Four categories of persons can do so, namely:

1. Holder of a Fixed-Pitch (Newspaper) Hawker Licence

   means the holder of a valid Fixed-Pitch (Newspaper) Hawker Licence issued by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene under the Hawker Regulation (Cap. 132AI). When invited to select a vacant pitch, the applicant shall still satisfy the above-mentioned eligibility criteria of holders of a Fixed-Pitch (Newspaper) Hawker Licence and produce relevant supporting documents for verification purpose.

2. Holder of an Itinerant Hawker Licence (Other Classes/Newspaper)

   means the holder of a valid Itinerant Hawker Licence (Other Classes) and valid Itinerant Hawker Licence (Newspaper) issued by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene under the Hawker Regulation (Cap. 132AI). When invited to select a vacant pitch, the applicant shall still satisfy the above-mentioned eligibility criteria of holders of an Itinerant Hawker Licence (Other Classes/Newspaper) and produce relevant supporting documents for verification purpose.

3. Eligible registered assistant

   means an assistant who has been endorsed by the Director of Food and Environmental Hygiene under section 12 of the Hawker Regulation (Cap. 132AI), and who is currently registered at fixed hawker pitch(es) and has an accumulated registration period of five years or more (as at the cut-off date of 31 August 2026, with each year calculated as 365 days), while also satisfying the eligibility criteria for persons belonging to Category (4) below. When invited to select a vacant pitch, the applicant shall still satisfy the above-mentioned eligibility criteria of registered assistants and produce relevant supporting documents for verification purpose.

4. Members of the public satisfying the following specified criteria:

   • A person who is Hong Kong resident reaching the age of 18 on or before the deadline for application (including new arrivals, but excluding Hong Kong non-permanent residents who have been admitted to Hong Kong to work, study or receive training and their dependents, and excluding persons who have entered Hong Kong as visitors);

   • A person who is not a current holder of any valid hawker licence;

   • A person who has not entered into any market stall tenancy agreement that remains in force at present with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department (FEHD);

   • A person who has not participated in the Voluntary Surrender Schemes for Fixed-Pitch (Cooked Food or Light Refreshment) Hawkers or Itinerant Hawkers or applied for voluntary surrender of hawker licence under the Assistance Scheme for Hawkers in Fixed-Pitch Hawker Areas;

   • A person who has not received ex-gratia payment granted by the FEHD, due to closure of Yen Chow Street Temporary Hawker Bazaar in Sham Shui Po; and

   • A person whose parents, spouse, sons and daughters are not current holders of any valid hawker licence.

The hawker licence deputy's permit and the permit of registered assistant must be surrendered to the FEHD for cancellation on the day the new hawker licence is issued.

When an eligible registered assistant/deputy is invited to select a vacant pitch, he/she shall still satisfy the eligibility criteria for his/her respective category and is required to submit the relevant supporting documents for verification. 

Q3

Can I submit duplicate applications at different times during the application period for a higher success rate?
Each applicant should submit only one application.   Duplicate applications (regardless of using different category you apply for) will not be accepted and processed.

Q4

Why does the FEHD offer online application as the only means for this pitch allocation exercise?
In late September 2019, the FEHD released 435 vacant fixed hawker pitches for application by eligible persons. About 14 000 applications were received at that time and around 60% of them were online applications. Due to the growing prevalence of smartphones and online application, members of the public are open to making applications online. Moreover, online application is convenient and fast as applicants may fill out and submit their applications using a mobile phone or a personal computer anytime and anywhere. This does not only save time and cost, but also further enhances the efficiency of processing the applications. Due to such considerations, the FEHD offers online application platform as the only means for applicants to submit their applications for vacant fixed hawker pitches and licences. Nevertheless, the FEHD will upload to its website video clips showing each step of the online application process for those who do not know how to make an application online. In addition, the FEHD will set up support centres at its 19 District Environmental Hygiene Office (DEHO) to help applicants submit their applications online. Please refer to the Contact Us for the addresses and contact numbers of the Hawker Pitch Allocation Office and the 19 DEHO support centres. 

Q5

Do I need to provide supporting documents when submitting my application?
Applicants are only required to fill out the application form and provide their personal particulars. They will be required to submit the relevant supporting documents for verification of their eligibility (i.e. belonging to any of the four application categories) only when they are invited to select from the vacant pitches if their application is successful and short-listed by way of ballot.

