# Vendor event permits in Charlottesville, VA

To run a vendor market in Charlottesville, an organizer files a Special Event Permit with Parks and Recreation ($25 fee) 30 days ahead, or 60 with a street closure, plus a tent permit above 900 square feet and $1,000,000 insurance. Vendors need a city business license, and food vendors a Blue Ridge Health District permit.

_Sources checked 2026-10-11. Not legal or tax advice; confirm with each agency._

## For the organizer: Event permit

### Special Event Permit
The sponsor submits the application with the non-refundable fee; Police, Fire, Public Works, Transit, Neighborhood Development Services and Parks review it, and a decision follows within 10 business days (30 for larger events). City services are unavailable on UVA home football game days.
- Who: organizer
- From: City of Charlottesville Parks and Recreation (Events Coordinator)
- When: Events on City-owned property, including streets, parks and the Downtown Mall, expected to draw 50 or more people or reserving space; smaller unreserved gatherings need no permit
- Fee: $25.00 non-refundable application fee
- Timing: 30 days before the event without a street closure; 60 days with a street closure request (the Special Event Regulations say 30 and 60 business days)
- Official page: https://www.charlottesville.gov/460/Special-Event-Permits

## For the organizer: Fire safety, tents and cooking

### Tent permit and Fire Department inspection
Tent permits are requested from the Building Code Office. Pop-up canopies are not allowed on the Downtown Mall under any circumstances, and food and merchandise tables or stands in City streets or parks are limited in size (no larger than 4 x 4 feet or 2 x 8 feet).
- Who: organizer
- From: City of Charlottesville Neighborhood Development Services (Building Code Office) and Fire Department
- When: Tents over 900 square feet need a permit; tents over 400 and under 900 square feet need no permit but must be inspected by the Fire Department first
- Official page: https://www.charlottesville.gov/DocumentCenter/View/949/Special-Event-Regulations-PDF

## For the organizer: Other rules

### Liability insurance for events
The sponsor furnishes a general liability and property damage insurance contract naming the City as an additional insured, with proof of coverage; failing to provide it is grounds for denying the permit.
- Who: organizer
- From: City of Charlottesville
- When: Permitted events on City property; the City Manager may waive or modify the requirement
- Fee: Not less than $1,000,000
- Official page: https://www.charlottesville.gov/DocumentCenter/View/949/Special-Event-Regulations-PDF

## For vendors: Vendor and business licenses

### Business license tax
Applications are due within 30 days of starting business, filed electronically through the Commissioner's secure portal, with the fee based on gross receipts. Event sponsors must show that all licenses the Commissioner requires have been obtained or the permit can be denied.
- Who: vendors
- From: City of Charlottesville Commissioner of the Revenue
- When: Businesses operating in the city, including food trucks, pop-ups and peddlers, which have their own flat fee; the page does not say whether one-day event vendors are covered
- Fee: Food truck / pop-ups / peddlers $125 per year, pro-rated; other businesses: under $50,000 gross receipts $35, $50,001 to $100,000 $50
- Official page: https://www.charlottesville.gov/186/Business-License-Tax

## For vendors: Sales tax

### Temporary Sales Tax Certificate/Return (Form ST-50)
The vendor collects sales tax at the rate of the locality where the event is held and files the ST-50 with payment by the 20th of the month after the event. The form lists a 5.3% general rate and 6% in the Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Central Virginia regions.
- Who: vendors
- From: Virginia Department of Taxation (Virginia Tax)
- When: Vendors without a permanent Virginia sales tax account who sell taxable goods at a show, fair or event
- Timing: Return due on or before the 20th of the month following the show
- Official page: https://www.tax.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/taxforms/retail-sales-and-use/any/st-50-any.pdf

### Permanent sales tax account for frequent event sellers
Virginia Tax says vendors at more than three events a year must register a sales tax account, and seasonal sellers can register as a seasonal business so they file only for the months they sell. Registration is done online through Virginia Tax's business registration page.
- Who: vendors
- From: Virginia Department of Taxation (Virginia Tax)
- When: Vendors who sell at events regularly. Virginia Tax's festival-season page says more than 3 events a year; the ST-50 form says 3 or more shows a year
- Official page: https://www.tax.virginia.gov/news/vendor-tips-fall-festival-season

### Fairs and flea markets are not "occasional sales" (23VAC10-210-570)
The regulation says sellers at fairs and flea markets must hold a certificate of registration and collect and remit tax, with no distinction between profit and nonprofit vendors, and they cannot use the occasional-sale exemption. It also lets the Department authorize a sponsor or operator to remit the tax for the vendors.
- Who: organizer and vendors
- From: Virginia Department of Taxation (Virginia Tax)
- When: Anyone selling tangible goods at a fair, flea market, carnival or circus, including nonprofits
- Official page: https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title23/agency10/chapter210/section570/

