12 permits · verified 2026-10-26
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Skagit County?
In short
A food truck in Skagit 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. Skagit County Public Health, Environmental Health charges $10 per card, the amount set by state rule (WAC 246-217-025(2)); reprint of an active card $5 for the food & beverage worker permit (food worker card). 5 of the 12 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-26 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Skagit County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual Food Establishment Permit (fixed, mobile and independent catering) | Skagit County Public Health, Environmental Health | $335–$625 a year by risk level (2026 column of the Public Health Schedule of Charges; the 2026 application's '2026 Food Establishment Annual Permit Fees'): Risk Level 1 $335, Risk Level 2 $535, Risk Level 3 $625; surcharges listed in the notes | annual; the county invoices about one month before the permit expires | 2026-10-26 |
| Food Establishment Plan Reviewonly if it applies to you | Skagit County Public Health, Environmental Health | $360–$745 per project (2026 column of the Public Health Schedule of Charges): Tier 1 $360, Tier 2 $515, Tier 3 $745, each including one pre-opening inspection; reviews over 5 hours at the $130 hourly rate | one-time per project | 2026-10-26 |
| Temporary, Seasonal and Multi-Event Food Establishment Permitsonly if it applies to you | Skagit County Public Health, Environmental Health | 2026 column of the Public Health Schedule of Charges: single event — low-risk menu $120, standard menu $185; seasonal at a single location — low-risk $245, standard $340; multi-event/multi-location — low-risk $275, standard $400; food sampler/demonstrator (low-risk menu) $65; umbrella permit for a temporary food event, maximum 10 participants, $400 for the first 3 hours; exempt-from-permit application review $35. Late fee: $60 for an application submitted 10 to 6 business days before the event, $120 for one submitted 5 or fewer business days before. A temporary food vendor operating without a permit pays double the permit fee plus an amount equal to the 5-day late fee. | Event Permit: one event at a single location for up to 21 consecutive days; Market Permit: one recurring seasonal event at a single location operating no more than 3 days per week | 2026-10-26 |
| Food & Beverage Worker Permit (Food Worker Card) | Skagit County Public Health, Environmental Health | $10 per card, the amount set by state rule (WAC 246-217-025(2)); reprint of an active card $5 | fee paid per card issued; the card is the Washington State food worker card under WAC 246-217 | 2026-10-26 |
| 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 Skagit County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building Permit and Plan Review (unincorporated Skagit County)only if it applies to you | Skagit County Planning & Development Services | Varies — formula on the Skagit County page | per permit | 2026-10-26 |
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 Skagit 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 Skagit 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, 3 carry a flat fee, coming to $70.00. 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 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Annual Food Establishment Permit (fixed, mobile and independent catering): $335–$625 a year by risk level (2026 column of the Public Health Schedule of Charges; the 2026 application's '2026 Food Establishment Annual Permit Fees'): Risk Level 1 $335, Risk Level 2 $535, Risk Level 3 $625; surcharges listed in the notes
Food Establishment Plan Review: $360–$745 per project (2026 column of the Public Health Schedule of Charges): Tier 1 $360, Tier 2 $515, Tier 3 $745, each including one pre-opening inspection; reviews over 5 hours at the $130 hourly rate
Temporary, Seasonal and Multi-Event Food Establishment Permits: 2026 column of the Public Health Schedule of Charges: single event — low-risk menu $120, standard menu $185; seasonal at a single location — low-risk $245, standard $340; multi-event/multi-location — low-risk $275, standard $400; food sampler/demonstrator (low-risk menu) $65; umbrella permit for a temporary food event, maximum 10 participants, $400 for the first 3 hours; exempt-from-permit application review $35. Late fee: $60 for an application submitted 10 to 6 business days before the event, $120 for one submitted 5 or fewer business days before. A temporary food vendor operating without a permit pays double the permit fee plus an amount equal to the 5-day late fee.
Food Establishment Permit: $240–$1,386 a year, set by the local health jurisdiction — there is no state fee
The other 1 variable fee belongs to permits that apply to every type of business here; its formula is set out on the Skagit County permits page and the WA state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Skagit County?
