King County
Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services, Food and Facilities Program
In short
Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services, Food and Facilities Program issues 5 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Food Business Permit — Espresso / Coffee Shop (Risk 1) | Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services, Food and Facilities Program | $441 a year (2026), espresso and blended drinks only, no other food preparation | annual (April 1-March 31, prorated first year) | 2026-09-25 |
| Food Establishment Plan Review | Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services, Food and Facilities Program | 2026: new construction $1,008 base fee (4 hours) plus $252 per hour after 4 hours; remodel or multiple reviews $756 base fee (3 hours) plus $252 per hour after 3 hours; resubmitted plan review $252 per hour, billable; subsequent preoccupancy or field plan review $504 base fee (2 hours) plus $252 per hour after 2 hours; changes to mobile and limited food service establishments $504 plus $252 per hour after 2 hours. The Board of Health Code carries 2024 equivalents: new construction $972 plus $243/hour after 4 hours; remodel $729 plus $243/hour after 3 hours. | one-time per project | 2026-09-25 |
| Food Business Permit — Permanent Food Establishment (annual) | Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services, Food and Facilities Program | $441–$1,386 a year, by establishment type, seats and risk category (2026 schedule); plan review charged separately | annual; permit year April 1-March 31; first-year fee prorated by quarter (100% Apr 1-Jun 30, 75% Jul 1-Sep 30, 50% Oct 1-Dec 31, 25% Jan 1-Mar 31) | 2026-09-25 |
| Mobile Food Unit Permit (food truck, cart, trailer, kiosk) | Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services, Food and Facilities Program | $630–$1,260 a year per mobile food unit by risk: Risk 1 $630, Risk 2 $1,008, Risk 3 $1,260 (2026) | annual (April 1-March 31; prorated first year) | 2026-09-25 |
| Temporary Food Establishment Permit (events under 21 days)only if it applies to you | Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services, Food and Facilities Program | $126–$441 per single event by food-handling level: minimal $126, moderate $315, complex $441; 5-event packages $756-$819 and unlimited-event packages $252-$1,008; blanket permit $252 non-refundable deposit plus $252 per hour for all inspector services (2026) | per event, or calendar-year package | 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
Food Business Permit — Espresso / Coffee Shop (Risk 1)
A coffee shop serving only espresso and blended drinks is Risk Category 1 with Public Health and pays $441 a year (2026), the lowest annual food permit fee — Board of Health Code §5.64.010.A designates 'Any establishment serving espresso or blended drinks, with no other food preparation' as Risk 1. Adding baked goods, grilled sandwiches or other prepared food moves it to Risk 2 ($693-$945 by seats) and cooked or hot-held food to Risk 3 (see the general food business permit record). An espresso-only mobile cart is also Risk 1 but is priced as a mobile food unit ($630, see the mobile food unit record). A coffee business serving only non-TCS drinks such as plain coffee or tea, with no milk or other TCS ingredient, may fall entirely outside the permit requirement — confirm with Public Health. Plan review before construction or remodel is charged separately. The permit year runs April 1 to March 31 with quarterly first-year proration, and this fee applies county-wide, including every city, because Public Health is the county-wide food regulator.
Food Establishment Plan Review
Public Health reviews food-business plans and performs the pre-operational inspection before a restaurant, coffee shop or mobile unit is built, remodelled or changes hands, in every city and the unincorporated area alike. In 2026 new construction costs a $1,008 base fee covering four hours plus $252 an hour after that; a remodel is $756 covering three hours plus $252 an hour; a resubmitted plan is $252 an hour; changes to mobile or limited food service units are $504 plus $252 an hour after two hours; and plan review for a new farmers market is $504 plus $252 an hour over two. The Board of Health Code carries the 2024-dollar equivalents ($972 and $243), reflecting the same annual CPI-based adjustment that applies to every other Public Health fee listed here. Plan approval comes before the operating permit application is complete. Plan-review questions go to 206-263-7833.
