Bothell, WA Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Sidewalk & Mobile Vending (2026)

BMC § 12.06.060(B)(3) is the controlling list of conditions for vendor carts in the City of Bothell. The use table makes Vendor carts or trucks a permitted use in OP, NB, CB, GC and LI and not a permitted use in the residential columns or R-AC. Ice cream vendors are permitted in every zone column.

On a sidewalk, four rules stack. A public area use permit is obtained from the director of public works. A minimum sidewalk width of five feet, measured to the street side of the sidewalk, stays clear for pedestrians, matching the five feet of unobstructed walkway BMC § 17.20.040(B) requires of every sidewalk permit. Visibility at driveways, street intersections, store entrances and display windows cannot be obscured. And the code notes that a public area use permit is not required for private streets or the campus district, though the other requirements of the subsection still apply.

The cart itself is capped. A cart can be no larger than a size which can be maneuvered by one person on foot, and in no case can it cover an area larger than 25 square feet. Carts are limited to two per city block side or 300 lineal feet, whichever is less, or, when placed within a building, one cart per building. Carts or trucks are removed at night, or, when carts are placed within a building, they are covered or secured. Carts cannot sit in required parking or landscaping areas, and a cart on private property needs written permission from the legal owner. The vendor must comply with all applicable state and county health regulations and conspicuously post evidence of compliance along with a current city of Bothell business license. Vendor carts inside a building must follow International Building and Fire Code requirements for exiting and corridor width.

Permanent vendor stands are treated differently: BMC § 12.06.060(B)(4) considers them permanent structures that meet all requirements for such structures, and vendor spaces inside an existing building cannot exceed 1,000 square feet in total area, including product preparation and seating areas.