Q6

Will I receive an acknowledgement after submitting the application?
After an application is submitted, the system will immediately display a message for successful submission and an application number for future enquiries by applicants.

Applicants who do not receive the message or the application number after submitting an application may call 2348 6944 for enquiry. 

Q7

How to make other enquiries?

19 District Environmental Hygiene Office Support Centres: For contact details, please see Contact Us
Enquiry hotline: 2348 6944 or 2868 0000
Enquiry email: enquiries@fehd.gov.hk
Website: https://www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/hawker/hawker_reallocation.html

Q8

What is the earliest time to issue the licence after the deadline for application?
After the deadline, the FEHD will fix a date for open computer random sequencing cum manual ballot in order to determine the pitch selection priority order of applicants. The FEHD will then notify the applicants for an interview according to their priority order.

On the day of interview, applicants are required to submit the relevant supporting documents for verification. Upon confirmation of eligibility, the applicants will be arranged to select a pitch before being granted a licence. The time required for the entire process depends on the circumstances of each applicant and his/her pitch selection priority order. 

Q9

In which districts are the hawker pitches available for allocation? How many pitches are available for selection?

Q10

What commodities can be sold at the hawker pitches available for allocation?
There are 321 hawker pitches available for allocation. Of these, 112 pitches may be used to sell Class II commodities (Class II commodities are divided into five categories, including (A) food-related dry goods/preserved food; (B) fresh fruits; (C) prepacked food and drinks; (D) bread, cakes and confectioneries; and (E) Chinese herbs and medicines) or Class III commodities (non-food-related dry goods and related services). 94 pitches may be used to sell item (C) of Class II commodities (prepacked food and drinks, excluding prepackaged fresh fruits and vegetables) or Class III commodities (non-food-related dry goods and related services). For the remaining 115 pitches, they may only be used to sell Class III commodities and provide related services. For details, please visit the FEHD's website (https://www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/hawker/hawker_reallocation.html).

Q11

1. Only Class II or Class III commodities are allowed to be sold at the fixed pitches. Why?
2. When will the short-listed applicants be required to notify the FEHD on the type of commodities to be sold at the selected pitch?

1. Class I commodities refer to wet goods, only vegetables fall within this class.
   Based on experience, selling wet goods on-street will affect environmental hygiene nearby and cause nuisance to members of the public. The FEHD no longer issues new hawker licences for the sale of wet goods due to environmental hygiene considerations.
   
   Class II commodities are food-related dry goods which include five major types of goods, namely (A) food-related dry goods/preserved food; (B) fresh fruits; (C) prepacked food and drinks; (D) bread, cakes and confectioneries; and (E) Chinese herbs and medicines. Class III commodities are non-food-related dry goods, such as clothing, footwear, household goods, small electrical appliances, souvenirs, etc.
   The types of commodities are diversified to cater for the daily necessities of the public. Those interested in joining the hawker trade may choose to sell different types of commodities from Class II, Class II(C) or Class III according to market needs.
2. Prospective licensees may choose to sell Class II, Class II(C) or Class III commodities at the pitch. Short-listed applicants are required to notify the FEHD of the type of commodities they intend to sell on the day of pitch selection.

Q12

Can holders of a newly issued hawker licence operate business as a tradesman?
A newly issued hawker licence allows the licensee to sell Class II, Class II(C) or Class III commodities, and Class III commodities are non-food-related dry goods, such as clothing, footwear, household goods, chops and seals, hardware products, watches, etc.
Licensees can choose the commodities to be sold from the same class and provide related services of the commodities concerned in a flexible manner.

Q13

Can holders of a newly issued hawker licence sell proprietary Chinese medicines?
Under Section 119 of the Chinese Medicine Ordinance (Cap. 549), it is an offence for any person to sell, import or possess any proprietary Chinese medicine unless such medicine is registered. For details, please contact the Department of Health.
However, the Chinese herbs and medicines sold as Class II commodities refer to those used in the form or manner of food and those generally considered as food.

Q14

Is there any restriction on the operating hours for the fixed hawker pitches allocated in this exercise?
Apart from certain hawker pitches with specified operating hours, licensees may operate their stalls in person between 6:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. every day.

Q15

1. Can holders of a fixed-pitch hawker licence issued in this exercise continue the operation as long as the licence is renewed every year?
2. Do the pitches available for allocation vary in size? Are the licence fees the same?

