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 Winston-Salem, NC.
To run a vendor market in Winston-Salem, the organizer files a special event permit application with the city's Office of Economic Development (fee $100 for one or two events). Food vendors need a Forsyth County temporary food permit, and vendors register with the North Carolina Department of Revenue for sales tax. North Carolina cities levy no privilege license tax.
Not shown, based on your answers: food vendors. See everything for Winston-Salem.
Event permit.
Special Event Permit (Form A: race, run, parade, festival, block party, filming)
The application asks for a site plan, street closure details, vendor counts (food and non-food), alcohol and sound plans, and a certificate of liability insurance naming the City as additional insured. A notarized Notification Affidavit to affected neighbors is also required, and the form says not to advertise the event until the permit is approved.
- Who
- Organizer
- From
- City of Winston-Salem Office of Economic Development
- When
- Events the form covers, including festivals and block parties, especially those closing streets or using the right-of-way. The form does not say whether an event held wholly on private property needs the permit.
- Fee
- $100 (1 to 2 events); $200 (series of 3 to 5 events); $300 (series of 6 or more events)
- Timing
- Preliminary application at least 45 days before the event; completed application with executed Notification Affidavit at least 30 days before
Other rules.
Event liability insurance
The application states a minimum of $1,000,000 per occurrence of commercial general liability coverage, with the City named additional insured and the coverage primary. Outside the central business district with no commercial services in the right-of-way, the form says the sponsor does not have to carry it.
- Who
- Organizer
- From
- City of Winston-Salem
- When
- Events in the central business district always; events outside it when commercial services (caterers, entertainment, inflatables) operate in the city right-of-way. Alcohol also requires liquor liability coverage.
Vendor and business licenses.
No city or county privilege license tax
State law repealed the power of cities (G.S. 160A-211) to levy privilege license taxes on businesses for tax years starting on or after July 1, 2015, and repealed the county equivalent (G.S. 153A-152). A vendor therefore pays no general city or county business license tax; the state sales tax registration still applies.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- North Carolina General Assembly (S.L. 2014-3, Part XII)
- When
- Vendors selling at a market in Winston-Salem. Cities can still license and regulate specific activities by ordinance.
Sales tax.
Sales and use tax Certificate of Registration (specialty markets and events)
Vendors must register with NCDOR and collect and remit sales tax on taxable sales. Sellers without a certificate risk the Department collecting tax on site.
- Who
- Vendors
- From
- North Carolina Department of Revenue
- When
- Anyone selling taxable items at a flea market, specialty market or other event, including one-time sellers, unless a stated exemption applies (own household goods, unprocessed farm products)
What the rules ask of you about vendors.
North Carolina requires the operator of a specialty market or event to keep a daily list of every vendor selling there, showing each vendor's name, permanent address and certificate of registration number, and to keep those lists and vendor documents for at least two years. Operators are also expected to check that vendors show a valid certificate. Official page
When to apply.
- Special Event Permit (Form A: race, run, parade, festival, block party, filming): Preliminary application at least 45 days before the event; completed application with executed Notification Affidavit at least 30 days before
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: hannahh@cityofws.org (Office of Economic Development, 100 E First Street, Suite 580). Full page and sources for Winston-Salem.
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.