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A Free Statewide Trading Licence — the $62 Fee Waived for Disabled Veterans

A disabled veteran can hold a hawker and peddler licence for free. The ordinary licence costs $62 a year and lets the holder sell goods outdoors anywhere in the Commonwealth rather than town by town. No minimum disability percentage is set — proof of a disability is enough, shown by a VA benefits summary letter or a VA-completed form. The one requirement people trip on is a Certificate of Character signed by the local police chief, which takes time to arrange, so start it before you need the licence.

Verified August 27, 2026

What this benefit is

A disabled veteran can hold a hawker and peddler licence for free. The ordinary licence costs $62 a year and lets the holder sell goods outdoors anywhere in the Commonwealth rather than town by town. No minimum disability percentage is set — proof of a disability is enough, shown by a VA benefits summary letter or a VA-completed form. The one requirement people trip on is a Certificate of Character signed by the local police chief, which takes time to arrange, so start it before you need the licence.

What it's worth: $62 annual licence fee waived

  • The standard hawker and peddler licence costs $62 a year. For a disabled veteran it is complimentary.
  • The licence is STATEWIDE, not town by town.
  • No minimum disability percentage is published. Proof of a disability is what is asked for.
  • Proof is a VA benefits summary letter or a form completed by the VA.
  • A Certificate of Character signed by the local police chief is required and is the slow part of the application.
  • The veteran definition is the one at M.G.L. c.4 §7 cl.43.

Who is entitled to it

  • You served in the U.S. armed forces.
  • Your discharge meets the state veteran definition.
  • You have a compensable service-connected disability.
  • The licence is issued for the Commonwealth.

Not sure whether that describes you?

Answer a few questions about this benefit specifically — we only ask what this one actually depends on, and we stop as soon as we know.

How to claim it

  1. 1Start the Certificate of Character with your local police chief first — it is signed by them, not by the state, and it sets the pace of the whole application.
  2. 2Download the VA Benefit Summary Letter, or have the VA complete the disability form the Division supplies.
  3. 3Apply to the Division of Standards at the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.
  4. 4Say plainly that you are applying as a disabled veteran, so the fee is not charged.
  5. 5Renew annually. The waiver applies each year, not only the first.
Form
Special hawker and peddler licence application (disabled veterans)
File with
Massachusetts Division of Standards
Documents you will need
va benefit summary letter
Annual
Claimed once a year.
Worth knowingThe police Certificate of Character is the step that delays applications. Ask for it weeks before you plan to trade.

Sources

This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.