1. Hawker licences are renewed every year.
   Like the existing renewal arrangement for hawker licences, fixed-pitch hawker licences issued in this exercise have to be renewed every year.
   
   Except for applicants under the categories of licensed fixed-pitch newspaper hawkers and licensed itinerant hawkers, the hawker licence operation period of a fixed-pitch hawker licence issued in this re-allocation exercise is seven years (from the date of issue of licence). The licence will not be renewed upon expiry of the licence operation period, and licensees are required to remove the stall and other equipment from the pitch. Applicants granted a licence are required to comply with the Hawker Regulation (Cap. 132AI), other related legislation and licensing conditions, and pay the licence fee required on its annual renewal during the seven-year operation validity period.
2. The pitches allocated in this exercise vary in size, with annual fee ranging from $4,347 to $6,715.

Q16

How will the FEHD allocate the fixed hawker pitches to eligible applicants?
Vacant hawker pitches available for allocation will be equally allocated among the four categories of applicants. Each applicant will be given an application number specific to each category of applicants. Pitch selection priority order of eligible applicants is generated in a fair and impartial manner by way of open computer random sequencing cum manual ballot. Upon completion of the ballot, the FEHD will notify all eligible applicants of their priority numbers. The result will also be uploaded to the FEHD's website (https://www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/hawker/hawker_reallocation.html) the following day for checking by applicants.

If there are more eligible applicants than vacant pitches, standby applicants will be put on a waiting list according to their priority numbers. If short-listed applicants give up pitch selection, applicants belonging to the same category on the waiting list may select a vacant pitch according to their priority order. Subsequently, if there are fewer applicants in a certain category than the quota of vacant pitches allocated to that category, applicants of all categories on the waiting list who have not been allocated any pitch will select those pitches according to their priority numbers. 

Q17

If an invited applicant gives up pitch selection in the end, will he/she remain on the waiting list of eligible applicants?
A short-listed applicant who gives up pitch selection will be deemed to have withdrawn his/her application, and his/her application number will also be removed from the list.

Q18

I have not been short-listed in this exercise. Does it mean that my application has lapsed?
The FEHD will maintain a waiting list for eligible applicants who have not been invited to select a pitch and have not indicated their withdrawal from pitch selection. This waiting list will be valid for three years counting from the date of the ballot. During this three-year period, if vacant hawker pitches become available for allocation, we will invite applicants on the waiting list according to their priority numbers for pitch selection.

The eligibility of applicants on the waiting list must remain the same as their circumstances at the time of application. The waiting list will automatically expire upon the end of the three-year period.

Q19

If applicants are invited for pitch selection, what documents should they bring along to complete the formalities?
Eligible applicants invited for pitch selection are required to attend an interview on the appointed date and time. They have to bring along the documents listed in the invitation letter, including a duly completed and signed declaration form together with the particulars of their family members and/or other information, and documents relating to their applications. Applicants who hold a Fixed-Pitch (Newspaper) Hawker Licence, an Itinerant Hawker Licence, a Permit of Registered Assistant, or a valid hawker licence deputy's permit, they must surrender their existing hawker licences / permits to the FEHD for cancellation on the day the new hawker licence is issued.

Q20

I am an applicant holding a Fixed-Pitch(Newspaper) Hawker Licence or an Itinerant Hawker Licence and have been short-listed for pitch selection. Do I have to surrender my licence for cancellation? Will I retain the right to apply for succession or transfer of licence?
Applicants holding a Fixed-Pitch (Newspaper) Hawker Licence or an Itinerant Hawker Licence are required to surrender their valid hawker licences to the FEHD for cancellation on the day the new hawker licence is issued. Failure or refusal to surrender the valid hawker licence there and then for cancellation will render the application void, and the selected hawker pitch will be re-allocated to other applicants.

Historically, no succession or transfer arrangement has been available for Itinerant Hawker Licences. No right to succession or transfer will be created even when an Itinerant Hawker Licence is converted to a Fixed-Pitch Hawker Licence. Under the prevailing hawker policy, with effect from 21 May 2010, no succession or transfer is allowed for newly issued Fixed-Pitch Hawker Licences (including Newspaper Hawker Licences). As for the hawkers who were holding these hawker licences before the new requirement took effect, succession or transfer of licence will only be permitted once under normal circumstances, and these applications will be considered on their own merits. Therefore, whether a Fixed-Pitch (Newspaper) Hawker Licence can be succeeded or transferred will depend on individual cases.

