Apply for a footpath trading permit

You need a footpath trading permit to use a public footpath or Council land for your business.

This applies to any of the following:

  • outdoor dining on the footpath outside your business
  • outdoor dining on your neighbour’s footpath 
  • displayed goods on the footpath outside your business
  • displayed goods on your neighbour’s footpath
  • advertising boards
  • night club queues
  • waiting area permits
  • real estate pointer boards
  • roadside dining in a converted parking space outside your business.

If you are buying an existing business with footpath trading, you must apply for another footpath trading permit and register a food business. The registration and permit are not transferable.

Key information

Permit renewals

Your permit is renewed on 1 July every year.

Invoices are for the period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025.

It is the responsibility of the permit holder to forward all permit renewal details, including public liability and amendments, to footpathtrading@stonnington.vic.gov.au, and fees are forwarded to Council.

For more information on footpath trading, view our Footpath Trading Fees Framework(PDF, 2MB), Footpath Trading Policy(PDF, 5MB) and Footpath Trading Permit factsheet(PDF, 285KB).

How to apply

Register your food business

You need to register your food business before you can apply for a Footpath Trading Permit.

Prepare your documents

Prepare the documents you may need to submit with your application.

This depends on the type of Footpath Trading Permit but you may need the following:

  • Certificate of Currency for public liability insurance covering a minimum of $20 million.
  • If you are setting up outdoor dining, a completed aerial site plan for outdoor dining(PDF, 304KB), including position of Council assets and the layout of furniture including chairs, tables, umbrellas, heaters and other items. All site plans must be an appropriate scale (1:100 or 1:200).
  • If you are displaying goods, a completed aerial site plan for goods(PDF, 359KB), including the position of Council assets and the layout of your goods.
  • Three photos of the premises showing the front and adjacent properties, including parking signage and infrastructure, as well as the location of Council parking signs and assets.
  • Letter of consent from adjacent ground level business owner, body corporate and/or occupier. If the adjacent property is vacant, you’ll need a letter of consent from the owner of the property.

Complete the application

Complete the application and pay online.

Apply for a footpath trading permit

The application fee is $95. The permit fee depends on the length of your outdoor space and whether your location is designated as a busy area or other area type.

Receive the outcome

We will contact you via email about your application, which can be accepted, rejected or accepted with permit conditions.

Receive your permit

You will receive your permit sticker in the mail or from a Council officer when they complete the final inspection. You must place the sticker on the front window of your premises.

Have regular inspections

Our officers will make regular inspections to ensure you are meeting your permit conditions.

Fees and conditions

Watch the video for more information on City of Stonnington footpath trading conditions.

Outdoor dining permit and extended dining permit

  • You must display a current permit sticker on the front window of your premises.
  • We only approve dining permits for registered food businesses.
  • Permanent fixed footpath dining furniture and barriers are not permitted.
  • You must leave a one-metre gap between adjoining trading or access zones. This means you need a clearance of 500 millimetres both ends of a property boundary to allow access to the pedestrian zone.
  • A minimum of 1.5 metres of pedestrian zone must remain clear and free from obstruction to allow pedestrian access.
  • A kerb zone of a minimum of 300mm must remain clear and free from obstruction to allow access to and from parked vehicles.

You can also apply for an Extended Dining Permit on your neighbouring premises. You must supply proof of consent.

Footpath dining in busy areas

Definition of a busy area

Charge type Fee

Small (up to 4 meters)

Medium (4 to 8 metres)

Large (8 to 12 metres)

Extra Large (12 metres plus)

$880

$1,320

$3,080

$5,280

Footpath dining in all other areas

Charge type Fee

Small (up to 4 metres)

Medium (4 to 8 metres)

Large (8 to 12 metres)

Extra Large (more than 12 metres)

$440

$660

$1,540

$2,640

*A busy area is defined as a property on:

  • Chapel Street
  • Commercial Road
  • Greville Street
  • High Street (Punt Road to Bangs Street and Northcote Road to Spring Road)
  • Toorak Road (Punt Road to Grange Road)
  • Malvern Road (Chapel Street to Mathoura Road)
  • Glenferrie Road (Dandenong Road to High Street)
  • Wattletree Road (Duncraig Avenue to Drysdale Street) 

Goods permit and extended goods permit

  • You must display a current permit sticker on the front window of your premises.
  • Displayed goods must not exceed 1.5 metres in height.
  • A minimum of 1.5 metres of pedestrian zone must remain clear and free from obstruction to allow pedestrian access.
  • A kerb zone of a minimum of 300mm must remain clear and free from obstruction to allow access to and from parked vehicles.