## For vendors: Food vendors

### Temporary Food Establishment (TFE) permit
VDH issues the permit through the local health department where the booth operates, after a pre-operational inspection. Event coordinators can file an Event Coordinator Application telling the health department the dates, number of food vendors and water and wastewater arrangements.
- Who: organizer and vendors
- From: Virginia Department of Health, Blue Ridge Health District (Charlottesville/Albemarle Health Department)
- When: Food vendors at a temporary event of no more than 14 consecutive days in Charlottesville. The City's regulations require anyone selling food or beverages at a permitted event to hold all licenses and permits required by law, including Health Department permits.
- Fee: $40
- Timing: Application and fee at least ten calendar days before the TFE operates; coordinator application at least 10 calendar days before the event
- Official page: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/food-safety-in-virginia/tfe/

## What the rules ask of organizers about vendors

Charlottesville's Special Event Regulations make the event sponsor responsible for food and beverage vending: the sponsor must provide documentation that all required licenses and permits (Health Department, ABC and the Commissioner of the Revenue) have been obtained, or the permit can be denied or revoked. For sales tax, Virginia's fairs and flea markets regulation lets the Department authorize a sponsor to remit vendors' tax and does not require a vendor list. (https://www.charlottesville.gov/DocumentCenter/View/949/Special-Event-Regulations-PDF)

## Where the sources are unclear

- The Special Event Permits page says to submit 30 days (60 with a street closure) before the event, while the Special Event Regulations (effective February 28, 2018) say thirty and sixty business days; allow the longer period.
- The permit page says its application is for download only and a formal application with the fee is required; an online form is linked from the page.
- The Blue Ridge Health District page confirms it covers Charlottesville and Albemarle; its TFE fee was not separately stated, so the state's $40 TFE fee from the VDH page is used.
- Picnic shelters are reservable at least 5 days ahead for April through October, but a special event uses the Special Event Permit process instead.
- Event-count threshold differs by source: the ST-50 form says sellers at 3 or more shows a year must register for a permanent account, while Virginia Tax's festival-season page (published October 7, 2024) says more than 3 events a year. Confirm with Virginia Tax at (804) 367-8037.
- Virginia has regional sales tax rates that differ from the general rate (see the ST-50 form); no rate lookup page was read for this entry.

## Questions

**Do I need a permit to host a vendor market in Charlottesville?**

Special Event Permit (City of Charlottesville Parks and Recreation (Events Coordinator)): The sponsor submits the application with the non-refundable fee; Police, Fire, Public Works, Transit, Neighborhood Development Services and Parks review it, and a decision follows within 10 business days (30 for larger events). City services are unavailable on UVA home football game days.

**Do vendors need a license to sell at events in Charlottesville?**

Business license tax (City of Charlottesville Commissioner of the Revenue): Applications are due within 30 days of starting business, filed electronically through the Commissioner's secure portal, with the fee based on gross receipts. Event sponsors must show that all licenses the Commissioner requires have been obtained or the permit can be denied.

**Who handles sales tax at a market in Charlottesville?**

Temporary Sales Tax Certificate/Return (Form ST-50) (Virginia Department of Taxation (Virginia Tax)): The vendor collects sales tax at the rate of the locality where the event is held and files the ST-50 with payment by the 20th of the month after the event. The form lists a 5.3% general rate and 6% in the Northern Virginia, Hampton Roads and Central Virginia regions. Permanent sales tax account for frequent event sellers (Virginia Department of Taxation (Virginia Tax)): Virginia Tax says vendors at more than three events a year must register a sales tax account, and seasonal sellers can register as a seasonal business so they file only for the months they sell. Registration is done online through Virginia Tax's business registration page. For organizers: Charlottesville's Special Event Regulations make the event sponsor responsible for food and beverage vending: the sponsor must provide documentation that all required licenses and permits (Health Department, ABC and the Commissioner of the Revenue) have been obtained, or the permit can be denied or revoked. For sales tax, Virginia's fairs and flea markets regulation lets the Department authorize a sponsor to remit vendors' tax and does not require a vendor list.

**Do food vendors need a separate permit in Charlottesville?**

Temporary Food Establishment (TFE) permit (Virginia Department of Health, Blue Ridge Health District (Charlottesville/Albemarle Health Department)): VDH issues the permit through the local health department where the booth operates, after a pre-operational inspection. Event coordinators can file an Event Coordinator Application telling the health department the dates, number of food vendors and water and wastewater arrangements.

**How far ahead should I apply in Charlottesville?**

Special Event Permit: 30 days before the event without a street closure; 60 days with a street closure request (the Special Event Regulations say 30 and 60 business days) Temporary Sales Tax Certificate/Return (Form ST-50): Return due on or before the 20th of the month following the show Temporary Food Establishment (TFE) permit: Application and fee at least ten calendar days before the TFE operates; coordinator application at least 10 calendar days before the event

## Sources

- https://www.charlottesville.gov/460/Special-Event-Permits
- https://www.charlottesville.gov/DocumentCenter/View/949/Special-Event-Regulations-PDF
- https://www.charlottesville.gov/186/Business-License-Tax
- https://www.tax.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/taxforms/retail-sales-and-use/any/st-50-any.pdf
- https://www.tax.virginia.gov/news/vendor-tips-fall-festival-season
- https://www.tax.virginia.gov/register-business-virginia
- https://law.lis.virginia.gov/admincode/title23/agency10/chapter210/section570/
- https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/environmental-health/food-safety-in-virginia/tfe/
- https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/blue-ridge/environmental-health/

All cities: https://bzar.app/permits