12 permits · verified 2026-09-25
What permits do you need to open a food truck in King County?
In short
A food truck in King County, WA has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division charges $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online for the articles of incorporation. 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-09-25 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in King County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 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 |
| 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 |
| Food Establishment Permit | Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety Program | $240–$1,386 a year, set by the local health jurisdiction — there is no state fee | annual, on a cycle the local jurisdiction sets | 2026-09-03 |
| Food Worker Card | Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety Program | $10 per card | 2 years first time, 3 on renewal, 5 with extra food safety training | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in King County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Business License — King County position (state license applies)only if it applies to you | King County Department of Local Services, Permitting Division | No fee | not applicable — the County's Start and grow your business page states that King County does not have a business license requirement | 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.
WA registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online | no expiry, but a $70 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Reseller Permitonly if it applies to you | Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service | No fee | 4 years, or 2 in defined circumstances | 2026-09-03 |
| Certificate of Formation (LLC)only if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $180 one-time filing on paper; $200 online | no expiry, but a $70 annual report is due each year | 2026-09-03 |
| Annual Reportonly if it applies to you | Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division | $70 a year | annual — due the last day of the month the entity was formed or registered | 2026-09-03 |
| Washington State Business License | Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service | $50 to open, plus each endorsement's own fee; $5 a year to renew | annual — one expiration date governs every endorsement on the license | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a food truck in King County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a food truck in King County, WA, 5 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 5 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $60.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 2 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Special Event Fire Permit (tents, temporary cooking, food trucks at events): $483 application fee plus $796 per site-visit inspection fee (2026).
Food Establishment Plan Review: 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.
Mobile Food Unit Permit (food truck, cart, trailer, kiosk): $630–$1,260 a year per mobile food unit by risk: Risk 1 $630, Risk 2 $1,008, Risk 3 $1,260 (2026)
Temporary Food Establishment Permit (events under 21 days): $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)
Food Establishment Permit: $240–$1,386 a year, set by the local health jurisdiction — there is no state fee
Which offices issue these permits in King County?
Permits for a food truck in King County, WA come from 6 separate offices: King County Department of Local Services, Permitting Division, King County Fire Marshal's Office (Permitting Division), with delegated fire districts for operational-permit inspection, Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services, Food and Facilities Program, Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities Division, Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing Service, Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety Program. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- King County Department of Local Services, Permitting DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: General Business License — King County position (state license applies)35030 SE Douglas St, Suite 210, Snoqualmie, WA 98065 · 206-296-6600kingcounty.gov/en/dept/local-services/certificates-permits-licenses/permits
- King County Fire Marshal's Office (Permitting Division), with delegated fire districts for operational-permit inspectionIssues 1 permit on this page: Special Event Fire Permit (tents, temporary cooking, food trucks at events)35030 SE Douglas St, Suite 210, Snoqualmie, WA 98065 · 206-296-6600kingcounty.gov/en/dept/local-services/certificates-permits-licenses/permits/permits-inspections-codes-buildings-land-use/permit-forms-application-materials/fire-permits
- Public Health – Seattle & King County, Environmental Health Services, Food and Facilities ProgramIssues 3 permits on this page: Food Establishment Plan Review, Mobile Food Unit Permit (food truck, cart, trailer, kiosk), Temporary Food Establishment Permit (events under 21 days)Chinook Building, 401 5th Ave, Suite 1100, Seattle, WA 98104; Eastgate Public Health Center, Bellevue, WA · 206-263-9566 (Chinook office); 206-477-8050 (Eastgate office); plan review 206-263-7833kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dph/certificates-permits-licenses/food-business-permits
- Washington Secretary of State, Corporations and Charities DivisionIssues 3 permits on this page: Articles of Incorporation, Certificate of Formation (LLC), Annual ReportPO Box 40234, Olympia, WA 98504-0234 · (360) 725-0377www.sos.wa.gov/corporations-charities/business-entities
- Washington State Department of Revenue, Business Licensing ServiceIssues 2 permits on this page: Reseller Permit, Washington State Business LicensePO Box 9034, Olympia, WA 98507-9034 · (360) 705-6705dor.wa.gov/open-business/apply-business-license
- Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety ProgramIssues 2 permits on this page: Food Establishment Permit, Food Worker Card(360) 236-4700doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/food
What does a food truck need in King County that other businesses do not?
2 of the 6 permits particular to a food truck here apply to no other business type we cover in King County: Special Event Fire Permit (tents, temporary cooking, food trucks at events) and Temporary Food Establishment Permit (events under 21 days).
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.
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.
Shared with other businesses in King County
- 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. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Establishment Permit — Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety Program, $240–$1,386 a year, set by the local health jurisdiction — there is no state fee, annual, on a cycle the local jurisdiction sets. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Food Worker Card — Washington State Department of Health, Food Safety Program, $10 per card, 2 years first time, 3 on renewal, 5 with extra food safety training. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in King County, WA; what each one involves is set out on the King County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across WA and are covered on the WA state page.
How does a food truck compare with other businesses in King County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 4 of these permits. A food truck also needs Special Event Fire Permit (tents, temporary cooking, food trucks at events) and Temporary Food Establishment Permit (events under 21 days). A coffee shop needs Food Business Permit — Espresso / Coffee Shop (Risk 1), Food Business Permit — Permanent Food Establishment (annual) and Fire Systems Permit — Commercial Cooking (kitchen hood) Suppression System, which a food truck does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a food truck | Only a food truck needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 7 | 4 | 2 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 10 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
| Auto repair shops | 8 | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| Childcare centres | 6 | 0 | 6 | 6 |
| Contractors and trades | 7 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| Fitness studios | 7 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
| Retail stores | 9 | 0 | 6 | 9 |
| Salons and barbers | 8 | 0 | 6 | 8 |
| Veterinary clinics | 7 | 0 | 6 | 7 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the King County permits page and the WA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- 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
- Fire and special event permit processKing County Dept. of Local Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- 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
- Public Health — Seattle and King County, food and facilities programme fees 2026Public Health — Seattle and King County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- 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
- Mobile food business permitPublic Health – Seattle & King County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
- Temporary food service business permitPublic Health – Seattle & King County · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-27
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.