Street Trading Licence Cardiff: Why Cardiff Is Different From Most UK Councils

Cardiff is governed by the same legislation as most English and Welsh councils — Schedule 4 of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982 — but the way Cardiff applies that framework is substantially more restrictive than most other cities.

Street trading is prohibited on the majority of Cardiff's streets. The council issues consents, but only for specific major events on allocated sites. If you're planning to trade regularly on Cardiff's public streets, the standard food truck model — apply for an annual pitch and trade week-round — is not available in Cardiff in the way it is in Manchester, Birmingham, or Bristol.

The Legal Position in Cardiff

Under the 1982 Act, councils can designate streets as licence streets, consent streets, or prohibited streets. Cardiff's designation decisions have resulted in most of the city's streets falling into the prohibited category.

Trading on or within 35 metres of a prohibited street is a criminal offence. The maximum penalty is a fine at Level 3 on the standard scale — currently £1,000. The council publishes a list of prohibited streets (available from the licensing team as a PDF).

Cardiff does issue consents — but the council's own guidance states that consents are "only issued for specific major events in the city on allocated sites." This means the consent route in Cardiff is event-by-event and site-specific, not a general annual trading permission.

How Cardiff's Consent Applications Work

Street trading consent applications in Cardiff are handled by the Licensing Section:

• Cardiff Licensing Section, County Hall, Atlantic Wharf, Cardiff, CF10 4UW
• Phone: 029 2087 1651 (Monday–Friday, 10am–3pm)

Before submitting anything, contact the licensing team directly to:

1. Confirm whether the event or location you have in mind is eligible for a consent
2. Get the current fee schedule and the relevant application form
3. Check whether the proposed street or site falls within the prohibited street list

Food street traders must also pass vetting by Cardiff's food safety and waste management teams before approval is granted. This is an additional step on top of the standard street trading consent process — bring your food business registration confirmation and food hygiene certificates to the initial contact.

Exemptions: Pedlars and News Vendors

Two categories may trade in Cardiff without a street trading consent:

Pedlars — individuals who hold a police pedlar certificate can trade in Cardiff under strict conditions. A pedlar must: remain mobile (cannot set up a static stall), trade while moving (approaching customers rather than waiting for them to approach), and not return repeatedly to the same spot. The pedlar exemption does not apply to food trucks or catering vehicles — it's limited to individuals carrying goods for sale.

News vendors — news vendors may qualify for an exemption from the prohibition. If you only sell newspapers or periodicals, check with the licensing team before trading rather than assuming the exemption applies.

What This Means for Food Truck Operators

For a food truck or mobile catering unit, the practical picture in Cardiff is this:

• Regular street pitches of the kind available in Manchester or Birmingham are not available in Cardiff
• Event-based trading at major events on allocated sites is the route that exists — contact Cardiff's licensing team with the specific event or organiser in mind
• Private land is not subject to Cardiff's street trading designation. Trading from a car park, a business premises, or a private event site doesn't require a Cardiff street trading consent — though you'll still need food business registration, food hygiene certification, and (if using gas) a current CP44 or equivalent gas safety certificate
• Cardiff markets — markets that operate on private sites or under separate market operator arrangements are managed separately from Cardiff's street trading consent system

The Practical Alternatives

Most food truck operators who want to work in Cardiff find that the event route or private land trading is the most accessible path.

For event-based trading at large Cardiff events — sporting events at the Principality Stadium, outdoor festivals, city-centre markets run by private operators — the event organiser typically manages the trader selection process themselves. Contact the event organiser directly; they often have their own licence covering the site, and your participation requires the organiser's approval rather than (or in addition to) a separate Cardiff street trading consent.

For a broader breakdown of licensing costs and approaches across UK cities, see the street trading licence costs guide. For the general application process in councils that do offer regular street trading consents, see the how to apply guide. For the distinction between licence streets and consent streets that underpins the Cardiff system, see the street trading consent guide.

Key Points for Cardiff

• Cardiff prohibits street trading on the majority of its streets — not the minority
• Consents are issued only for specific major events on allocated sites
• Trading within 35 metres of a prohibited street is a criminal offence (max £1,000 fine)
• The pedlar exemption does not cover food trucks or stationary catering operations
• Food traders must pass food safety and waste management vetting before consent is granted
• Private land trading does not require a Cardiff street trading consent (but food safety and gas certificates still apply)
• Contact Cardiff Licensing Section before planning any Cardiff street trading: 029 2087 1651

Use our free licence cost calculator to estimate costs across your trading areas. StreetComply is building a dashboard to track all your licences, consents, and renewal dates in one place — join the waitlist to get notified when it launches.

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This guide covers Cardiff's street trading framework under the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982. Cardiff's designation decisions result in a more restrictive system than most other UK councils. Always verify the current prohibited streets list and consent availability with Cardiff Council's Licensing Section before trading. This is general information, not legal advice.

Sources

• Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1982, Schedule 4 — Street Trading
• Cardiff Council — Street Trader Licensing
• GOV.UK — Street Trading Licence Finder