A complicated patchwork of state and city laws regulating street vending in New York City has made it difficult for people to get the licenses to become vendors and advocates want city lawmakers to remove the red tape.

“It’s been 35 years and I haven’t been able to get a license,” said Calvin Baker, who attended a rally at City Hall Tuesday in support of legislation to open up the process of obtaining a vendor’s license to more vendors.

“The city said we’re running around unregulated. Well give us the license so that we can be regulated,” Baker added.

For years, only several thousand licenses were made available for mobile food vending, according to city councilmembers.

“There are over 23,000 street vendors across the city, feeding us, creating jobs,” Councilmember Amanda Farias said. “But because of outdated caps and bureaucracy, the vast majority can’t even get a basic license.”

Since 1979, city law has capped the number of general vending licenses for those selling non-food related goods at 853, while over 10,000 people remain on a waitlist. This creates an underground market for vending licenses.

NY1 spoke to a man named Ahmed who was selling souvenirs outside of City Hall near the Brooklyn Bridge. He said he would like a vending license but cannot get one right now.

“I can’t now, now I can’t,” he said.

In 2021, the City Council passed Local Law 18, which increases the number of supervisory licenses by 445 each year for the next 10 years, but city councilmembers said the city has missed key deadlines to release new permits.

Mayor Eric Adams said there are serious considerations that need to be made.

“It hurts legitimate businesses,” he said. “Someone’s in front of your shop, you are paying taxes, you’re paying employees, you’re paying for the prices, someone’s in front of your shop selling the same thing you have inside your shop. We must monitor, have a fair vendor system, but it can’t be a free for all.”

Some city councilmembers are considering legislation that would lift the cap on vending licenses. Intro 431 would increase the number of food vendor supervisory licenses and general vendor licenses each year for five years. The legislation would then lift the cap on food vendor supervisory licenses and general vendor licenses.

“Enforcement is uneven, arbitrary, unfair, where agency sweeps lead to large confiscation of vendor goods but fail to deter the bad actors who are back the next week,” Councilmember Pierina Sanchez said during a hearing on the issue Tuesday.

“The idea of lifting the cap and having an unlimited amount of street vendors, especially in Manhattan, is kind of ridiculous,” Dan Scorse, vice president of operations at the Hudson Yards Hell’s Kitchen Alliance, said.

He is among those who believe lifting the cap on vending licenses completely would be just as unruly as an unregulated, underground street vending market.

“The advocates want no restrictions in any way,” Scorse said. “They’re always asking for complete removal of restrictions, which is again ridiculous.”