Kent, WA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Under KCC 13.01.030(G), the city substitutes International Fire Code Section 105.5.32 to require an operational permit for "mobile preparation vehicles equipped with appliances that produce smoke or grease-laden vapors or utilize LP-gas systems or CNG systems." The rule reaches any food truck, trailer, or cart cooking with propane, compressed natural gas, or open-flame/grease equipment, not just fully enclosed trucks. The code carves out a narrow exception: vehicles that are "not parked at or visiting a location for more than three consecutive calendar days" fall outside the permit requirement, so short-term pop-ups and single-event vendors can operate without first obtaining the fire permit, though they still must meet applicable business licensing and health rules.

For vehicles that trigger the requirement, the fire code official issues the operational permit under the general authority of amended Section 105.5, and fees are set by council resolution under amended Section 107.2, with unpaid amounts doubled if work or operation begins before a permit issues (Sec. 107.4) and renewal permits terminated if fees go unpaid within 60 days of notice (Sec. 107.7). Permit holders must keep servicing and maintenance records for suppression or LP-gas equipment on hand for at least three years under amended Section 109.3, and file certain reports with the Compliance Engine within 14 days of the reportable activity.

Appeals of a fire code official's permit determination go to the City of Kent hearings examiner, sitting as the board of appeals, per amended Section 111 and KCC 13.01.140.