GENERAL VENDOR DISTRIBUTOR (097)

DCA Licensing Center
42 Broadway, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10004
For more information, call 311.

A business must have a General Vendor Distributor license when an individual transports goods to a public space for sale to a general vendor by means of a motor vehicle. This description is only a general explanation of which businesses need to have a General Vendor Distributor license.

Note: New York City businesses must comply with all relevant federal, state, and City laws and rules. All laws and rules of the City of New York, including the Consumer Protection Law and Rules, are accessible using the Public Access Portal. For convenience, sections of the New York City Licensing Law (and Rules, if enacted) are available as a downloadable handout. The Law (and Rules) are current as of January 2009.

Please note that businesses are responsible for knowing and complying with the most current laws, including any City Council amendments. The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) is not responsible for errors or omissions in the handout. The information is not legal advice. You can only obtain legal advice from a lawyer.

Below are the requirements for a General Vendor Distributor license. All required documents must be submitted when filing your application. Applications must be filed in person at the DCA Licensing Center at the address above between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. To speed processing, please submit documents in the order listed below.

• Basic License Application (download).

*ATTENTION NEW LICENSE APPLICANT: You can complete the Basic License Application online using a fillable PDF file, then print a bar-coded form for scanning into our system once you arrive at the Licensing Center. Learn more.

• For Sole Proprietorships, submit a notarized copy of your Business Certificate. The County Clerk of the borough in which your business is located must certify this certificate. The address appearing on your Business Certificate must be identical to the address for which you are seeking a license. If you are a sole proprietor doing business under your own name, and not a trade or Doing Business As (DBA) name, you do not need a Business Certificate.
  
  
• For Partnerships, submit a notarized copy of your Partnership Certificate. The County Clerk of the borough in which your business is located must certify this certificate. The address appearing on your Partnership Certificate must be identical to the address for which you are seeking a license.
  
  
• For Corporations, submit a stamped Certificate of Incorporation or a filing receipt. If applicable, you must also submit your corporation's Assumed Name Certificate. These certificates must be stamped by the New York State Secretary of State. For more information, contact the New York State Secretary of State's Division of Corporations at (518) 473-2492. If your business is an out-of-state corporation, you must obtain a Certificate of Doing Business in Good Standing from your home state's Secretary of State and file this with an application for Authority to Conduct Business in New York with the New York State Secretary of State. A filing receipt from the New York State Secretary of State will be accepted as proof.
  
  
• Sales Tax Identification Number. This is the 9, 10, or 11-digit number on your New York State Department of Taxation and Finance Certificate of Authority. You must enter this number on the Basic License Application form. To obtain an application for a Certificate of Authority, visit the NYS Department of Taxation and Finance online or call toll-free (800) 698-2909. Allow four to six weeks after applying to the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance to receive your Certificate of Authority.
  
  
• Photo ID of the person submitting the application. Acceptable identification includes:
  -a driver's license or a non-driver's ID issued by a State Department of Motor Vehicles
  -a passport
  -an alien card/green card
  -a license or permit issued by a government agency
  -if applicant is a city, state or federal employee, an employee identification card

Note: If this application will be filed by someone other than an owner, partner or corporate officer, the person filing the application must submit an original, notarized Affidavit Granting Authority to Act (download) together with one of the above acceptable forms of ID.

• Personal and Property Liability Insurance for Trucks. There must be a clause on the insurance certificate that the Department of Consumer Affairs will be notified if the policy is canceled or if the insured fails to renew thirty (30) days prior to the policy's expiration date. You must submit the original certificate, which names the Department of Consumer Affairs as the certificate holder and describes each of the insured vehicles.

The minimum amounts are:
- $50,000 for injury to or destruction of property of one or more persons resulting from any one accident;
- $200,000 for personal injury or death of any one person resulting from any one accident;
- $500,000 for personal injury or death of two or more persons resulting from any one accident.

• Current New York State Commercial Truck Registration for All Vehicles Listed on Your Application. If trucks are leased, a copy of the lease agreement must be submitted. Notify this Department within 30 days of any change.
  
  
• Complete the General Vendor Distributor Roster of Goods (download ).
  
  
• If your business is a SOLE PROPRIETORSHIP or a PARTNERSHIP, the proprietor and each partner must submit a Notarized Child Support Certification form (download).
  
  
• License Fee. Must be paid by check or money order payable to NYC Department of Consumer Affairs.