Apply for a Footpath Trading Permit

You need a Footpath Trading Permit if you want to use a public footpath or Council land for your business. 

A permit is required to:

  • set up dining on the footpath outside your business
  • set up dining on your neighbour’s footpath
  • set up dining in a converted parking space outside your business (roadside dining)
  • display goods
  • display goods on your neighbour's footpath (Extended Goods Permit)
  • display an advertising board
  • set up a night club queue
  • set up a waiting area permit
  • display a real estate pointer board. 

If you are buying an existing business that has footpath trading, you need to apply for another Footpath Trading Permit as well as register a food business. The registration and permit are not transferable.

Key information

Permit renewals

Your permit is renewed on 1 July every year. We will send you an invoice in June.

Invoices for the period 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025 are due for payment on 26 July 2024. Payments made after this due date may result in the permit being invalid.

It is the responsibility of the permit holder to ensure all permit renewal details including public liability, amendments 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).

For more information on accessibility, view our Better Access Better Business Guide(PDF, 2MB).

Use our Permit Finder if you’re not sure what permits you need, or call our Local Laws team on 03 8290 1333.

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.
  • Completed aerial site plan(PDF, 304KB), including position of Council assets as well as 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).
  • Completed elevation site plan, including position of all Council assets. All site plans must be an appropriate scale (1:100 or 1:200). Please refer to the example site plans for outdoor dining(PDF, 304KB) and goods trading(PDF, 359KB) applications.
  • 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 now

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

You will hear from Council via email about your application, which can be accepted, rejected or accepted with conditions.

Receive your permit

If Council accepts your application, you will receive your permit sticker in the mail. You may also receive the sticker from a Council officer when they complete the final inspection. The sticker must be stuck to the front window of your premises.

Council officers will make regular inspections to make sure you meet all 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

  • A current permit sticker must be displayed on the front window of your premises.
  • Dining permits are only approved for registered food businesses.
  • Permanent fixed footpath dining furniture and barriers are not permitted.
  • A one-metre gap between adjoining trading or access zones must be left. This means a clearance of 500 millimetres is required at 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. Proof of consent will need to be supplied.

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)

For information on accessibility requirements, view the Better Access Better Business Guide(PDF, 2MB).

Goods Permit and Extended Goods Permit

  • A current permit sticker must be displayed on the front window of your premises.
  • Goods displayed 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. Proof of consent will need to be supplied.

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

  • A current permit sticker must be displayed on the front window of your premises.
  • The board must be no larger than one metre high and 750mm wide.
  • The board must be placed 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 a board is placed on the footpath of a neighbouring business, written consent is required from the business owner. Boards are only allowed on the kerb side directly in front of an approved premises.

  • Placement of a board on a street corner is generally not supported and will be subject to assessment by a Council Officer.

An Advertising Board Permit costs $370 per board per year.

Night Club Queue Permit

  • A current permit sticker must be displayed on the front window of your premises.
  • It is the permit holder’s responsibility to ensure the safe management of patrons queuing at venues.
  • Night Club Queue Permits will not be issued adjacent to any outdoor dining areas.
  • Queuing and roped-off areas can only be established adjacent to the building line.
  • Queued patrons must not obstruct or impede pedestrian access on the footpath.
  • A minimum of 1.5 metre pedestrian access must be maintained.
  • Patrons must always be supervised by a permit holder to ensure people are not forced from the footpath onto the road. 

A Night Club Queue Permit costs $630 per application.

Waiting Area Permit

  • The service of food, drink and liquor is strictly not permitted.
  • Outdoor tables and chairs must not be placed 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.

A Waiting Area Permit costs $350 for a small zone, $450 for medium and $550 for large.

Real Estate Pointer Board Permit

  • Real estate agents may be granted a permit for signs (pointer boards) to be placed on the nature strip at or near a property for which the agent is acting.
  • Signs cannot be placed on the road, a roundabout, traffic island or garden bed, or where it creates any hazard to pedestrian or vehicle safety.
  • One permit allows up to 10 signs to be used at any one time.
  • Signs are only to be placed within two hours of the activity they are advertising and removed within two hours after the activity has ceased.
  • Corflute style pointer boards or similar must not to be attached to any Council-owned assets.

A Real Estate Pointer Board Permit costs $957 for a maximum of 10 boards per year.

Apply now

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.

Contact us

Email

footpathtrading@stonnington.vic.gov.au

Phone

03 8290 1333