Bellevue, WA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit type
- Type D long-term right-of-way use permit
- Named use
- Mobile peddling, BCC 14.30.080(D)(3)(e)
- Governing chapter
- BCC 14.30, Right-of-Way Use Code
- Other permits
- May apply per BCC 14.30.075
- Apply
- 30+ days before planned start
Summary
Mobile food peddling on a Bellevue public sidewalk or street is regulated as a Type D long-term right-of-way use under BCC 14.30.080(D)(3)(e), meaning a vendor needs a right-of-way use permit from the transportation department before setting up, the same permit required for any private use of the right-of-way under BCC 14.30.070.
D. Type D – Long-Term and Permanent.
1. Type D permits may be issued for use of right-of-way for activities for extended periods of time but which will not physically disturb the right-of-way.
2. The use of right-of-way for structures, facilities, and uses that involve capital expenditures and long-term commitments of use require this type of permit.
3. Type D permits include but are not limited to:
a. Air rights;
b. Bus shelters/stops;
c. Construction site/haul roads;
d. Loading zones;
e. Mobile peddling;
f. Newspaper sale;
g. Recycle facilities;
h. Sales structures;
i. Sidewalk cafes;
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 6929, passed July 14, 2026).
Full Breakdown
080(D) creates a Type D permit for right-of-way uses that run for extended periods without physically disturbing the right-of-way surface, covering structures, facilities and uses that involve capital expenditure and long-term commitments. Subsection (D)(3)(e) lists 'mobile peddling' by name among the Type D examples, alongside bus shelters, sales structures, kiosks and sidewalk cafes. 070(A), which makes such use unlawful without first obtaining a right-of-way use permit from the city. 075 puts vendors on notice that other city codes can require additional permits layered on top of the right-of-way permit, and that the city does not give up its own right to use the right-of-way by issuing one.
100. The director reviews whether the proposed peddling location would unduly interfere with the public's use of the sidewalk before approving it and can attach conditions to protect public safety.
Violations & Fines
Peddling from the public right-of-way without the required Type D permit is a violation of BCC 14.30, treated as a civil violation under Chapter 1.18 BCC with a monetary penalty, or prosecuted as a misdemeanor under BCC 14.30.260(C). The director can also revoke an issued permit under BCC 14.30.130 for noncompliance with its conditions, and the city may bill a vendor for removing any resulting obstruction under BCC 14.30.210.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do food truck or cart vendors need a permit to sell on Bellevue sidewalks?
Is a right-of-way permit the only permit a sidewalk vendor needs in Bellevue?
What happens if I peddle food from a Bellevue sidewalk without a permit?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Bellevue
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