Demand for Permits Keeps Mobile Retail Off the Runway

Many of us have seen, or even ate, at the many food trucks that cruise around American cities. Retail trucks, selling anything from sneakers to vintage clothing, have followed the trend. But, as The Atlantic Cities' Susan Johnston reports many mobile retailers are running into issues related to licensing and permitting.

"As Boston Redevelopment Authority spokesperson Melina Schuler explains it, the only permit the city of Boston has to offer non-food mobile retailers is a highly restrictive hawker and peddlers license," reports Johnston. "'In downtown Boston between the hours of 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., they cannot vend,' she says. 'Outside of those areas, they can vend but they have to move after every sale or every five minutes, whichever is less.'"

Other cities require similarly restrictive permitting, such as requiring businesses to be on pavement (as opposed to gravel surfaces).