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Apply for a licence to sell goods at trade fairs, festivals and special events
If you wish to offer goods for immediate sale at a trade fair or exhibition, a public festival (e.g. community festival, marksmen's festival, inauguration celebrations, etc.) or as part of another special event, you require a permit from the competent authority, but not a travelling trade licence.
You must apply for the licence from the competent authority.
If you already have a travelling trade licence that authorises you to offer certain or all goods for sale, this is sufficient. In this case, you no longer require an additional licence to sell at the aforementioned events.
If the following goods are to be offered for sale at the aforementioned events, no licence is required (as you already have a licence or exemption on another basis):
- You sell home-grown products from agriculture and forestry, vegetable growing, fruit growing and horticulture, poultry farming and beekeeping as well as hunting and fishing.
- You sell goods in the municipality in which you are registered with your place of residence or in which you have registered your commercial establishment. However, this exemption only applies if the municipality has no more than 10,000 inhabitants.
- You sell milk and possibly also dairy products (e.g. yoghurt, kefir, butter, cheese, etc.) and still have a licence under the Milk and Margarine Act.
- They sell food or other everyday goods from a sales trolley or stall ("mobile shop") and do so outside of fixed markets (e.g. weekly markets) at regular, shorter intervals and always in the same place.
- They sell printed works on public paths, streets, squares or in other public places. According to the Press Act, the term printed works includes writings, recorded sound carriers (e.g. cassettes and other data carriers), pictorial representations with and without writing, image carriers (video cassettes and other data carriers) and music (printed products with sheet music) with text and explanatory notes. However, you require a licence to sell such products at your front door.
The sale of the goods you wish to offer must not be prohibited in the travelling trade.
Responsible authority
the municipal or city administration of the place where you offer the goods for immediate sale.
Details
Prerequisite
- You would like to offer goods (not services) at a specific event or for a specific occasion. The sale of the goods you wish to offer must not be prohibited in the travelling trade (e.g. precious metals, precious stones, alcohol - with certain exceptions).
- You offer the goods at the event itself, or at least on the fringes of the event in question. There must therefore be a temporal and spatial connection to the event (e.g. on the forecourt or access roads).
Procedure
After applying for a licence, the competent authority decides whether to approve your application to sell the goods. The competent authority issues the licence for a specific location and for a specific event, i.e. for a limited period of time.
The licence is not transferable.
Deadlines
None. Authorisation must be obtained before commencing work.
Required documents
- Copy of identity card or passport with registration certificate, or presentation on site
- Details of the location and type of sales stand as well as the range of goods
Costs
The amount of the fees is based on the municipal fee statutes.
Miscellaneous
The licence under trade law does not replace any permits or approvals required under other specialist law (e.g. road law).
Legal basis
Gewerbeordnung (GewO):
- § 55a Reisegewerbekartenfreie Tätigkeiten
Release note
Machine generated, based on the German release by: Wirtschaftsministerium Baden-Württemberg, 07.11.2025
