King County
King County Fire Marshal's Office (Permitting Division), with delegated fire districts for operational-permit inspection
In short
King County Fire Marshal's Office (Permitting Division), with delegated fire districts for operational-permit inspection issues 4 permits we publish for King County, last verified 2026-09-25. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Code Operational Permit (annual, unincorporated King County)only if it applies to you | King County Fire Marshal's Office (Permitting Division), with delegated fire districts for operational-permit inspection | $171 per code item, initial permit; renewal $114 per item; building occupancy inspection $419 per building per site visit (2026) | annual | 2026-09-25 |
| Special Event Fire Permit (tents, temporary cooking, food trucks at events)only if it applies to you | King County Fire Marshal's Office (Permitting Division), with delegated fire districts for operational-permit inspection | $483 application fee plus $796 per site-visit inspection fee (2026). | per event | 2026-09-25 |
| Fire Systems Permit — Sprinkler and Fire Alarmonly if it applies to you | King County Fire Marshal's Office (Permitting Division), with delegated fire districts for operational-permit inspection | Sprinkler or fire alarm system, new installation or alteration: $970 review per riser or system with more than 10 heads or devices (no review fee for 10 or fewer) plus $1,160 inspection per system plus $24 per head or device (2026). | one-time | 2026-09-25 |
| Fire Systems Permit — Commercial Cooking (kitchen hood) Suppression Systemonly if it applies to you | King County Fire Marshal's Office (Permitting Division), with delegated fire districts for operational-permit inspection | $3,298 per system, in two parts: $1,587 plan review plus $1,711 inspection (2026) | one-time | 2026-09-25 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Fire Code Operational Permit (annual, unincorporated King County)
King County Code Title 17 adopts the 2018 International Fire Code, though the County's own current program materials describe it as the 2021 edition — the two published statements disagree, and either edition's operational-permit requirement is what applies; ask King County Permits, (206) 296-6600, which items a specific business needs. Operational-permit inspection and fee collection in unincorporated King County is delegated by interlocal agreement to South King Fire within that district's service area only, not to fire districts generally: the interlocal agreement's own terms name South King Fire and cap its fee schedule at the County's own. Outside South King Fire's service area, ask King County Permits directly. The County's 2026 fee is $171 per code item for an initial permit and $114 per item at renewal, plus $419 per building per site visit for a building occupancy inspection. This is the 2026 fee schedule; King County Code sets lower fees ($150/$100 per item; $367 for the building occupancy inspection) effective January 1, 2027, unless the Council adopts a new fee ordinance first (one was due to the Council by October 1, 2026). Confirm the current fee after January 2027.
Special Event Fire Permit (tents, temporary cooking, food trucks at events)
An event in unincorporated King County that uses temporary cooking facilities or food trucks, tents over 400 square feet (700 aggregate), 50 or more people, or generators needs a special event fire permit from King County Permits: $483 application plus $796 per inspection site visit in 2026, filed at least 30 calendar days before the event. This is the 2026 fee schedule; King County Code sets a lower fee ($423 plus $697) effective January 1, 2027, unless the Council adopts a new fee ordinance first (one was due to the Council by October 1, 2026). Confirm the current fee with King County Permits, (206) 296-6600, after January 2027. The event organiser normally holds this permit; the food vendor itself still separately needs a Public Health temporary or mobile food permit.
Fire Systems Permit — Sprinkler and Fire Alarm
A new or altered automatic sprinkler or fire alarm system on an unincorporated-area business needs a fire system permit from King County Permits. In 2026 the review fee is $970 per riser or system with more than 10 heads or devices, and none for 10 or fewer; inspection is $1,160 per system plus $24 per head or device. This is the 2026 fee schedule; King County Code sets a lower fee ($849 review; $1,015 plus $21 per head or device for inspection) effective January 1, 2027, unless the Council adopts a new fee ordinance first (one was due to the Council by October 1, 2026). Confirm the current fee with King County Permits, (206) 296-6600, after January 2027.
Fire Systems Permit — Commercial Cooking (kitchen hood) Suppression System
Installing or altering a commercial kitchen hood fire-suppression system in unincorporated King County needs a fire system permit from King County Permits: $1,587 plan review plus $1,711 inspection per system in 2026, $3,298 in total. Sprinkler and fire alarm systems are permitted separately (see the next record). This is the 2026 fee schedule; King County Code sets a lower fee ($1,389 plus $1,497, $2,886 total) effective January 1, 2027, unless the Council adopts a new fee ordinance first (one was due to the Council by October 1, 2026). Confirm the current fee with King County Permits, (206) 296-6600, after January 2027. Inside a city, that city's fire authority permits these systems instead.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- King County
- Phone
- 206-296-6600
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- 2026 Fee Guide 04, Commercial or Multifamily Residential Building Construction (December 2025) — includes the state building code surcharge and the certificate-of-occupancy 'Additional Fees' rowsKing County Dept. of Local Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Fire and special event permit processKing County Dept. of Local Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Interlocal Agreement, King County and South King Fire, Fire Code Operational Permit Program in unincorporated King County (Ordinance 19807)King County Executive Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- King County Code Title 17, 'Fire Code,' UPDATED May 9, 2025 (adopts the 2018 International Fire Code, effective February 1, 2021; §17.04.230 delegation of inspection authority)King County Council Clerk · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- King County Code Title 27, 'Development Permit Fees,' UPDATED March 2, 2026 — chs. 27.06, 27.10 (Ordinance 20021, November 18, 2025; §§2-33 expire January 1, 2027)King County Council Clerk · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
Other offices serving King County
- King County Department of Local Services, Permitting Division
- Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services (pet business, water recreation, on-site sewage, and plumbing & gas piping programs)
- Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services, Food and Facilities Program
- King County Wastewater Treatment Division, Industrial Waste Program
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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