A hawker licence, today called a certificate of vending, is the document that recognises a street vendor's right to vend at an identified place under the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014. It replaced the older municipal hawker licence system. This page explains how the Act works in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana, the role of Town Vending Committees, what the Delhi High Court said in 2026, and what a food vendor needs in addition, such as FSSAI registration.
What is a hawker licence or certificate of vending?
Before 2014, street vendors in most cities needed a municipal hawker licence, and city officials often cancelled or refused it or evicted vendors without notice. Parliament passed the Street Vendors Act, 2014 to protect livelihood and regulate vending. Under the Act, a Town Vending Committee surveys the existing vendors in a town and repeats the survey at least every five years (section 3), and vendors who are identified receive a certificate of vending (section 4). Vendors cannot be evicted or relocated until the survey is complete and certificates are issued.
The Act sets out how the system works. Vendors must be at least 14 years old or the age that the State prescribes, vend personally or through family members and cannot transfer the certificate (section 5). Certificates come in categories such as stationary or mobile, and vendors receive identity cards (section 6). Certificates are valid for a period and are renewable (section 9), and they can be cancelled or suspended for breach or fraud after a hearing (section 10). A vendor who holds a certificate can trade within its terms (section 12), is entitled to a new site if relocated (section 13), and is protected from harassment (section 27).
A vendor also has duties: removing goods daily at the end of the time-sharing period, keeping the area clean, not damaging public property and paying periodic maintenance charges (sections 14 to 17). The local authority can declare a no-vending zone for a public purpose and relocate vendors, but only with at least 30 days' notice and after the survey and plan are complete (section 18). Vending without a certificate or breach of its terms can attract a penalty of up to Rs 2,000 (section 28).
The Act is central, but each State frames rules and a scheme. Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana each have their own rules, and the local authority constitutes the TVC. Because implementation is uneven, the practical answer to how to get a certificate depends on whether your city's survey is complete and the TVC is functioning.
Who needs a certificate of vending?
The certificate is meant for persons who sell goods or services in public places, such as streets, footpaths and pavements, without a permanent built-up structure. This includes:
- Stationary vendors with a fixed spot, such as fruit, vegetable or tea stalls and tailors or cobblers
- Mobile vendors with a cart or on foot, such as rehri and patri vendors
- Food vendors selling cooked or packed items, who also need FSSAI registration
- Vendors in weekly markets and natural markets recognised by the local authority
- Persons with disabilities and women vendors for whom the Act provides preferences
- Traders in heritage or natural markets that the Act protects in the plan
Benefits of Hawker / Street Vendor Licence
Protection from arbitrary eviction
The Act bars eviction or relocation before the survey and certificates, and requires at least 30 days' notice for eviction under section 18, which gives a certified vendor a legal footing.
Identity and recognition
The certificate and identity card are proof that you are a recognised vendor, which helps with police, municipal staff and banks.
Right to rehabilitation
A certificate holder is entitled to a new site if relocated under section 13.
Grievance redressal
Disputes go to a committee headed by a former civil judge or magistrate, with appeal to the local authority under sections 11 and 20.
Access to credit schemes
The PM SVANidhi scheme offers working-capital loans to street vendors, and its lending period has been extended to 31 March 2030 with larger first and second loan tranches, as reported after the Cabinet's August 2025 decision.
Eligibility
Eligibility comes from the Act and the State rules. The survey list decides who gets a certificate first.
- Age of at least 14 years or the age prescribed by the State government
- Engaged in street vending as the livelihood, since the vendor undertakes not to have another livelihood in the same way (section 5)
- Identified in the TVC survey, or approved by the TVC between surveys under section 4(2)
- Willingness to vend personally or through family and not to transfer the certificate
- Acceptance of the vending zone, time-sharing and cleanliness conditions
- Where applicants exceed the capacity of a zone, a draw of lots by the TVC under section 4(3)
Documents required
Identity and vending proof
- Aadhaar or other photo identity and address proof
- Passport size photographs
- Proof of being a vendor such as an old hawker licence, survey slip, tehbazari receipt, or a letter from a local vendor association, as accepted by the local authority
- Bank account details for fees and loan schemes
- Category or disability certificate where preference is claimed
For food vendors and carts
- FSSAI registration for a food vendor
- Photograph of the cart or stall and the vending spot
- Medical or hygiene certificate where the FSSAI category or local body asks for it
- Details of the vending zone, timing and category (stationary or mobile)
Step-by-step process
Because the process is driven by the local Town Vending Committee, follow the notices issued by your city's authority. The steps below are the common sequence.
