLES 548.1 All vending vehicles and vending carts that vend food shall be inspected and approved by the DOH Director as being of a design which is approved by, or is equivalent to a design approved by, the National Sanitation Found…

549 [RESERVED] SOURCE: Final Rulemaking published at 60 DCR 13055 (September 20, 2013). AUTHORITY: DC-DCMR Sections 5 and 18 of Mayor-Commissioner Regulation No. 74-39, effective December 13, 1974 (21 DCR 1285), as amended by the Vendors Regulation Amendments Act of 1978, effecti…

550 DESIGN STANDARDS: PHASE-IN PERIOD 550.1 Any vendor issued a Vending Business License prior to the date of publication in the District of Columbia Register of a notice of final rulemaking adopting this chapter, shall have until one (1) year from that date of publication to com…

551 OPERATIONAL STANDARDS: GENERAL 551.1 A vendor shall comply with all District and federal laws and regulations applicable to the operation of a vending business. 551.2 No vendor shall vend in public space: (a) After the expiration of the Vending Business License, Vending Site …

552 OPERATIONAL STANDARDS: AUTHORIZED HOURS OF OPERATIONS 552.1 Vendors may operate only during the following hours: (a) Sunday through Thursday, from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; and (b) Friday and Saturday from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. the next day; provided, that vendors operating i…

553 OPERATIONAL STANDARDS: PLACEMENT OF VENDING VEHICLES, VENDING CARTS, AND VENDING STANDS 553.1 No vendor shall vend in a location that is not a Vending Location assigned to the vendor by the DCRA Director. 553.2 A vendor shall place his or her vending stand or vending cart par…

554 OPERATIONAL STANDARDS: PLACEMENT OF EQUIPMENT AND RELATED ITEMS 554.1 All surplus merchandise, food, equipment, and other items related to the operation of a vending vehicle, vending stand, or vending cart shall be kept either in or under (or, in the case of a vending stand, …

555 OPERATIONAL STANDARDS: FOOD PREPARATION AND HANDLING 555.1 All preparation, handling, transportation, and storage of food vended under this chapter shall be in compliance with: (a) An Act Relating to the adulteration of foods and drugs in the District of Columbia, approved Fe…

556 OPERATIONAL STANDARDS: FIRE SAFETY 556.1 All vending vehicles equipped with cooking appliances shall have at least one (1) fire extinguisher with a minimum rating of 2A-10BC mounted in the cooking area. 556.2 All vending vehicles operating with propane or open flames shall me…

557 OPERATIONAL STANDARDS: USE OF AMPLIFICATION SYSTEMS 557.1 No vendor shall operate a loud speaker or sound amplifier, or play a radio, drum, or other musical instrument as a means of advertising in such a manner as to create a noise disturbance, as that term is defined in DCMR…

558 INSPECTIONS: FOOD PREPARATION AND HANDLING 558.1 The vendor’s food preparation, handling, transportation, and storage operations shall be subject to inspection at any time to verify compliance with applicable provisions of Subtitle A of Title 25 of the DCMR and any conditions…

559 INSPECTIONS: DESIGN STANDARDS 559.1 A vendor’s vending vehicle, vending stand, or vending cart shall be subject to inspection at any time by the DCRA Director to verify compliance with applicable design standards required by this chapter. 559.2 Failure to comply with design s…

560 INSPECTIONS: FIRE SAFETY 560.1 All vending vehicles, vending carts, or vending stands with deep fryers, propane or open flame, or any other electrical or cooking devices shall be inspected by FEMS at least once a year or as regularly as the Fire Marshal prescribes. 560.2 If a…

561 MAINTENANCE STANDARDS 561.1 All vending vehicles, vending carts, and vending stands, including canopies and umbrellas, shall be maintained in a safe, clean, and sanitary condition, and in good repair. 561.2 All vending vehicles, vending carts, and vending stands, including ca…

562 DISPLAY OF LICENSES, PERMITS, AND CERTIFICATES 562.1 A vendor shall conspicuously display on the vendor’s vending vehicle, vending cart, or vending stand, or public market, as required, in Chapter 37, Subtitle A of Title 25 of the DCMR, his or her: (a) Vending Business Licens…

563 MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND INSPECTION OF VENDING VEHICLES AND CARTS 563.1 All vending vehicles and vending carts: (a) Shall be registered and inspected by the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles or by the motor vehicle department of another state or municipa…

564 EMPLOYEES OF LICENSED VENDORS 564.1 No individual shall work at a vending business unless the individual is the licensed vendor of the vending business or is an employee of the vendor holding a valid Vendor Employee Identification Badge. 564.2 The employing vendor shall follo…

565 LITTERING AND CUSTOMER LINES 565.1 Vendors shall keep sidewalks, roadways, and other public space adjoining and adjacent to their assigned Vending Location clean and free from paper, peelings, and refuse of any kind. 565.2 All vendors shall affix to their stands or vehicles a…

566 DISPLAY OF SAMPLE ITEMS 566.1 No vendor shall display any object (including signage) used as an example of merchandise or food for sale or to advertise merchandise, services, or food for sale unless the object conforms to the merchandise or food being sold by the vendor at th…

567 PURCHASE OR RECEIPT OF STOCK 567.1 No vendor shall purchase any inventory stock from public space. 567.2 No vendor shall take delivery of any inventory stock in public space, with the exception of perishable food items for consumption and ice. SOURCE: Final Rulemaking publish…

568 PLACING VENDING BUSINESS LICENSES ON HOLD 568.1 The DCRA Director shall create a process by which a vending business may voluntarily put its Vending Business License on hold and subsequently retrieve it from hold status to avoid suspension or revocation of a Vending Site Perm…

569 REQUIREMENT TO UPDATE INFORMATION 569.1 If, pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, a vendor provided information to a District agency and that information changes, the vendor shall, within ten (10) business days after the change in information, provide updated informatio…

570 VENDING DEVELOPMENT ZONES 570.1 The DCRA Director may establish Vending Development Zones (VDZ) to promote new and innovative vending practices designed to achieve the following objectives: (a) For communities to utilize vending and public markets to create unique and attract…

571 SPECIAL EVENTS 571.1 Persons who are authorized by the organizer of a licensed Special Event to vend within the boundaries of a licensed Special Event may vend without a Vending Business License or Vending Site Permit. 571.2 A vendor authorized to vend within the boundaries o…

572 STREET PHOTOGRAPHY: REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS 572.1 A vendor holding a Vending Business License (Class D) for street photography (and each individual working as an employee or independent contractor of the vendor) shall deliver or cause to be delivered a finished photogra…

573 SOLICITING: GENERAL PROVISIONS 573.1 No person shall solicit any person from a street, sidewalk, or other public space, or in any way interfere with the free passage of any person along any street, sidewalk, or other public space, for the purpose of inducing that person to do…

574 VENDING DEPOT REQUIREMENTS 574.1 Vending depots servicing vending vehicles or carts with Class A Vending Business Licenses shall provide all of the following services to a vendor in accordance with Chapter 37, Subtitle A (Food and Food Operations) of Title 25 of the DCMR: (a)…

575 PENALTIES 575.1 A person violating any provision of this chapter may be issued a civil infraction pursuant to Chapter 33 of Title 16 of the DCMR. 575.2 A fine imposed under this section shall be imposed and adjudicated pursuant to Titles I—III of the Department of Consumer an…

576 SEVERABILITY 576.1 If any provision of this chapter, or the application of any provision of this chapter, is held invalid in any circumstance, the validity of the remainder of the provisions of this chapter, and the application of any provision in any other circumstance, shal…