Q21

Can the new licence be succeeded or transferred?
Under the prevailing policy, with effect from 21 May 2010, no succession or transfer is allowed for all newly issued hawker licences. For those who have relinquished their Fixed-Pitch (Newspaper) Hawker Licence for a Fixed-Pitch (Other Classes) Hawker Licence, it depends on whether the Newspaper Hawker Licence was granted before the implementation of the new policy in 2010, and whether the old policy applies to them.

Q22

How can I find out my priority number for pitch selection?
The FEHD will issue a letter to notify eligible applicants of their priority numbers and upload the information to the FEHD's website (https://www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/hawker/hawker_reallocation.html) for checking. The FEHD will also issue letters in batches to invite short-listed applicants for pitch selection and completion of the formalities for issue of new licence.

Q23

I am a short-listed applicant but cannot attend the interview at the appointed date and time for pitch selection. Can I authorise a representative to attend the interview on my behalf?
No. The FEHD does not allow an applicant to authorise someone else to select a pitch or handle licensing matters on his/her behalf. An applicant invited for pitch selection must personally attend the interview at the appointed date and time for identity verification by the FEHD staff unless there are exceptional reasons beyond his/her control.
Those who fail to turn up will be deemed to have withdrawn his/her application.

Q24

If all 321 vacant pitches have been selected in the first round, will the remaining list of unshortlisted applicants become void?
The FEHD will keep the list of eligible applicants who have participated in this hawker pitch allocation exercise but not been allocated a pitch for three years counting from the date of the ballot for use in future vacant hawker pitch allocation exercises.

Q25

How can I find out the number of vacant pitches still available for selection?
The FEHD will issue letters in batches to short-listed applicants according to their priority numbers to invite them for pitch selection and completion of the formalities for issue of new licence. At the conclusion of pitch selection procedures on each day, the FEHD will update and upload the information on selected pitches to its website (https://www.fehd.gov.hk/english/pleasant_environment/hawker/hawker_reallocation.html) as quickly as possible, so that applicants awaiting interview can obtain the latest information on the remaining vacant pitches available for selection.

Q26

If my immediate family and I have all applied for a vacant hawker pitch in this exercise, and we have all been short-listed for pitch selection, can we all select a pitch and be issued a new hawker licence?
Pitch selection priority order of eligible applicants is generated in a fair and impartial manner by way of open computer random sequencing cum manual ballot. Under the prevailing policy, when a person becomes a licensee, the applications of his/her immediate family members (i.e. parents, spouse, sons and daughters) will not be considered.

Q27

Is it mandatory to construct a stall if I am allocated a hawker pitch?
An applicant granted a licence is required to design and construct a stall (including fixed electrical installations) at his/her own expense in accordance with the specifications previously approved by the FEHD and hawk from the stall. If an applicant operates business at a stall after obtaining a license but fails to construct the stall in accordance with the approved specifications, he/she is in breach of the licensing conditions and shall be subject to the consequences of such breach.  He/she will be prosecuted, and the hawker licence may be temporarily suspended. The FEHD has already constructed stalls at the Hau Tei Square Hawker Bazaar in Tsuen Wan district. Applicant who selects a hawker pitch located there will not be required to construct his/her own stall.

Q28

Will the FEHD provide an agent to assist prospective licensees in application or stall construction?
The FEHD has not entrusted any organisations or persons to assist in receiving or processing applications. An applicant granted a licence is required to design and construct a stall (including fixed electrical installations) at his/her own expense in accordance with the specifications previously approved by the FEHD and hawk from the stall.

Q29

Can I construct the stall according to my personal preference after selecting a hawker pitch?
A licensee or prospective licensee is required to construct the stall on the pitch at his/her own expense in accordance with the FEHD's prescribed stall structure specifications.

The FEHD has specified the types of stalls that can be constructed, namely, cabinet-type stall/half-cabinet stall with canopy/morning set-up, evening dismantle stall. A licensee or prospective licensee is required to construct the stall according to the type of stall permitted for his/her pitch. For enquiries on the application procedures for stall construction, they may contact the Hawker Section of the district concerned.