Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

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

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

License fee
$25 per year
Licensing authority
Thurston County auditor
Governing state law
RCW Chapter 36.71
Applies to
Unincorporated Thurston County

Summary

Thurston County requires anyone peddling goods or food on public streets, sidewalks, or door-to-door in unincorporated areas to hold an annual $25 peddler's license issued by the county auditor.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Thurston County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

6.48.010 Fee. The license fee for peddlers pursuant to RCW Chapter 36.71 is fixed at twenty-five dollars per year. ... 6.48.020 Licensing official. The Thurston County auditor is designated as the licensing authority for peddlers licenses in Thurston County pursuant to RCW Chapter 36.71

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 77).

Full Breakdown

Chapter 6.48 of the Thurston County Code sets the peddler's license required under RCW Chapter 36.71 for anyone selling goods or food on public streets, sidewalks, or door-to-door in the unincorporated county. The license costs twenty-five dollars per year, and the county auditor, not the sheriff or planning department, is the designated licensing authority who issues it. The chapter does not carve out a separate food-truck or food-cart category; a mobile food vendor working the sidewalk falls under the same general peddler's license as a door-to-door salesperson. Selling within a county park is handled separately under the park code's vendor-concession rule.

Violations & Fines

Peddling goods or food anywhere in unincorporated Thurston County without the county auditor's peddler's license violates Chapter 6.48 and can draw a citation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit to run a food cart in Thurston County?
Yes. Anyone peddling food or goods on county streets, sidewalks, or door-to-door in unincorporated Thurston County needs a peddler's license from the county auditor under Chapter 6.48, at $25 per year.
Who issues the peddler's license in Thurston County?
The Thurston County auditor is the designated licensing authority for peddlers under RCW Chapter 36.71, per county code Section 6.48.020.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Thurston County

All Thurston County rules

Compare Thurston County to another location·View the Washington food trucks & mobile vendors overview

Get notified when Sidewalk & Mobile Vending in Thurston County, WA changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.