LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Jose Manuel Carrera is the first in ways other street vendors say they cannot be.

After beginning to sell fruit drinks – referred to as aguas frescas in Spanish – at outdoor events in Clark County over a decade ago, he’s now clinking his cup with his 16-year-old son, Alan Carrera, as the two prepare to set up shop without the fear of police interference. Clark County awarded them the first street vendor business license on Wednesday.

“Now, no one can bother us. I can be there and, you know, just do our thing, sell whatever we have to sell,” Jose said with a smile, standing in front of his cart Thursday afternoon.

“I hope to get more than 50 (people) a day. That’s a good number,” Alan said while providing a tour of the cart’s interior. “As long as people come and I can serve the community, I mean, I’d be happy.”

Jose already owns LV Michoacana in North Las Vegas. It will now double as a commissary for their street cart business, Paletas y Aguas.

This saved the Carreras time as their street cart business was simply added to the store’s already-obtained state business license. It will also save them money, as they do not need to retrieve their ingredients from a third-party commissary as required by the necessary licensing.

The duo plans to officially begin vending at the Circle K gas station on Cactus Avenue and Dean Martin Drive early next week, thanks to a deal they say was made with the private property’s owner.

The Carreras have reason to celebrate, though other vendors say they have reason to keep operating illegally.

Clark County commissioners approved their own rules for street vendors in mid-April after Gov. Joe Lombardo signed a law requiring certain Nevada jurisdictions to do the same last year. On April 30, those rules went into effect in unincorporated Clark County.

They specify where and when vendors are allowed to sell — rules that some vendors believe are too restrictive. They also dictate licensing and liability insurance requirements, which 8 News Now analyzed to be around $1,500 in total at the start.

Jose said he paid more than that.

“Well, it’s a lot of money when we don’t have it, especially for someone that’s working hard, trying to apply for this permit,” Jose said.

Other vendors have pleaded with county leaders to reduce these rules, which several referred to as “barriers” during public meetings and workshops with Clark County. The initial licensing and liability costs are among their biggest concerns.

Vendors have also told 8 News Now that the only way they can earn that kind of money is by continuing to operate, technically illegally, for the time being. Others say due to their living circumstances, they would likely not be able to ever save that kind of money while adhering to other financial responsibilities.

Clark County says 74 written warnings have been issued to vendors since the rules went into effect. Metro police told 8 News Now their officers “plan to educate and warn the vendors” of these rules before potential arrest or citation when “a vendor disregards an officers’ warning and continues to operate without proper licensing.”

As other applications make their way through Clark County Business Licensing, Jose says the Carreras are proud to be an example for other vendors to follow. He’s also not paying too much attention to the other vendors that could be operating nearby.

“If I, you know, tell them to leave, I don’t want to get into no issues with nobody. So, I’d rather leave it alone,” Jose said. “I think (the rules are), you know, something they need to do.”

Only two other applications have been submitted since April 30, according to Clark County, indicating more vendors are operating illegally than legally in the valley. The three other valley jurisdictions have yet to enact their own rules as SB 92 requires them to.

The cities of Las Vegas and Henderson are discussing the creation of their rules at the respective city council meetings next week. North Las Vegas has told 8 News Now that they do not yet have a timeline to implement their rules.