Vending Fee Update
By City Ordinance and as part of Seattle's Downtown Activation Plan, all permit fees for vending in public right-of-way have been waived effective November 5, 2023 through December 31, 2025.
Vending in Public Right-of-Way
Application Timeline for One-Year Vending Permits
SDOT’s vending year starts on February 1st and ends on January 31st. If you want to renew your existing permit for your current site for the next vending year, you must submit a permit revision (make changes) to your current permit record via the Seattle Services Portal with a vending site plan and current photo of your vending unit. The last day to submit a renewal application to keep your site priority for the next vending year is November 30th. See the timeline below for important deadlines.
Yearly Application Timeline
| November 1 | FIRST day for vendors with one-year vending permits to submit RENEWAL applications for the next year. These should be submitted as permit revision (make changes) to the existing permit record. A vending unit photo and site plan must be uploaded with your renewal or your application will not be reviewed. |
| November 30 | LAST day for vendors with existing one-year vending permits to submit RENEWAL applications for the next year. Renewal applications submitted after November 30th will lose site priority and will be in the yearly lottery. If a new permit is issued for the first time with a start date after November 30th for the current vending year, a renewal application must be submitted within 14 days of permit issuance to retain site priority for the next year that starts in February. |
| December 1 | FIRST day to submit applications for permits that will start on February 1st for the next vending year. |
| December 31 | LAST day to submit an application for a site in the yearly lottery. |
| January 2 | Yearly vending lottery held the first week of January. |
| January 31 | All one-year vending year permits expire. |
| February 1 | FIRST day of the new vending year. |
Important Information: Applications that are not responsive to corrections during the review process may lose site priority and be closed. We want to make sure vendors complete the application process quickly to give opportunities to vendors that are ready to start vending!
Apply for a Vending Permit
If you want to sell food or flowers from the street, sidewalk, or a plaza – you are in the right spot! You'll need a Street Use Vending Permit to vend from the public right-of-way. Here's how to make it happen:
Where do you want to vend?
Links take you to the Applicant Guides for:
- A food truck or trailer from a parking stall (curb space)
- On a sidewalk from a cart
- On a plaza with a cart or vehicle
- In the Stadium Event Vending area, using a cart, vehicle, or other setup
- Moving along an approved route with a traveling cart or vehicle
How long do you want to vend for?
There are different permits depending on how long you plan to vend:
- A one-year permit for a specific parking stall, plaza, or sidewalk spot
- A 4-month trial permit to try a new curb space, plaza, or sidewalk spot
- Temporary curb space or sidewalk vending permit for an event
- Temporary vending permit information can be found at AG 1094 Street and Sidewalk Activities - "Activities with vendors" section.
Before you apply, you will need:
- Business License: You'll need a current City of Seattle business license.
- Health Permits: Most food vendors require a permit from the Public Health - Seattle & King County.
- Fire Marshal Permit: If you're cooking with propane, get a permit from the Seattle Fire Marshal.
- Liability Insurance: Make sure you have liability insurance that lists the City of Seattle as an additional insured. Please see our Client Assistance Memo 2102 which you can share with your insurer or broker.
- Additional documents: Picture of your vending vehicle and drawing of the space and area where you want to vend.
Research the codes and requirements for Street Vending:
Important Notes
- Mention any exemptions you may have from Public Health or Fire Marshal permits when you apply for your Street Use Vending Permit.
- Keep your insurance up-to-date for the entire time you're vending.
Mobile Food Business Resources in Seattle
- New to Street Vending? Get started with the Office of Economic Development's guide for opening or expanding a mobile food business.
- Want to Vend in a Seattle Park? See Parks and Recreation's Seasonal Concessions guide. For Waterfront Park vending, see the Friends of Waterfront Park webpage and contact vendors@waterfrontparkseattle.org.
- Want to Vend on Private Property? If you are looking at a parking lot or private plaza, make sure to talk to the property owner and visit the Department of Construction and Inspections' page for Street Food Carts or Trucks.
- Vending in Public Spaces? If you're interested in vending on streets, sidewalks, and public plazas, simply go back and choose your preferred vending type and location to learn more.
Discover Your New Vending Spot with Our Interactive Map
Our Vending Site Map shows:
- All one-year vending sites with the days and times already permitted vendors.
- Sites that may have availability.
- Vending spaces (Space A, Space B) at curb space sites with multiple vendors.
- The site status to let you know if an application is in review, in public comment, renewed, or active
More tips to find a vending site:
- When you open the map, check out the 'About Map' section for directions.
- Want to apply for a new site that’s not on the map? Please do! You can start your own new vending site. We will review the proposed location to make sure it meets our siting standards.
- Does a site you are interested in already have vendor permitted or an application in review?
- You can still apply for the days and times that aren't already taken by another vendor. Feel free to apply for any available times or days at an existing site on the map.
Launch the map in a new window.
We're continuously seeking to improve this map and make it more user-friendly. If you need any help or have questions about the available spots, feel free to mail us at publicspace@seattle.gov or set a meeting with our reviewers.