How to Become a Vendor for the Magic City Classic

Vendors interested in selling items during the Magic City Classic in Birmingham, AL, should be aware of the information below on how to obtain a City of Birmingham business license, a Jefferson County business license, a health department permit, remit sales tax, etc.

 

You Need a License to Park Cars During the Classic

You must have a license from the City of Birmingham to park 10 cars or more on properties around Legion Field during the Magic City Classic. Each lot MUST have a license. You cannot copy one purchased license and use it for two or more lots. (This is even true if you own the property and are parking cars yourself.) The license to park cars is $100. Call the Finance Department at 205-254-2198 if you have questions.

If someone gives you permission to park cars on their property, you must show the Finance Department a letter from the property owner. That letter from the property owner must say they give you permission to park cars.

 

You Need a City of Birmingham Business License to Sell Food

If you do not have a yearly Birmingham business license and you plan to sell food, you must get a temporary license, which is $150. This license is good for up to three days. The cost is the same for one day, two days or three days of operation. You must also get a permit from the Jefferson County Department of Health.

If you already have an annual business license for your mobile food cart or food truck with the City of Birmingham and you have a permit from the Jefferson County Department of Health, you do NOT need to get a temporary license from the city.

If you have a business license for a brick and mortar business or restaurant, but you want to sell food off of a food truck, in a tent or mobile cart during the Magic City Classic, you must get a temporary, city business license because the city business license for your restaurant is just for your restaurant and will not transfer to your pop-up location during the Magic City Classic.

For every food truck or mobile food cart you have, you must have a business license.

Non-food vendors must get a business license. Please check with the city’s Finance Department on the cost.

If you fail to get a business license in advance of the Magic City Classic, the City of Birmingham will be selling licenses. However, you must also make sure you secure a permit to sell food from the Jefferson County Department of Health.  

As a food vendor or regular product vendor, if you have a business license from another city, you cannot use that license to sell food during the Magic City Classic. You must secure a temporary license from the City of Birmingham to sell food during the Magic City Classic.

If you plan to sell anything along Graymont Avenue or on any properties surrounding Legion Field, you must get permission from the property owner to sell goods on their property. Usually, the property owner will charge a rental fee. Such a fee and written agreement for the vendor should be worked out between the vendor and property owner.

 

You Must Pay Sales Tax

1.City representatives will be checking vendors on game day to ensure everyone is licensed.

All vendors are responsible for paying 4 percent gross sales tax on their gross sales to the City of Birmingham.

City Finance Department officials will be collecting taxes on Saturday. But if officials miss you, please know that all sales tax from game day should be submitted no later than Nov. 13, 2023.

All vendors will receive envelopes from the City of Birmingham to remit city sales tax. If a vendor or vendors do not receive a visit from a Finance Department rep for collection, vendors are still responsible for mailing in sales tax. Vendors should use the envelopes they received from the city’s Finance Department.

At the end of October 2023, you will not report the city sales tax you remitted from the Magic City Classic.

Please remember that you must also submit 2 percent sales tax to Jefferson Couty and 4 percent sales tax to the State of Alabama.

 

Where To Go Get a City of Birmingham Business License

Business licenses can be obtained prior to the game. Please contact the City of Birmingham’s Finance Department at City Hall at 205-254-2198 to secure a business license. The Finance Department is located on the first floor of City Hall, 710 – 20th St. North. They are open from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

If you wait until the last minute to get a business license from the city, the hours will be 12 to 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 26; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 27 at City Hall. Finance Department reps will be in and around Legion Field all day on Saturday, Oct. 28.

Securing a vendor spot on private property along Graymont Avenue or at Legion Field, does not exempt the vendor from obtaining a Birmingham business license or from paying Birmingham sales taxes. Each vendor must have a Birmingham business license in order to vend during the game or pre-game events.

Questions about business licenses? Please contact the City’s Tax & License Division at 205-254-2198. Send emails to Tan Brown at  titania.brown@birminghamal.gov or Yolanda Lawson at yolanda.lawson@birminghamal.gov.

 

You Must Also Have a Jefferson County Business License

If you plan to sell food or items off a food truck, in a tent or from a mobile cart during the Magic City Classic, you will also need a Jefferson County business license. Contact Viktor Johnson or Tracye Gaston with the county’s Department of Revenue. A Jefferson County business license will cost $50, and a Jefferson County food truck license will cost $151.50. You must have both of these if you plan to sell food. Both licenses are good from Oct. 1, 2023 – Sept. 30, 2024. The county does not issue temporary licenses.

When getting the county licenses, you must also have a permit from the Jefferson County Department of Health. For more info, send emails to johnsonvi@jccal.org or Gastont@jccal.org.

The county will be checking food trucks and other vendors on Oct. 25 – Oct. 28 during the Magic City Classic to ensure businesses have the proper licenses. Vendors not in compliance could receive a citation. After getting a citation, a business has 10 days to get a county business license. Those who fail to do so, could face court costs.

 

How to Secure the Right Documents from the Health Department

For a list of the documents you’ll need from the Jefferson County Department of Health, please go here.

Please go here to see info from the Health Department on what food vendors need when selling food on private property.

 

Be Sure Your Food Truck Is Compliant with City Fire Department Requirements

The Birmingham Fire and Rescue Services has issued a checklist for vendors cooking food on food trucks and in tents.  Please go here to see the attached PDF. Questions? Contact BFRS Inspector Deborah McCluney at 205-873-9972 or via email at  Deborah.mccluney@birminghamal.gov

 

Final Notes  

Please go here to see the vendor PDF for additional information from the City of Birmingham’s Finance Department.

On Monday, Oct. 9, 2023, the City of Birmingham and the Jefferson County Department of Health hosted an informational meeting for vendors wishing to do business during the Classic. A recording of that meeting can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXvOxIm6sSk.

All food vending slots to sell inside Legion Field stadium or on Legion Field property, are now closed.

For information on securing a yearly food truck permit from the City of Birmingham, please go here. Please keep in mind that if you do not have a yearly food truck permit and you just want to sell food during the Magic City Classic, a temporary permit may be better for you. However, if you opt to get a yearly food truck permit for the rest of 2023, this permit will expire on Dec. 31, 2023, and you will need to reapply for a new food truck permit to cover you in 2024.

For details about tailgating, events planned during the Magic City Classic and more, visit www.birminghamal.gov/classic.