Port Townsend, WA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License
- Street vendor/performer license required
- Zone
- C-III zone only
- Mobility
- Mobile vending/relocating not permitted
- Cart size
- Max 4x6x5 ft cart
- Penalty
- $200 civil infraction, $400 repeat
Summary
Port Townsend requires a street vendor/performer license for food carts and take-out windows on public streets, but confines them to the C-III zone and bars carts from moving between spots once licensed.
No street vending cart, temporary stand or merchandise display shall be permitted, nor shall any permit be issued for any area within the city other than the C-III zone under the city zoning ordinances.
B. Assigned Location. The street vendor or street performer shall at all times locate and operate the business together with the vending cart or temporary stand in the assigned location. Mobile vending or performance using mobile carts or stands is not permitted.
C. Size. The maximum permissible size for any vending cart or temporary stand shall be four feet wide by six feet long by five feet high, except that umbrellas which meet the other provisions of this chapter may be allowed, and except that incidental accessories may be attached or placed within 18 inches of the ends of the cart where approved by the director, and except the vending cart or temporary stand may exceed the permissible size limits if it meets the area restrictions in subsection A of this section. Take-out windows shall not exceed the maximum length for vending carts allowed under these regulations.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 3364, passed May 18, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The planning and building director issues a street vendor/performer license (PTMC 5.32.040) for any cart, temporary stand, or take-out window on a public sidewalk or street. Carts are capped at 4 feet by 6 feet by 5 feet, limited to food, nonalcoholic beverages, and flowers, and permitted only in the C-III zone. Once licensed, a vendor must stay put: the code bars mobile vending or moving the cart between spots. Licenses run up to three years, need abutting-property-owner sign-off and liability insurance, and cost an annual fee set in PTMC 3.36.
Violations & Fines
Violating the chapter is a $200 civil infraction ($400 for a repeat within two years); continuing after a warning becomes a misdemeanor, and the city may seize unattended carts (PTMC 5.32.140).
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a food truck drive to different Port Townsend locations?
Where in Port Townsend can I operate a food cart?
How long does a Port Townsend street vendor license last?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Port Townsend
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