Food Business Permit — Permanent Food Establishment (annual)
Every restaurant, cafe and other permanent food business in King County needs an annual food business permit from Public Health – Seattle & King County, whether it sits in Seattle, a suburban city or the unincorporated area, because Public Health is the county-wide regulatory authority. The 2026 fee depends on establishment type, seat count and menu risk: a general food service business pays $441 at Risk 1 (cold holding, prepackaged food, espresso), $693-$945 at Risk 2 (limited preparation) and $945-$1,386 at Risk 3 (cooking with cooling, reheating or hot holding), rising with seats (0-12, 13-50, 51-150, 151-250, over 250). Bakeries without seating pay $567-$945, grocery stores without seating $441-$819, caterers $567-$945. The Board of Health Code table still carries 2024 amounts ($425 to $1,337) because the Director re-posts a new schedule every December 31; the 2026 schedule is the current fee. The permit year runs April 1 to March 31 with quarterly first-year proration, and late payment adds 10% to 30% depending on how late. Plan review is charged separately (recorded below) and is required before construction, remodel or change of ownership; a pre-operational inspection is required before opening. A food business on septic needs Public Health septic approval and, in Seattle, Clyde Hill or the unincorporated area, a Public Health plumbing permit if plumbing changes. Some very limited operations — hot beverages that are only non-TCS foods such as coffee or tea, and prepackaged non-TCS foods — need no permit at all. Alcohol is licensed by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board, not the County. Call 206-263-9566.
Mobile Food Unit Permit (food truck, cart, trailer, kiosk)
A food truck, cart, trailer or kiosk needs its own Public Health mobile food unit permit for each unit — Board of Health Code §5.34.030(6) requires 'a single, separate mobile food unit permit for each mobile food unit' — valid anywhere in King County, since Public Health is the county-wide food regulator. The 2026 annual fee is $630 at Risk 1 (for example espresso-only or hot-dog-only units), $1,008 at Risk 2 and $1,260 at Risk 3 (cooking with hot holding), on the same April 1-March 31 permit year with quarterly first-year proration. Plan review comes first and requires a commissary agreement and a restroom agreement; Public Health warns initial mobile reviews can take 8-10 weeks. For a one-off event a temporary food permit is used instead (recorded separately). Where a truck may park on public or private property is set by the city, or by King County Permits in unincorporated areas; King County's business-license, animal-control, building, zoning, permit-fee and roads codes name no separate county mobile-vending license, so none is proposed here.
Temporary Food Establishment Permit (events under 21 days)
A food vendor operating at one location for under 21 days, or up to three days a week at an approved recurring event such as a farmers market, uses the temporary food permit. The 2026 fee for a single event is $126 (minimal handling), $315 (moderate) or $441 (complex, for example raw animal products); five-event and unlimited packages cost more and require a certified booth operator ($126 license). An event organiser can instead obtain a blanket permit, which the County's own page prices at '$252 non-refundable deposit plus $252 per hour for all inspector services' — not a flat $252 an hour, and the deposit descends from a $215 nonrefundable deposit set in the 2024 Board of Health Code. Submit at least 14 days before the event; 3-5 days before adds a $50 late fee and 1-2 days before adds a $100 late fee. Events lasting more than one day, or a single-day event with six or more food vendors, require an event coordinator. At least one person with a valid food worker card must be present at each booth.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- King County
- Phone
- 206-263-9566 (Chinook office); 206-477-8050 (Eastgate office); plan review 206-263-7833
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.
- Board of Health Code Title 2, 'Officers and Administration,' UPDATED January 14, 2026 (chs. 2.06, 2.10 food, 2.13 pet business, 2.18 on-site sewage, 2.20 pools); fee tables last amended by R&R 24-04 (2024)King County Board of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Board of Health Code Title 5, 'Food Establishments' (King County Food Code), UPDATED March 14, 2025 — §5.02.025 adopts WAC 246-215; §5.34.030 mobile units; §5.64.010 risk categoriesKing County Board of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Environmental Health Services fees (index of all 2026 program fee PDFs)Public Health – Seattle & King County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Food business permits (permit types)Public Health – Seattle & King County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Mobile food business permitPublic Health – Seattle & King County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Public Health — Seattle and King County, food and facilities programme fees 2026Public Health — Seattle and King County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- Temporary food service business permitPublic Health – Seattle & King County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- WAC 246-215-08300 — permit required to operate a food establishmentWashington State Department of Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
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)
- King County Fire Marshal's Office (Permitting Division), with delegated fire districts for operational-permit inspection
- King County Wastewater Treatment Division, Industrial Waste Program
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
Industry permit lists that include this agency
Washington jurisdictions
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.