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 Loudoun County, VA.
In Loudoun County, VA, most special events need a zoning special event permit applied for in LandMARC, plus Fire Marshal and Health Department approvals as needed. Organizers must file a vendor list with the Commissioner of the Revenue at least 14 days before the event, and vendors report Virginia sales tax. Confirm details with each office.
Not shown, based on your answers: parks and public space, fire safety, tents and cooking, food vendors. See everything for Loudoun County.
Event permit.
Special Event Zoning Permit
Apply online in LandMARC, which requires an account. The county's requirements sheet asks for the attendee count, a site plan showing parking and structures, the number of sanitary facilities, and sound levels within zoning limits, and the Zoning Administrator may attach conditions or require a bond. A short Online Event Planning Form also tells you which permits your event needs.
- Who
- Organizer
- From
- Loudoun County Department of Building and Development, Zoning Administration
- When
- Most special events, unless they are listed as exempt activities
Vendor and business licenses.
Loudoun County business license (exemption for event itinerant vendors)
The Board of Supervisors exempted these vendors from the county business license. They must still register with Virginia Tax for sales tax and be listed with the Commissioner of the Revenue at least 14 days before the event. Vendors at events inside a town should ask that town.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- Loudoun County Commissioner of the Revenue
- When
- Itinerant vendors at special events lasting seven days or less, held outside Loudoun's seven incorporated towns
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
What the rules ask of you about vendors.
Under Loudoun's codified ordinance 840.035, a special event organizer must file with the Commissioner of the Revenue, at least 14 days before the event, a list of every itinerant vendor assigned a space or booth, and must tell each vendor they are responsible for collecting Virginia sales and use tax. The Commissioner provides a roster form. Official page
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: Loudoun County Government, 703-777-0100; Commissioner of the Revenue compliance, 703-777-0400, compliance@loudoun.gov. Full page and sources for Loudoun County.
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.