Permits for a food truck in Skagit County, WA come from 5 separate offices: Skagit County Public Health, Environmental Health, Skagit County Planning & Development Services, 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.
- Skagit County Public Health, Environmental HealthIssues 4 permits on this page: Annual Food Establishment Permit (fixed, mobile and independent catering), Food Establishment Plan Review, Temporary, Seasonal and Multi-Event Food Establishment Permits, Food & Beverage Worker Permit (Food Worker Card)301 Valley Mall Way, Suite 110, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 · 360-416-1500www.skagitcountywa.gov/services/public-health/environmental-health/food-safety/annual-food-permits
- Skagit County Planning & Development ServicesIssues 1 permit on this page: Building Permit and Plan Review (unincorporated Skagit County)1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, WA 98273 · 360-416-1320www.skagitcountywa.gov/services/planning-and-building
- 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 Skagit County that other businesses do not?
Food Establishment Plan Review
Before a food establishment opens, changes hands, remodels or changes its menu in Skagit County, Environmental Health reviews its plans. Under the 2026 column of the Public Health Schedule of Charges, as published on the county's Permit Fee Schedule page, plan review costs $360 for Tier 1 (change in permit holder, continuous operation), $515 for Tier 2 (menu change, remodel, or re-opening an establishment closed one year or less) and $745 for Tier 3 (new construction, conversion of an existing building, or reopening an establishment closed more than one year). Each tier includes one pre-opening inspection; any review over five hours or needing additional site inspections is billed at the hourly rate, which the 2026 permit application lists as $130. The county's annual food permits page states that review takes 1-2 months and that 'The new owner must apply for a change in ownership plan review BEFORE the transition'; for a Tier 1 change the county issues an interim operating permit. The plan review is separate from, and in addition to, the annual permit. Contact Environmental Health at 360-416-1500.
Shared with other businesses in Skagit County
- Annual Food Establishment Permit (fixed, mobile and independent catering) — Skagit County Public Health, Environmental Health, $335–$625 a year by risk level (2026 column of the Public Health Schedule of Charges; the 2026 application's '2026 Food Establishment Annual Permit Fees'): Risk Level 1 $335, Risk Level 2 $535, Risk Level 3 $625; surcharges listed in the notes, annual; the county invoices about one month before the permit expires. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and retail stores; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Temporary, Seasonal and Multi-Event Food Establishment Permits — Skagit County Public Health, Environmental Health, 2026 column of the Public Health Schedule of Charges: single event — low-risk menu $120, standard menu $185; seasonal at a single location — low-risk $245, standard $340; multi-event/multi-location — low-risk $275, standard $400; food sampler/demonstrator (low-risk menu) $65; umbrella permit for a temporary food event, maximum 10 participants, $400 for the first 3 hours; exempt-from-permit application review $35. Late fee: $60 for an application submitted 10 to 6 business days before the event, $120 for one submitted 5 or fewer business days before. A temporary food vendor operating without a permit pays double the permit fee plus an amount equal to the 5-day late fee., Event Permit: one event at a single location for up to 21 consecutive days; Market Permit: one recurring seasonal event at a single location operating no more than 3 days per week. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the restaurants page.
- Food & Beverage Worker Permit (Food Worker Card) — Skagit County Public Health, Environmental Health, $10 per card, the amount set by state rule (WAC 246-217-025(2)); reprint of an active card $5, fee paid per card issued; the card is the Washington State food worker card under WAC 246-217. 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 Skagit County, WA; what each one involves is set out on the Skagit 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 Skagit County?
A food truck and a coffee shop in Skagit County, WA need exactly the same 6 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a food truck | Only a food truck needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Restaurants | 8 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 2 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 6 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
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 restaurants page and coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Skagit County permits page and the WA state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Permit Fee Schedule (Planning and Development Services fees; Public Health Department Schedule of Charges, Effective February 1, 2025, with a column for each year)Skagit County · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-26
- Annual Food PermitsSkagit County Public Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-26
- Food Establishment Permit Application (Rev. 2026.08.24), with '2026 Food Establishment Annual Permit Fees'Skagit County Public Health, Environmental Health · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-26
- RCW 70.05.030, Counties without home rule charters — Local board of healthWashington State Legislature · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-26
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.