Art Vendor Application
What You Need to Know
The total size of your uploaded files must not be larger than 35 MB. This includes your work samples, video attachments and any documents you upload into the application.
Complete the Art Vendor Application form.
Please email art-vendors@sfgov.org with questions or concerns about the online application.
Screening process
Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis:
- January 1 through March 31: reviewed in April
- April 1 through June 30: reviewed in July
- July 1 through September 30: reviewed in October
- October 1 through December 31: reviewed in January
Once your application has been screened for eligibility it will be reviewed by the Advisory Committee at a public meeting. Artists will receive notice of their appointment date and time in advance.
You MUST make your artwork yourself. If you outsource the design or have an employee who assembles your craft, you are ineligible for the art vendor program. All artists' work must be verified by the Advisory Committee of Street Artists and Crafts Examiners.
Review the program Code of Conduct
Items for which certificates are not issued
- Food items, incense, perfumes, body oils, soaps, or other cosmetic products which come in contact with the human body or skin.
- Busking, theater or musical performance.
- Murals or other painting of buildings or street furniture of any kind.
Other Permit Options
If you already have a California Seller’s Permit from the State Board of Equalization and/or a Business Account Number from the SF Treasurer and Tax Collector, you may already be eligible to sell. The following links provide information for you to determine which permit is right for your business needs.
California State Board of Equalization Seller’s Permit
SF Treasurer and Tax Collector
Street Vending: Department of Public Works
Performing
Applying as “family unit” partnerships
Police Code Section 2400 defines a “family unit” as “two or more persons jointly engaged in the creation or production of an art or craft item, no one of whom stands in an employer-employee relationship to any of the other members thereof, or, two or more physically or mentally handicapped persons participating in a formal rehabilitation program, a part of which includes activities for the creation of arts and crafts by said persons.”
If the art or craft is created by a partnership, each partner must submit an application, and list the other family unit member(s) in the “family unit” section. All family unit members will be screened together and must show the screening committee their significant contribution in the making of the item they are going to sell.
After you have attended the screening and been approved by the Advisory Committee, you will need to take the additional steps below.
Step by Step
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Register your business with the City
Obtain a Business Tax Registration Certificate either online or in person at the Tax Collector’s office, City Hall, 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, Room 140 (first floor), San Francisco. Phone (415) 554-4400. The fee is $91 per fiscal year (July 1-June 30). -
You'll also need a Seller's Permit
This may be obtained from the State Board of Equalization. There is no fee for this permit and you can obtain one through a local office, SF Branch (415) 356-6600 or online. -
And finally, obtain your license (also called a permit)
This is the last step! Contact art-vendors@sfgov.org for assistance.https://www.sfartscommission.org/find-opportunities/art-vendor/renew