Find your local authority and TVC
Identify the municipal body and the TVC for your ward or zone. In Delhi, MCD has the TVCs, and in UP and Haryana the Nagar Nigam or municipal body does.
Enrol in the survey
Register your name and vending details in the survey list, with photographs and identity proof. The survey is repeated every five years, and a vendor who is not on the list may find it hard to claim a certificate.
Submit documents and categorisation
Provide proof of vending and identify whether you are stationary or mobile. The TVC verifies the list and fixes categories.
Wait for allotment in the vending plan
The TVC allots vending zones and locations according to the plan. If applicants exceed a zone's capacity, a draw of lots is held.
Pay the vending fee
Pay the fee or periodic maintenance charges that the TVC or State scheme notifies, and keep the receipt.
Receive certificate and identity card
Collect the certificate of vending and identity card and carry them while vending. Display them where the rules require.
Obtain FSSAI registration if you sell food
Food vendors must also register with FSSAI. See our FSSAI licence registration page.
Government fees
Vending fees and maintenance charges are set by the Town Vending Committee or the State scheme and differ between cities. The Delhi High Court has directed that the TVCs set vending fees once they are constituted. We did not find a verified official fee schedule, so no figure is stated.
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi vending fee | To be fixed by Town Vending Committees | As per the High Court order of May 2026, TVCs are to set fees after formation |
| Uttar Pradesh vending fee | Per State rules and local body | Confirm with the Nagar Nigam or Nagar Palika |
| Haryana vending fee | Per State scheme and local body | Confirm with the municipal body |
| Penalty for vending without certificate | Up to Rs 2,000 | Section 28 of the Street Vendors Act, 2014 |
Professional charges are quoted separately after reviewing your case. Government fees are paid directly to the authority.
How long does it take?
Timelines depend on the survey and the working of the Town Vending Committee, which differ by city. In Delhi, the High Court directed the MCD in May 2026 to constitute 23 Town Vending Committees by 21 July 2026, with the TVCs to issue final certificates afterwards. Check the status of your TVC and its notices before assuming a date.
| Stage | Typical time |
|---|---|
| Survey enrolment and document submission | As scheduled by the local authority |
| TVC verification and allotment | Not fixed; depends on the TVC |
| Certificate and identity card | After allotment; varies |
Validity and renewal
Section 9 of the Act provides that a certificate has a validity period and is renewable, and the period is fixed by the State rules. Vendors in Delhi currently hold provisional certificates, which the Delhi High Court has said protect them until the Town Vending Committees take final decisions. A certificate can be cancelled or suspended for breach of its terms or fraud after a hearing, and it cannot be transferred.
Compliance after you get the certificate
- Vend only within the zone, timing and category on your certificate
- Carry the certificate and identity card at all times
- Remove goods and carts at the end of the time-sharing period
- Keep the vending area clean and do not put up temporary or permanent structures
- Pay periodic maintenance charges and renew the certificate on time
- For food, maintain FSSAI registration and basic hygiene practices
Stationary vs mobile vendor
| Point | Stationary vendor | Mobile vendor |
|---|---|---|
| Vending place | Fixed spot in a vending zone | Moves within the area on foot or with a cart |
| Certificate category | Stationary | Mobile |
| Structures | No temporary or permanent structure allowed at the site, per Delhi High Court order | Cannot set up a permanent stall, per Delhi High Court |
| End of day | Remove goods at end of time-sharing period | Remove goods and cart as per terms |
| Typical examples | Tailors, cobblers, tea and fruit stalls | Rehri vendors, hawkers with carts |
Common mistakes
Not enrolling in the survey
The survey list is the basis for certificates. A vendor who is not listed may be treated as unauthorised.
Setting up a permanent stall
The Delhi High Court has said that vendors cannot put up temporary or permanent structures at the site, and that mobile vendors cannot set up permanent stalls.
Transferring or renting the certificate
The Act forbids transfer, and cancellation can follow.
Vending outside the allotted zone or time
This breaches the certificate terms and can attract the section 28 penalty.
Ignoring FSSAI for food items
A certificate of vending does not replace food-safety registration.
Losing proof of vending
Old receipts, survey slips and photographs help in proving vendor status, so keep copies.
