How to Sell Photos on NYC Streets
Turn your love for photography into $cash$ by selling your photos as an NYC street artist. New York City allows for a high probability of selling due to the diversity of tourists and residents. Very few street artists who sell photographs present their photos in frames, which is a money saver. Mount your pictures on cardboard or slip them in plastic sleeves for protection. New York City doesn't require artist vendors to have permits, but you must have a state tax ID on you while you're selling.
- Obtain a state tax ID. Visit the New York State Online Permit Assistance and Licensing website to apply for a tax ID. Click on "Permits by Agency," then "Taxation and Finance, Department of" and then click on "Certificate of Authority to Collect Sales Tax". The form to fill in is DTF-17.
- Review New York City's vending laws. Street vendors who do not sell food are referred to as "written matter vendors". As someone selling
- photographs, you will want to thoroughly review all laws that pertain to "written matter vendors." These laws include, but are not limited to, when and where you are allowed to sell your art (photos) and the size requirements of your area of selling. Vendors selling art in the streets are protected by the First Amendment right of free speech. To get a copy of these laws, contact the Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) in New York. You should also ask for a separate copy of "List of Streets Restricted to Artists and Book Vendors."
- Pick your time and place, set up your stand and photos and start selling them to passers-by. According to the artist vending laws, just about any public area in New York City's parks and streets are open any time for selling your photos. A few restrictions apply and are outlined in the vending laws document from the DCA. Set up your spot according to regulations and put out your photos so they are visible to people passing on the street. Sell your photos to any who want to buy them for a price that is acceptable to you and the buyer.
- Only sell art on sidewalks more than 12 feet wide. Your art display can only be 5 feet high, 8 feet long and 3 feet wide
- Always stand 20 feet from doors if they open to a building that is commercial
in any way. If it's a residential building, you can reduce that to 10 feet. Never touch or attach your display to city property such as fire hydrants, telephone poles or signs. In parks, you can't block walkways or touch benches.
- Obtain permission from an owner before you prop your art against his property, which includes fences and signs. Never display the art you're intending to sell on your car.Set up your stand on almost any street or in any park. In most places, you can sell your art 24 hours per day. Some complex rules apply to people selling art on the specific streets, such as times when selling is prohibited and certain circumstances under which you cannot sell art on a street (see Resources to check if any restrictions apply to a street that interests you).
