Which permits does your market need?
Pick your city or county, tell us whether you'll have food, use public space, or set up tents and cooking, and get the permits that apply to you and your vendors, with fees, deadlines and official links. Covers 225 US cities and counties.
Updated
Tell us about your event.
Permits for your market in Honolulu, HI.
To run a vendor market in Honolulu, the organizer needs a Parks and Recreation park use permit on city parkland or a Department of Transportation Services street usage permit for streets. Vendors need a Hawaii general excise tax license from the Department of Taxation, and food vendors need a Department of Health special event food permit. Confirm with each office.
Not shown, based on your answers: parks and public space, food vendors. See everything for Honolulu.
Event permit.
Street usage permit for special events and parades
The department lists sample parade, special event and street usage applications for information only; the actual forms must be picked up in person at the Frank F. Fasi Municipal Building, 650 South King Street, Second Floor. The page does not state fees, insurance or lead times.
- Who
- Organizer
- From
- City and County of Honolulu Department of Transportation Services
- When
- Special events and parades that use city streets.
Vendor and business licenses.
Peddler license
Peddler licenses are among the business licenses issued by the Department of Customer Services at the Kapalama Driver Licensing Center, Window 17 (808-768-9700). The page does not state fees or say whether vendors at a market or event need one, so confirm with the department.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- City and County of Honolulu Department of Customer Services
- When
- Street sales of goods or services. The city lists peddler categories for merchandise, parades and fee-exempt peddlers.
Sales tax.
General excise tax (GET) license
Vendors register once through Hawaii Tax Online or Form BB-1 and file periodic returns. The general rate is 4%, plus a 0.5% Oahu county surcharge through December 31, 2030, so vendors may pass on up to 4.712%. The pages read do not describe a temporary or event-only license.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Hawaii Department of Taxation
- When
- Anyone who receives income from business activities in Hawaii, including retailing. Hawaii taxes the business rather than the customer.
- Fee
- $20 one-time registration fee
Collect your vendors' permits with their applications.
Make the vendor licenses, sales tax registration and food permits above required documents on your application, and check them before you approve anyone.
Check with the office.
This checklist summarizes official government pages read on 2026-10-10. It isn't legal advice; rules, fees and deadlines change. Special events contact: Honolulu Park Permit Office, 808-768-3440; Transportation Services street usage, 808-768-8387. Full page and sources for Honolulu.
Common questions.
What permits do I need to host a vendor market?
Usually an event permit from the city or county, licenses and sales tax registration for vendors, and temporary food permits for anyone selling food. Parks, streets, tents and cooking can add more. Pick your city above to see the exact list.
Do I need a permit for a pop-up market on private property?
It depends on the city. Some only require permits on public property; others, like zoning temporary-use permits, apply anywhere. The checklist shows what each city's official pages say.
How far ahead should I apply for an event permit?
Often 30 to 90 days. The median deadline across 111 places in our study is 45 days, and 43 want 60 or more.
Permits sorted? Run the event on bzar.
Free for organizers: vendor applications with required documents, booth payments, tickets and check-in.