Las Vegas street vendors will no longer be allowed to sell items near casinos along the Las Vegas Strip or in other select locations.
The Clark County Commission unanimously approved the change in the Clark County Code on Tuesday. It goes into effect later this month.
That means vendors will no longer be able to sell food, beverages, and assorted merchandise (such as souvenirs) on sidewalks and pedestrian paths by these locations.
Specifically, vendors can’t sell items within 1,500 feet of a casino/hotel or near an athletic facility that holds 20K or more people (such as Allegiant Stadium and T-Mobile Arena), or a large convention center, according to Las Vegas TV station KVVU.
Fine, Jail Possible
Vendors who violate the new rule can be fined up to $500 or can spend as much as six months in jail, according to the Las Vegas Sun.
Under the ordinance, vendors are defined as someone who “sells food, beverages or merchandise upon a public sidewalk or pedestrian path from a conveyance, including, without limitation, a pushcart, stand, display, pedal-driven cart, wagon, showcase or rack.”
The new ordinance brings Clark County rules into compliance with a related state law which went into effect on July 1.
The new law, Nevada SB 92, prevents vendors from selling items within 1,500 feet of a resort hotel or near an arena that can hold 20K or more people, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. State legislators want county or local officials to enact their own rules, too.
Street vendors must also apply for permits and licenses to sell items in Clark and Washoe counties.
But there has been confusion over the new rules.
Recently, Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick noted the number of vendors selling items near the iconic “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” sign located on Las Vegas Boulevard.
I can’t wait to start enforcement because unfortunately there’s more than 10 there any given night, and I don’t think that was the intent for the Las Vegas sign,” Kirkpatrick was quoted by the Review-Journal.
By next July, a second ordinance will be needed. It will list licensing requirements, fees, and permissible locations.
News about the new rules led to some concerns about the regulations being too restrictive. It requires vendors to receive three permits and licenses before selling items in unincorporated Clark County, the Las Vegas Sun reported. These include a license from the Nevada Secretary of State’s office, a permit from the Southern Nevada Health District, and a license from Clark County.
Vendors will have to pay for the permits and other requirements, which could cost them more than $800. After the first year, the health permit will cost $376 while the state business license will cost $200.
Under the state law, localities also can prohibit the sale of items by vendors near schools, food establishments, childcare facilities, parks, recreational facilities owned by the county, places of worship, and pedestrian malls, according to the Review-Journal.
Our top concern on this bill is restrictive parameters,” Make the Road Nevada spokesperson Tony Ramirez said in a recent statement. The Las Vegas-based organization advocates on behalf of immigrants.
“Sidewalk vendors are not going anywhere. We need a system that will allow them to quickly go through the permitting process through Clark County and Southern Nevada Health District, or we will have a design created for nobody to access.”
Vendor Arrests
There have been arrests recently of Las Vegas vendors failing to follow relevant rules.
Over the summer, an unlicensed vendor selling flavored waters was apprehended near the “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas” iconic sign.
“During the incident, the vendor pushed the officer to the ground as he was attempting to detain him,” police said.
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