Everett approves law to crack down on unpermitted food stands

EVERETT — The Everett City Council unanimously approved an ordinance on Wednesday adding criminal penalties for people who own and operate mobile food stands without proper city and county permits.

Officials said they have been looking for a way to combat the spread of the unpermitted stands, which health officials say can run the risk of spreading food-borne diseases. Business owners who operate restaurants and food trucks legally have also raised frustrations with the stands. The unpermitted food carts can offer lower prices than the legal businesses as they aren’t paying permitting fees or rent costs.

The new law makes it a misdemeanor to run a food stand without a current city business license and a Snohomish County Health Department permit. It will allow police to confiscate equipment used to operate the food stands if they don’t have proper permits. Operators at the stands that violate the new law could face up to 90 days in jail and a possible $1,000 fine while the employer who runs the stand could face 364 days in jail and up to a $5,000 fine.

In recent years, the number of reports of unpermitted stands has skyrocketed from 16 complaints in 2022 to 203 in 2025, health department officials told the Snohomish County Council in January. In 2025, a number of people reported food-borne illnesses due to eating food at the stands, health department officials said, which at times operate without proper refrigeration equipment or hand washing stations

https://www.heraldnet.com/news/everett-approves-law-to-crack-down-on-unpermitted-food-stands/