Guide

Selling at a Chicago pop-up, market or event: what license do you need?

Pop-ups and markets are a good way to sell in person, and the City of Chicago has its own license rules for them. This page summarizes what the City's pages say.

Why it matters

Selling without the licenses the City requires can lead to fines and other penalties. Chicago's pop-up pages do not list the penalty amounts, so ask the City's Small Business Center for current figures. Check before you set up. At many markets the organizer handles most of this.

The two common situations

• You sell at a multi-vendor show, market or fair (art fairs, consumer fairs, trade fairs, expositions). According to the City, the organizer, called the host, gets one Pop-Up Host License for the venue and lists all participating vendors on it. That license covers the host and the vendors on the list. Vendors no longer apply for their own license for that show.
• You run your own pop-up shop (a temporary or seasonal storefront). You get your own Pop-Up Retail User license. The City describes it as not tied to one location, so it covers temporary spaces across Chicago, as long as zoning allows.

What it costs

• Your own Pop-Up Retail license: $25 for 5 days, $50 for 30 days, $75 for 90 days, $100 for 180 days, or $150 for 1 year.
• Shows: the City lists a fee of $25 per vendor for shows of 5 days or less, counted for vendors who do not already hold an active pop-up license. That is likely why many markets build the license cost into their vendor fees. Ask the organizer rather than assume.

Questions to ask the organizer

• Do you hold the City of Chicago Pop-Up Host License for this event, and will I be on the vendor list?
• Does my vendor fee include the license cost?
• Do you need my Illinois sales tax number? The City's host application asks for each vendor's name, business name, items sold, and Illinois sales tax number. If a vendor does not have one, the host has to provide a special event tax report and payment coupon from the Illinois Department of Revenue. See how to register for sales tax.
• Is the event on a sidewalk or street? Those events need a separate Special Event permit from the City, and the organizer is the one who applies.

Other licenses that can come up

• Secondhand dealer license. The City says certain secondhand merchandise needs a Secondhand Dealer License. Resellers should ask the City whether it applies to what they sell. See which Chicago license you may need.
• Peddler or mobile merchant license if you sell general merchandise from a vehicle or cart.
• Food has its own pop-up food licenses and health department steps. Pre-packaged shelf-stable food has simpler rules than prepared food.
• Not allowed under a pop-up license: liquor and tobacco and other specially regulated goods.

Sales tax at in-person sales

Selling in person is still a retail sale. If you sell taxable goods, you collect Illinois sales tax from the customer and send it to the state. Register first, and keep a record of each event's sales. See why sales tax compliance matters.

Next steps

1. Ask the organizer the questions above before you pay.
2. If you are running your own pop-up, call the Small Business Center at 312-74-GOBIZ (312-744-6249) or visit City Hall, 121 N. LaSalle, Room 800.
3. Register for Illinois sales tax if you have not.
4. Keep copies of your confirmation and the vendor list.

The pop-up fact sheet on chicago.gov is dated 2018, and the City's newer pages differ in places, for example on whether vendors get their own license at a show. Always check the current page or call the City.

I am not a CPA or an attorney

This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the City of Chicago. Flipfiled can help with applications from information you provide. Which licenses you need is a question for the City.

Sources: City of Chicago: Temporary Pop Up; City of Chicago: Pop up licensing for shows and exhibitions; City of Chicago: Pop-Up FAQ; City of Chicago: Pop-Up Users fact sheet (2018). Checked Oct 27, 2026.