Running a vendor market in Prince William County.
In Prince William County, VA, a market on private property needs a Temporary Activity Permit from the county, applied for about four weeks ahead. Food vendors apply to the Prince William Health District for a temporary food permit, selling businesses may need a county business license, and vendors report Virginia sales tax. Confirm details with each office.
Updated
Event permit.
Temporary Activity Permit (TAP)
The property owner or a legal representative applies with a notarized property owner authorization, a fire safety and evacuation plan, restroom facility documentation, a site plan keeping the activity at least 20 feet from abutting streets, and an off-street parking allocation. Processing fees follow the zoning fee schedule; the page gives no dollar amount.
- Who
- Organizer
- From
- Prince William County Land Development Division
- When
- Temporary events such as craft fairs, flea markets, festivals, concerts, car shows, and food truck events with more than 4 trucks, on commercial or residential sites
- Timing
- Apply 4 weeks before the event; carnivals and circuses 60 calendar days in advance
Parks and public space.
Special Event Application for county parks and facilities
Groups submit a Special Event Application through the Parks and Recreation online portal and work with the Special Events Coordinator, who handles requirements, lead times, fees, insurance and vendor policies. The page gives no figures for these.
- Who
- Organizer
- From
- Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism
- When
- Events held at county parks and facilities
Fire safety, tents and cooking.
Temporary tent permits and inspections
Tents and temporary structures must meet Chapter 31 of the Virginia Statewide Fire Prevention Code. Applicants complete the TAP application, submit plans with a building or trade permit application, and follow the county's tent submission and inspection guidelines. The TAP page says tents over 900 square feet need a building permit.
- Who
- Organizer
- From
- Prince William County Building Development Division (Construction Inspections Branch, under the Fire Marshal's Office)
- When
- Events using tents or temporary structures
Vendor and business licenses.
County business license (itinerant merchants and peddlers)
The county's brochure says itinerant merchants and peddlers must file and obtain a business license before any sales, and all businesses must obtain a license regardless of gross receipts, with license tax due only at $500,000 or more in receipts. Peddlers who grow their own products are listed as exempt. Call 703-792-6710.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Prince William County Tax Administration
- When
- Businesses operating in the county, including itinerant merchants and peddlers; businesses inside the Towns of Dumfries, Haymarket, Occoquan or Quantico, or the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park, contact those jurisdictions
Sales tax.
Temporary Sales Tax Certificate/Return (Form ST-50)
Occasional sellers report and pay the sales tax they collected at an event on Form ST-50, due by the 20th of the month after the event. The form tells sellers who attend 3 or more shows a year to register for a permanent Virginia sales tax account. The rate is 6% in the Northern Virginia localities it lists, and the extra regional 0.7% is not charged on food bought for human consumption.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Virginia Department of Taxation
- When
- Vendors without a permanent Virginia sales tax account who sell taxable goods at an event
Food vendors.
Application for Temporary Food Establishment Permit
Vendors send the application to the Health District; the form lists exemptions from the fee for churches, fraternal groups, schools, social organizations and volunteer fire and rescue departments, and for an individual resident of the district taking part in only one temporary event in a calendar year. Questions go to 703-792-6310, option 1.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Virginia Department of Health, Prince William Health District, Environmental Health
- When
- Food vendors at fairs, festivals, carnivals and other special events in the health district
- Fee
- $40.00 Temporary Event Initial Application Fee (if the applicant cannot show a receipt that the state fee was paid that calendar year)
- Timing
- Forms must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the event to be considered
When to apply.
- Temporary Activity Permit (TAP): Apply 4 weeks before the event; carnivals and circuses 60 calendar days in advance
- Application for Temporary Food Establishment Permit: Forms must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the event to be considered
Collect the paperwork with each application.
Ask vendors for their sales tax registration, business license, food permit and insurance certificate as required documents on your application form, so you can check them before you approve anyone. Booth fees, tickets and day-of check-in run from the same dashboard.
Selling at markets in Prince William County, VA?
The vendor license, sales tax and food permits above are yours to get before the event; the organizer will usually ask for copies with your application. On bzar you apply to markets and pay booth fees by card in one place, and keep your licenses, permits and insurance certificates on file to reuse on every application. Free for vendors. Join bzar free or read how to become a market vendor.
Where the sources are unclear.
