Public Hearing Regarding Proposed Ordinance to Regulate Unpermitted Mobile Food Vending Units

Public Hearing Regarding Proposed Ordinance to Regulate Unpermitted Mobile Food Vending Units

Public Hearing Regarding Proposed Ordinance to Regulate Unpermitted Mobile Food Vending Units The proposal would establish enforcement mechanisms to address vendors who continually operate without permits. What: Public hearing on Proposal O2026-564 – 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 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 Department’s 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 would be authorized to enforce the chapter, and officers could impound equipment from mobile food vending units 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. The proposal does not cover licensed food trucks; it applies 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.