For Immediate Release
Media Contact
Charles Basham III | [email protected]
WASHINGTON, DC – The District of Columbia is home to a vibrant and robust vending community. Sidewalk vendors and food truck operators are central to the vibrancy of the city. These small businesses provide residents and visitors of the District with creative food and retail options across the District. They play a vital role in low food access areas. The Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection (DLCP) values these businesses and their contributions to the economic vibrancy of the city.
Although sidewalk vendors and food truck operators do not operate within storefronts, they are subject to the same requirements as brick-and-mortar businesses as it relates to transparency in pricing. The Consumer Protect Procedures Act (CPPA), among other things, seeks to ensure against improper trade practices. As such, the law requires businesses, including street vendors, sidewalk vendors, and food truck operates to notify consumers of the prices of their goods and services. This is achieved by:
-
Conspicuously posting the price of goods and services;
-
Displaying the prices clearly and concisely; and
-
Notifying customers of the price of goods and services before the transaction is made.
In addition to notifying consumers of the price of goods and services, vendors are prohibited from inflating their prices, and practice known as “price gouging”. Failure to post one’s prices and price gouging qualify as “unfair and deceptive trade practices” under the CPPA, which may result in the imposition of civil infraction by DLCP and/or enforcement by the D.C. Office of the Attorney General. To submit a CPPA complaint, visit DLCP’s website here.
DLCP wants vendors to thrive in the District, but we want them to do so lawfully so as to protect consumers. Those interested in becoming a licensed vendor in the District should visit DLCP’s website here for more information or contact the Business Licensing Division at (202) 671-4500.