You can also apply for an Extended Goods Permit to display goods on your neighbouring premises. You must supply proof of consent.

Please note you cannot display white goods on the footpath in the City of Stonnington.

Goods on footpath in busy areas

Definition of a busy area

Charge type Fee

Small (up to 4 metres)

Medium (4 to 8 metres)

Large (8 metres plus)

$440

$660

$1,540

Goods on footpath in all other areas

Charge type Fee

Small (up to 4 metres)

Medium (4 to 8 metres)

Large (8 metres plus)

$220

$330

$770

*A busy area is defined as a property on:

  • Chapel Street
  • Commercial Road
  • Greville Street
  • High Street (Punt Road to Bangs Street and Northcote Road to Spring Road)
  • Toorak Road (Punt Road to Grange Road)
  • Malvern Road (Chapel Street to Mathoura Road)
  • Glenferrie Road (Dandenong Avenue to Drysdale Street)
  • Wattletree Road (Duncraig Avenue to Drysdale Street)

Advertising board permit

  • You must display a current permit sticker on the front window of your premises.
  • The board must be no larger than one metre high and 750mm wide.
  • You must place the board a minimum of 300mm from the back of the kerb within the trading zone to allow for safe pedestrian and vehicle access.
  • The board must only advertise the business or service provided by the premises to which it relates.
  • If the premises contain more than one business or service, you must provide written permission from the other business owner, body corporate or occupier to apply for a new permit or extend an existing one.
  • Only one advertising sign per business of any type is permitted on the footpath.
  • If your business is above the ground floor, you'll need written consent from the business on the ground floor to display an advertising board.
  • If you want to place a board on the footpath of a neighbouring business, you need written consent from the business owner. Boards are only allowed on the kerb side directly in front of an approved premises.

  • We generally do not support placing boards on street corners. This will be subject to a Council officer assessment.

Cost: $370 per board per year.

Night club queue permit

  • You must place a current permit sticker on the front window of your premises.
  • It is the permit holder’s responsibility to ensure the safe management of patrons queuing at venues.
  • We will not issue night club queue permits adjacent to any outdoor dining areas.
  • You can only establish queuing and roped-off areas adjacent to the building line.
  • Queued patrons must not obstruct or impede pedestrian access on the footpath.
  • You must maintain a minimum of 1.5 metre pedestrian access.
  • A permit holder must always supervise patrons to ensure people are not forced from the footpath onto the road.

Cost: $630 per application.

Waiting area permit

  • The service of food, drink and liquor is strictly not permitted.
  • You must not place outdoor tables and chairs in the pedestrian zone.
  • Chairs should be oriented parallel with the footpath and must not impede on the pedestrian or kerb zone.
  • Furniture should be hardy and sturdy which may include tables, chairs and umbrellas only.

Costs: $350 for a small zone, $450 for a medium zone, and $550 for a large zone.

Real estate pointer board permit

  • We may grant real estate agents a permit to place signs (pointer boards) on the nature strip at or near a property for which the agent is acting.
  • You cannot place signs on the road, a roundabout, traffic island or garden bed, or where it creates any hazard to pedestrian or vehicle safety.
  • One permit allows you to use up to 10 signs at any one time.
  • You can only place signs within two hours of the activity they are advertising. You must remove signs within two hours after the activity has finished.
  • Do not attach corflute-style pointer boards or similar to any Council-owned assets.

Cost: $957 for a maximum of 10 boards per year.

Apply for a footpath trading permit

Time

2 to 5 business days

Cost

Application fee is $95.

The permit fee depends on the length of your outdoor space and whether your location is designated as a busy area or other area type.

New business support

Use our Permit Finder if you’re not sure what permits you need.

Our Business Concierge is also available to help you understand what permits you need.

Email businessconcierge@stonnington.vic.gov.au or call 03 8290 1333.

Contact us

Email

footpathtrading@stonnington.vic.gov.au

Phone

03 8290 1333