diff --git a/tools/workspace/BUILD.bazel b/tools/workspace/BUILD.bazel
index 959a7c429d97..c12609a9a3d0 100644
--- a/tools/workspace/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/tools/workspace/BUILD.bazel
@@ -43,6 +43,15 @@ drake_py_binary(
     ],
 )
 
+drake_py_binary(
+    name = "vendor_cxx",
+    srcs = ["vendor_cxx.py"],
+    visibility = [
+        "@yaml_cpp_internal//:__pkg__",
+    ],
+    deps = [":module_py"],
+)
+
 drake_py_binary(
     name = "cmake_configure_file",
     srcs = ["cmake_configure_file.py"],
diff --git a/tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal/vendor_cxx.py b/tools/workspace/vendor_cxx.py
similarity index 100%
rename from tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal/vendor_cxx.py
rename to tools/workspace/vendor_cxx.py
diff --git a/tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal/BUILD.bazel b/tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal/BUILD.bazel
index f245e8a3c434..7198e3bb9b53 100644
--- a/tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal/BUILD.bazel
+++ b/tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal/BUILD.bazel
@@ -1,15 +1,5 @@
 # -*- python -*-
 
-load(
-    "@drake//tools/skylark:drake_py.bzl",
-    "drake_py_binary",
-)
 load("//tools/lint:lint.bzl", "add_lint_tests")
 
-drake_py_binary(
-    name = "vendor_cxx",
-    srcs = ["vendor_cxx.py"],
-    visibility = ["@yaml_cpp_internal//:__pkg__"],
-)
-
 add_lint_tests()
diff --git a/tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal/package.BUILD.bazel b/tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal/package.BUILD.bazel
index dc9824aa6c25..1d489e1bcf77 100644
--- a/tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal/package.BUILD.bazel
+++ b/tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal/package.BUILD.bazel
@@ -35,17 +35,17 @@ _VENDORED_SRCS = [
 ]
 
 genrule(
-    name = "foo",
+    name = "vendoring",
     srcs = _HDRS + _SRCS,
     outs = _VENDORED_HDRS + _VENDORED_SRCS,
     cmd = " ".join([
-        "$(execpath @drake//tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal:vendor_cxx)",
+        "$(execpath @drake//tools/workspace:vendor_cxx)",
         "--edit-include=yaml-cpp/:drake-yaml-cpp/",
     ] + [
         "$(execpath {}):$(execpath {})".format(old, new)
         for old, new in zip(_HDRS, _VENDORED_HDRS) + zip(_SRCS, _VENDORED_SRCS)
     ]),
-    tools = ["@drake//tools/workspace/yaml_cpp_internal:vendor_cxx"],
+    tools = ["@drake//tools/workspace:vendor_cxx"],
 )
 
 cc_library(