Penalties
Under section 28 of the Street Vendors Act, 2014, vending without a certificate or in breach of its terms can attract a penalty of up to Rs 2,000. Failure to vacate after an eviction notice can attract a daily penalty of up to Rs 250 under section 18(5), and goods can be seized under section 19 with a release process. The Act also provides for cancellation or suspension of the certificate under section 10. The Act prohibits harassment of vendors who comply with their certificate (section 27).
| Default | Consequence | Provision |
|---|---|---|
| Vending without certificate or in breach of its terms | Up to Rs 2,000 | Section 28 |
| Not vacating after notice of eviction | Daily penalty up to Rs 250, not exceeding value of seized goods | Section 18(5) |
| Breach of certificate conditions or fraud | Cancellation or suspension after hearing | Section 10 |
Practitioner tips
- Keep a folder with your survey slip, any old hawker or tehbazari receipts, photographs of your spot with date, and your identity proof. In disputes this folder is what counts.
- Ask your ward office or vendors' association for the TVC notice board and election schedule. Vendor representatives make up at least 40% of the committee under section 22 of the Act, so participation matters.
- If you are evicted without 30 days' notice or without a survey, write to the TVC and the local authority and use the grievance committee under section 20.
- Food vendors should get FSSAI registration early. It is a low-tier registration and is often asked for by banks and by loan schemes.
- Use the PM SVANidhi route for working capital, after confirming the current tranche and eligibility on the scheme portal.
How Lawgical Guru helps
Status check of your city's TVC
We help you find out whether the survey is complete and the Town Vending Committee is functioning for your area.
Document preparation
We prepare your identity, vending proof and photographs in the form your local authority expects.
FSSAI registration
We file your FSSAI registration if you sell food.
Representation and replies
We help you draft representations and replies to notices, and explain your rights under the Act.
Related licences for shops
If you move from a street stall to a shop, we assist with trade licence and shop and establishment registration.
Business registration
We help you register under MSME Udyam for scheme and bank benefits.
Hawker / Street Vendor Licence: frequently asked questions
Is a hawker licence still issued?
The older hawker licence has been replaced by the certificate of vending under the Street Vendors Act, 2014. Implementation depends on the survey and the Town Vending Committee in each city, so check your local authority.
Who issues the certificate of vending?
The Town Vending Committee of the local authority, such as MCD in Delhi or the municipal body in UP and Haryana, identifies vendors in a survey and issues certificates. Certificates are valid for a period and can be renewed.
What is a Town Vending Committee?
It is a committee set up by the local authority, chaired by the Municipal Commissioner, with at least 40% elected street vendor representatives, of whom one-third are women. It conducts the survey, issues certificates and recommends vending zones.
What did the Delhi High Court decide in 2026?
A Division Bench in Sumit Verma v. State of NCT of Delhi, around 21 May 2026, directed MCD to constitute 23 Town Vending Committees by 21 July 2026. Vendors with provisional certificates are protected from disturbance until the TVCs decide, and they may not put up structures.
Can the police or MCD evict a street vendor without notice?
Not if the vendor is covered by the Act. Vendors cannot be evicted before the survey and certificates, and eviction under section 18 needs at least 30 days' notice. Harassment of vendors who comply with their certificate is barred by section 27.
What is the penalty for vending without a certificate?
Section 28 provides for a penalty of up to Rs 2,000 for vending without a certificate or in breach of its terms. Goods can be seized under section 19, and the vendor can reclaim them through the release process.
Do street food vendors need FSSAI registration?
Yes. Selling food needs FSSAI registration or a licence depending on the scale. A certificate of vending covers the right to vend, and FSSAI covers food safety, so a food vendor needs both.
Can I transfer my vending certificate to a family member?
No. The Act says a vendor must vend personally or through family members and cannot transfer the certificate. Transfer or fraud can lead to cancellation after a hearing.
How can a street vendor get a loan?
Under the PM SVANidhi scheme, vendors can borrow working capital. After the August 2025 restructuring, the first tranche is up to Rs 15,000, the second up to Rs 25,000 and the third Rs 50,000, with the lending period extended to 31 March 2030. Confirm eligibility on the scheme portal.
Is there a hawker licence in Noida, Gurugram or Faridabad?
The Street Vendors Act applies across India, and local authorities constitute Town Vending Committees. In Noida and Greater Noida the Authority, and in Gurugram and Faridabad the Municipal Corporation, handles vending. Ask the authority for the survey and certificate status.
Reviewed by Satyam Gupta, Company Secretary (CS) & Advocate
8+ years of industry experience. This page was last reviewed on 16 October 2026 against the official sources below. Rules and fees change — confirm on the official portal before you apply.
Official sources
- Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 (PRS India)
- Sumit Verma v. State of NCT of Delhi, 2026 DHC 4504-DB (Verdictum)
- Cabinet nod for restructuring and extension of PM SVANidhi (Tribune)
- FoSCoS – Food Safety Compliance System
- Haryana Urban Local Bodies Department