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Free Veteran Vendor Licence
An honorably discharged veteran may hawk, peddle and vend goods in New York without paying for a municipal vendor licence. It is one of the oldest veteran benefits in the state.
Verified August 18, 2026
What this benefit is
An honorably discharged veteran may hawk, peddle and vend goods in New York without paying for a municipal vendor licence. It is one of the oldest veteran benefits in the state.
What it's worth: The municipal vendor licence fee
- Fees vary widely by municipality. New York City’s general vendor licence in particular is capped in number and extremely hard to obtain by any other route, which makes the veteran licence there worth far more than the fee.
- The licence does not exempt you from where and when a municipality permits vending.
Who is entitled to it
- You served in the U.S. armed forces.
- You were honorably discharged.
- You want to vend goods.
- You are a New York resident.
- Your home is in New York.
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
- 1Apply through your county clerk with your DD214. In New York City the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection administers it.
- 2Ask about waiting lists. The New York City general vendor licence is capped, and the veteran category is one of the few routes that is not — which is precisely why it matters there.
- File with
- Your county clerk, or the city licensing department
- Documents you will need
- dd214 ny · proof of residence ny
- Renew annually
Worth knowingIn most of New York this waives a modest fee. In New York City it is close to the only open route to a general vendor licence, because the ordinary licences are capped in number with a waiting list measured in decades. That makes a low-tier benefit statewide into a significant one in the five boroughs.
Sources
- authority · statuteN.Y. Gen. Bus. Law §32
- operating · published policyNYS Department of Veterans’ Services
This finder provides an informational match, not a government eligibility determination. The responsible agency decides your application.