10/10/2026
๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ข๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ด๐๐น๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐จ๐ป๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ผ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ฉ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐๐
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ฑ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ข๐ญ ๐ธ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฆ๐ด๐ต๐ข๐ฃ๐ญ๐ช๐ด๐ฉ ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ค๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ค๐ฉ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ด๐ฎ๐ด ๐ต๐ฐ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด๐ด ๐ท๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฅ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ด ๐ธ๐ฉ๐ฐ ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ต๐ช๐ฏ๐ถ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐บ ๐ฐ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ต๐ฆ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ด.
๐ง๐๐๐ข๐ ๐, ๐ช๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ข๐ก โ According to at least one member of the Pierce County Council, unpermitted food vendors, such as those selling from stands, carts, tents, booths, and kiosks rather than a licensed food truck, pose a risk to public safety and economic competition, and the enforcement tools are insufficient.
Pierce County Councilmember Dave Morell (District 1) has proposed new rules for unpermitted food vendors selling from stands, carts, tents, booths, and kiosks in unincorporated Pierce County. The council's Public Safety Committee will hold a public hearing on the proposal on Monday, Oct. 12, at 1:30 p.m.
What: Public hearing on Proposed Ordinance O2026-564 โ Mobile Food Vending Units
When: Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Pierce County Council Chambers, 1501 Market Street, Rm. 140, Tacoma, WA 98402
Remote participation is available via Zoom through the Public Safety Committeeโs webpage, or by calling (253) 215-8782 and entering webinar ID 993 3536 3383 when prompted.
The proposal would add a new chapter to the Pierce County Code that creates regulations for mobile food vending units operating outside the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Departmentโs permit system, which has regulatory authority over food vending because of public health risks. Unless their permit allows otherwise, vendors could not operate between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., set up on public streets or sidewalks, set up within 5 feet of an alley or driveway, or block traffic, utilities, or street fixtures, among other standards.
The Pierce County Sheriff's Office is authorized to enforce the chapter, and officers could impound mobile food vending unit equipment used in violation of the chapter. Consistent with state statute, which imposes a misdemeanor penalty for violating health department regulations, operators who violate the rules could face a misdemeanor carrying up to $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail. Employers or owners could face a gross misdemeanor carrying up to $5,000 and/or 364 days in jail.
"An unpermitted food vendor is selling a potentially unsafe product and can undercut fair market prices by skipping a permitting process that ensures safety standards are being met," said Morell. "These vendors may lack water, handwashing, power, and temperature control, and while permitted food trucks and restaurants pay for permits and commercial kitchens, these pop-up vendors do not."
The proposal does not cover licensed food trucks, which apply only to non-vehicle vendors. If the state later passes a law preempting the chapter, it will end automatically, though earlier violations could still be prosecuted.
