The first sidewalk vendor legally allowed under a new state law and a Clark County ordinance has officially begun operations. 

Larry Rogers, environmental health manager with the Southern Nevada Health District, said that before LV Michoacana was licensed, they had received “zero interest” in the new program.

Jose Manuel Carrera, owner of LV Michoacana, who sells aguas frescas, popsicles, homemade ice cream bars and sorbet, says that although he received the vendor license May 29, he didn't open until June 5 as he was not expecting the process to be as fast as it was. 

The state law authorized local jurisdictions to create ordinances for vendors that could include requiring a vendor to hold a state business license, general liability insurance and a permit from the county health department. Specific rules are set by the jurisdiction in which the license is applied for, such as Clark County, which requires the carts to be no more than 25 square feet and contain a hand sink.

Carrera said that for him, the hardest part about the application process was complying with the regulations required by the state to receive a street vendor license. Critics of the ordinances have said that these regulations may be too difficult for most vendors to comply with. 

“You must have equipment that’s dependent on whatever item you’re selling,” Carrera said. 

Previously, Sen. Fabian Doñate (D-Las Vegas), who sponsored SB92, said that he foresaw vendors applying for the licenses to struggle receiving them because of the health district requirements. 

“They’re going to be stuck in this limbo of repeat offenses, retraumatization simply because we put these requirements and we didn’t meet the community where they asked us to meet them,” Doñate said.

Currently, LV Michoacana only has a vending license for Clark County, but Carrera said that he would like to expand his business into other areas such as Henderson or North Las Vegas.

Carrera wants those interested in applying for a vendor license to know that the process may seem really hard, but that “they can do it themselves.”

This story was updated at 11:45 a.m. on 6/10/24 to clarify the role of the state in the creation of rules governing sidewalk vendors.