Parking Locations & City Licensing

Licensing

Most cities in Washington do require you to have a city business license, in addition to your general state business license. A few cities in Washington require you to have an added "mobile food vendor license" and to submit a mobile vendor application form, often found on their city website under their Tax & Licensing department info.

Most all cities now have you apply for their city business license by adding on an addendum to your state license through the state Department of Revenue online portal, found here: https://dor.wa.gov/ OR in the File Local system found here: https://www.filelocal-wa.gov/Default_FileLocal.aspx

When you are a "mobile" business that does not have a home base or reside in the city where you will provide service, they will need your mailing address as you will not have a permanent physical address as do many other brick & mortar business types.

Some cities do not require you to apply & pay for their city business license until you reach a minimum amount of gross sales or will require you to apply for a no fee license if you do not expect to make a minimum amount of gross sales.

In regard to special events, when you only plan to serve in a city one time for that special event, often times the event host will take care of a special event permit that will cover your need to have a business license in that city, but be sure to check with them on this item.

You are required to pay a quarterly sales tax in Washington, so be sure to check in with the city municipal code, or the Department Of Revenue, when you have questions about licensing.

Know the code…. for example: the municipal code for Redmond.... Food trucks are considered a temporary use (their code defines food trucks as "motorized catering") item and do not need a private property use permit if they are at one location for no more than three hours per day, are located outside the public right-of-way and not located in on-street parking, are located at a site for no more than 14 total days over a period of three months, are not located in required drive aisles or any area that would impede emergency or ADA access; and are located on a lot with no more than one other mobile service vehicle at any given time. If any of these above do not apply, then the food truck does need to apply for a temporary use permit which is good for 6-months, not consecutive, but used within a 12-month period. Redmond also requires an added city fire permit plus fee.

Permitting

Many agencies or others will refer to a permit versus a license. You will obtain a state and city business “license”. This license comes from the tax & revenue department of the city or the Department of Revenue at the state level. Permits are issued by the (county) Health Department, Fire Department or “parking permits” can be issued by the Department of Transportation or a Parks Department for vending on public property.

Parking Locations for Your Mobile Food Business

Each city will have its own municipal code/requirements so you need to research the (retail food) vending laws in the cities you plan to service and review any zoning (area) restrictions. Some cities will allow you to locate your mobile on both private and public property. Most all cities that do allow you to locate on public property will require a permit. Most cities do not allow public vending in residentially zoned areas.

Street Vending

Vending “in the public right-of-way” requires a Street-Use permit usually issued from the city Department of Transportation or the City Planning Department.

On the Seattle Department of Transportation website: https://www.seattle.gov/transportation/permits-and-services/permits/vending-permits the various types of vending permits are listed.

Stadium (for football, baseball & soccer games in downtown Seattle) vending permit info can be found in the link above.

Vending in Parks

All city, county, or state parks property will require a Parks use permit with site-specific insurance and some cities do not allow any retail vending, so be sure to check with the city or county parks department.

Farmer’s Markets

There are now over 115 local, seasonal markets that often need mobile food vendors. You can find and contact the markets here.

(PLEASE report any broken links, or edits that need to be made, here).