Hazard City Police are out making sure these road side sellers have a license to sell.

Linda Compton says she was trying to make a few extra dollars.

Compton says, “I had no clue you had to have a license.”

Hazard city officials told the police department to start patrolling certain areas where street sellers set-up to make sure they have the necessary paperwork to do so.

Police chief Ronnie Bryant says it comes down to safety.

Bryant says,”One way by doing this is not to allow congestion in certain areas. These roadside sales are definitely causing problems due to the traffic congestion.”

Bryant says if sellers are caught without a license, they could face up to 500 dollars in fines.

“If you do sell merchandise anywhere in the city, you are required to pay a fee to obtain the license,” Bryant says.

Compton says people are selling items because of the sluggish economy.

“I can understand if someone is here and they're trying to make a lot of money everyday as a small business, I can see that's a wrong thing,” Compton says.

Bryant says police are not trying to stop the roadside sales.

“You have the right to sell what merchandise you want. You just have to do it in the proper way,” Bryant says.

And the proper way, Bryant says, is to get a license.

If you are looking to obtain a permit to sell on the roadside, you can visit Hazard City Hall.