Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2023 | 1:21 p.m.
The Clark County Commission today introduced an ordinance to regulate street vending in Southern Nevada.
It follows the adoption of state Senate Bill 92, which passed during the 2023 legislative session earlier this year and established requirements for the licensing and regulation of sidewalk food vendors.
The Senate bill, sponsored by Sen. Fabian Donate, D-Las Vegas, prohibits sidewalk vending within 1,500 feet of certain areas.
Counties that do not adopt ordinances to comply with the bill cannot cite, fine or prosecute a sidewalk vendor for a violation.
Local ordinances must be passed by Oct. 15, when the Senate bill goes into effect.
The county ordinance will ban sidewalk vendors from selling food or drinks within 1,500 feet of a resort or event facility with seating capacity of at least 20,000 people and is home to a minor or major league sports team. That would include Allegiant Stadium and T-Mobile Arena.
Vending near convention facilities operated by the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and on highway medians adjacent to parking lots is also prohibited.
The rules will not apply to areas zoned for residential use, except on a public sidewalk or pedestrian path immediately adjacent to one of the other locations listed.
Private sidewalks can be governed by the owner, who can decide whether to allow a vendor to operate, according to the ordinance.
Those in violation of the ordinance can be charged with a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a fine of up to $500.
If someone operates on private property illegally, they may receive a citation of up to $500.
Violations in a residential zone can also get a citation up to $500 fine.
A public hearing on the ordinance is set for Oct. 3, with a vote on passage set for on Oct. 17. The ordinance would go into effect two weeks after passage, county officials said.
After the ordinance is passed, the county will work on establishing another ordinance to address licensing and creating zones for sidewalk vending.
In August, Clark County released a statement saying street vendors would not be permitted to operate until a licensing process was established.
“There is no path to licensure today,” the county said in a statement. “Over the next year, Clark County is committed to working diligently to establish the necessary licensing and regulations to support street vendors.”