- The Health District form (revised Sep-2024) covers temporary events; the district's applications page (https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/prince-william/applications-forms/) links to it and lists 703-792-6310, option 1.
- The TAP page lists possible additional permits, including a business license for for-profit organizations, VDOT authorization on state roads, police traffic control, and peddler or vendor licenses.
- No official page found for a Prince William County promoter duty about vendor sales tax lists as of 2026-10-10; ask the Prince William County Tax Administration.
- Rules in the Towns of Dumfries, Haymarket, Occoquan and Quantico and the cities of Manassas and Manassas Park are separate and were not researched.
- Event-count threshold: 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 vendor tips page (https://www.tax.virginia.gov/news/vendor-tips-fall-festival-season) says sellers at 3 or fewer events can use ST-50 and sellers at more than 3 events must register. Confirm with Virginia Tax at (804) 367-8037.
- A 1992 Virginia Tax Commissioner ruling (https://www.tax.virginia.gov/laws-rules-decisions/rulings-tax-commissioner/92-91) says an event organizer may obtain a single temporary sales tax registration covering all sellers at the event; this is an option, not a requirement, and the ruling is old, so confirm with Virginia Tax.
Common questions.
Do I need a permit to host a vendor market in Prince William County?
Temporary Activity Permit (TAP) (Prince William County Land Development Division): The property owner or a legal representative applies with a notarized property owner authorization, a fire safety and evacuation plan, restroom facility documentation, a site plan keeping the activity at least 20 feet from abutting streets, and an off-street parking allocation. Processing fees follow the zoning fee schedule; the page gives no dollar amount. Special Event Application for county parks and facilities (Prince William County Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism): Groups submit a Special Event Application through the Parks and Recreation online portal and work with the Special Events Coordinator, who handles requirements, lead times, fees, insurance and vendor policies. The page gives no figures for these.
Do vendors need a license to sell at events in Prince William County?
County business license (itinerant merchants and peddlers) (Prince William County Tax Administration): The county's brochure says itinerant merchants and peddlers must file and obtain a business license before any sales, and all businesses must obtain a license regardless of gross receipts, with license tax due only at $500,000 or more in receipts. Peddlers who grow their own products are listed as exempt. Call 703-792-6710.
Who handles sales tax at a market in Prince William County?
Temporary Sales Tax Certificate/Return (Form ST-50) (Virginia Department of Taxation): Occasional sellers report and pay the sales tax they collected at an event on Form ST-50, due by the 20th of the month after the event. The form tells sellers who attend 3 or more shows a year to register for a permanent Virginia sales tax account. The rate is 6% in the Northern Virginia localities it lists, and the extra regional 0.7% is not charged on food bought for human consumption.
Do food vendors need a separate permit in Prince William County?
Application for Temporary Food Establishment Permit (Virginia Department of Health, Prince William Health District, Environmental Health): Vendors send the application to the Health District; the form lists exemptions from the fee for churches, fraternal groups, schools, social organizations and volunteer fire and rescue departments, and for an individual resident of the district taking part in only one temporary event in a calendar year. Questions go to 703-792-6310, option 1.
How far ahead should I apply in Prince William County?
Temporary Activity Permit (TAP): Apply 4 weeks before the event; carnivals and circuses 60 calendar days in advance Application for Temporary Food Establishment Permit: Forms must be submitted at least 10 days prior to the event to be considered
Keep reading.
Sources.
This page summarizes official government sources and isn't legal or tax advice. Rules, fees and forms change; confirm with each agency before you apply.
Special events contact: Temporary Activity Permit questions, (703) 792-6830
Every fact on this page comes from these official pages, checked on 2026-10-10. Details change; tell us at hello@bzar.app if something here is out of date.
- https://www.pwcva.gov/department/land-development-division/temporary-activity-permit
- https://www.pwcva.gov/department/building-development-division/temporary-tents
- https://www.pwcva.gov/department/parks-recreation-tourism/special-events
- https://www.pwcva.gov/assets/2025-02/Biz%20License%20Brochure%20Web%20PUB150-25.pdf
- https://www.tax.virginia.gov/sites/default/files/taxforms/retail-sales-and-use/any/st-50-any.pdf
- https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/content/uploads/sites/24/2021/04/Temporary-Event-Application.pdf
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