Street trading licence

If you wish to sell anything (as long as it’s permitted and legal) on the street you need a licence. We are the licensing authority.

If you want to find out about trading in a market, go to our market trading and licences page.

​What is street trading?

You are street trading if you show, offer, sell or provide goods on public highways ​such as roads, pavements, footpaths and certain other areas such as private forecourts (areas in front of shops).

So, for example, if you trade on a private forecourt in front of a shop and your trade is not the trade of the shop owner or does not form part of the business of the shop owner, you will need a licence.

There are other activities which count as street trading, such as:

  • Handing out of leaflets and flyers, advertising goods for sale or services
  • Human advertising (such as persons wearing billboards, holding placards and so on).

If you want to trade on the street in Newham, you must have a licence. If you trade without a licence we can take action against you or your business.

You do not need a licence for leafleting or human advertising if you are a charity, or political or religious group and the advertising is not for profit or business purposes.