By Yasmine EDDAM
17 April 2025
Itinerant commerce plays an important role in the French economy. These commercial activities, carried out away from fixed premises, are subject to a precise regulatory framework. Although itinerant traders and fairground vendors are often confused, they have distinct legal definitions and are subject to specific obligations. The legal distinction between itinerant and fairground traders The French Commercial Code makes a fundamental distinction between itinerant traders and fairground traders. Legal definition of an itinerant merchant An itinerant merchant is defined in article L. 123-29 of the French Commercial Code as a person who carries on an itinerant commercial or craft activity outside the territory of the municipality in which their home or main establishment is located. This status applies to both natural and legal persons. The essential feature of itinerant traders is that they must have a fixed abode or residence. This domicile must have been established for at least six months in France or in...
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