Las Vegas estimates about 25 sidewalk vendors will seek business licenses

While the city of Las Vegas doesn’t know how many sidewalk food vendors operate within its jurisdiction, it estimates that only about 25 of them might seek upcoming licensing.

The information was disclosed in a business impact statement the City Council is expected to vote on Wednesday.

Sidewalk sales of items such as food and flowers, for example, was illegal in Nevada until the 2023 Legislature passed Senate Bill 92. The city and Clark County are now in the process of ironing out its rules and regulations.

As part of the business impact statement — a study that looks at how the law would affect Las Vegas — the city sent more than 3,400 notifications to the business community, asking for feedback.

The city received 32 written responses, including about half of them from sidewalk vendors who argued that the regulations were too restrictive.

Some business license holders, on the other hand, argued that the restrictions didn’t go far enough, according to the study.

If 25 vendors get licensed, the city would raise about $5,000 a year, the city said. Enforcement would cost Las Vegas an estimated $1,8220.

Under the ordinance proposal, the city would license the businesses, and the Southern Nevada Health District would regulate them.

Vendors in Las Vegas would be banned from operating within 1,500 feet of a resort hotel, and there would be 1,000-foot separations from the Fremont Street Experience and the downtown Las Vegas entertainment district.

The same distances would apply to nonresort casinos, schools while classes are ongoing, public parks and recreation centers.

Vendors also would not be able to operate within 150 feet of restaurants while the locations are open. Hours of operation would be limited from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.

The City Council will introduce the bill at Wednesday’s meeting, but not vote on the ordinance until a later meeting.

Contact Ricardo Torres-Cortez at rtorres@reviewjournal.com Follow on X @rickytwrites.