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

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified August 2026

Key Facts

Governing section
SVMC § 19.65.040(B)
Owner permission
Required before operating on any site
Health permits
Vendor must hold current health certificates
First violation penalty
$500 civil penalty (SVMC § 17.100.250)
Appeal window
14 calendar days to hearing examiner

Summary

Spokane Valley treats mobile food vending as a supplemental zoning use, not a stand-alone business license. Before setting up anywhere in the city, a mobile food vendor must have the underlying property owner's permission and must already hold the appropriate health certificates and permits, per SVMC § 19.65.040(B). No truck may legally operate without both.

B. Mobile Food Vendors. 1. Mobile food vendors shall obtain permission of the property owner to operate on the premises; 2. Mobile food vendors shall obtain the appropriate health certificates and permits; and 3. Mobile food vendors shall operate on designated paved areas and not interfere with parking or internal circulation.

Full Breakdown

050's permitted-uses matrix. 040(B) lists three requirements a vendor must satisfy: written permission from the property owner where the truck will sit, current health certificates and permits, and a location on a designated paved area that does not block parking or on-site circulation. Because the section frames vending as a supplemental use tied to a host property, a vendor cannot simply pick a public right-of-way or vacant lot; the underlying parcel has to already carry a use that allows mobile food vending as an accessory activity, and the property owner has to sign off in advance.

65 SVMC does not spell out a separate mobile-vendor fee schedule; the health-certificate requirement points to Spokane Regional Health District approval, and the permit reference runs through the City's Title 24 building and code compliance process. 100 SVMC administered by the City's code enforcement division rather than by police citation. A vendor who sets up without documented owner permission or current health paperwork is subject to that same enforcement track as any other unpermitted land use, and repeat noncompliance escalates the penalty amount under the City's civil penalty schedule.

Violations & Fines

Operating without the property owner's permission or without current health certificates and permits violates SVMC § 19.65.040(B) as a Title 19 zoning violation. The City pursues these through Chapter 17.100 SVMC's notice-and-order process: a first violation carries a $500 civil penalty under SVMC § 17.100.250, $1,000 for a second separate violation within three years, and $2,000 for each one after that.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Spokane Valley require a separate food truck business license?
The zoning code doesn't create a standalone food-truck license; SVMC § 19.65.040(B) instead makes mobile food vending a supplemental use requiring the property owner's written permission plus current health certificates and permits before the truck can legally operate on that parcel. Vendors still need underlying health authority approvals.
Can a food truck park anywhere in Spokane Valley?
No. SVMC § 19.65.040(B)(3) requires mobile food vendors to operate on designated paved areas and prohibits interfering with parking or internal circulation. A truck set up on grass, gravel, or in a drive aisle is not compliant even if the property owner agreed to host it.
What happens if a mobile food vendor operates without permission?
Operating without the property owner's permission or the required health certificates is a Title 19 zoning violation. The City can issue a notice and order under Chapter 17.100 SVMC, with a $500 civil penalty for a first violation and higher penalties for repeats within three years, appealable to the hearing examiner within 14 calendar days.

Sources & Official References

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