Farmers market food service permit

What type of temporary event food permit should I get?

• What kind of food are you serving?

  There are 3 levels of permits based on how complex your food will be:

  • Minimal food handling - Pre-packaged Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS)* food made under permit; no handling of unpackaged food — no sampling.
  • Moderate food handling - Unpackaged TCS* foods and preparation of non-TCS foods; includes sampling; not including raw animal products; reheating commercially made foods (USDA/WSDA); hot holding; no cooling.
  • Complex food handling - Food cooked from raw animal products; serving raw animal products; cooling steps – any foods cooked and cooled in a prep-kitchen.

  *Time/Temperature Control for Safety (TCS) foods include meat, poultry, cooked starches, sliced melons, sprouts, fresh herb and garlic-in-oil mixtures, dairy products, cut leafy greens, cut tomatoes, and cooked produce.

• Are you going to one market or will you go to more than one market in a year?

  Use these guidelines to determine which permit category is best for your business for the year. We are not able to change permit category after your selection. If you select the wrong permit category, we will refund the permit fee charge (minus $25 processing fee). You will need to reapply for the correct permit category.

  If one market, you should buy a single event permit

  • Submit an application and receive a permit for market. Each permit is good for the entire market season.
  • Receive an approval for each permit.

  Minimal temporary food permit (single event)

  • No Certified Booth Operator required.
  • You only offer Pre-packaged TCS foods.
    • All foods are packaged.
    • No sampling of unpackaged foods.

  Moderate temporary food permit (single event)

  • May apply for additional single permits at any time.
  • No Certified Booth Operator required.

  Complex temporary food permit (single event)

  • May apply for additional single permits at any time.
  • No Certified Booth Operator required.
    

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  If more than one market, consider these options:

  Minimal unlimited temporary food permit

  • Can attend unlimited number of events and markets until the end of the calendar year.
  • Location information required for first event; notification not required for additional events.
  • No Certified Booth Operator required.
  • You only offer Pre-packaged TCS foods
    • All foods are packaged
    • No sampling of unpackaged foods

  Multiple permit and unlimited permit - voluntary incentive program

  For moderate and complex food handling permits, you can get a permit package that rewards safe food handling with reduced fees. Multiple and unlimited permit packages are valid only in the calendar year purchased. If you want to apply for a permit package, you must have a valid Certified Booth Operator (CBO) card (see below). If an event is before the class, you must apply for a single permit.

  • Multiple permit package - 5 events
    • Requires a Certified Booth Operator (additional food safety education) for the business.
    • Allows attendance at up to 5 events and markets for the price of less than 3 single permits.
    • Requires application with menu and location information for each event you attend.
    • You can use one permit package for both farmers markets and temporary events.
  • Unlimited permit package
    • Requires a Certified Booth Operator (additional food safety education) for the business.
    • Allows unlimited event and market attendance for the price of less than 3 single event permits.
    • Requires application with menu and location information for each event you attend.
    • You can use one permit package for both farmers markets and temporary events.
• Situations where you might not need a permit

  • Food service where a permit isn't needed - WAC 246-215 (48) (c)
  • Application for exemption from permit (197 KB)- Print and mail the completed form to:
  • For Bellevue/Eastern King County:
    • Eastgate Environmental Health Services
      14350 SE Eastgate Way
      Bellevue, WA 98007
  • For Seattle/Western King County:
    • Seattle Environmental Health Services
      401 5th Avenue, Suite 1100
      Seattle, WA 98104
• Certified Booth Operator training - part of the voluntary incentive program

  This training is for those vendors participating in the voluntary incentive permit program. Multiple and unlimited moderate or complex permits require each business to have a Certified Booth Operator. But they are not required to be on-site during the market or event.

  • Certification lasts 2 years.
  • You must preregister. We will not allow walk-ins.
  • To register for a class, print and complete the Certified Booth Operator Application form (472 KB), and mail to our office with a check for payment. Allow time for mailing and processing; offices are not currently open for walk-in customers. Note: you will not receive a confirmation email that you are registered. We will only contact you if the class is full or if there are other changes.
  • We honor current Tacoma-Pierce County Certified Booth Operator certifications in King County.

  Courses are located in downtown Seattle at the Chinook Building, 401 – 5th Ave. The course rooms are located on the ground floor past the elevators.

  2025 CBO class dates (2nd Tuesday of each month)

  Chinook room 121 from 10 am to 11:30 am:

  • January 14, 2025
  • February 11, 2025
  • March 11, 2025
  • April 8, 2025

  Location to be determined from 10 am to 11:30 am:

  • May 13, 2025
  • June 10, 2025
  • July 8, 2025
  • August 12, 2025
  • September 9, 2025
  • October 14, 2025