Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
Snohomish County Health Department (SnoHD), Food & Living Environment - Food Safety · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Snohomish County food-facility health permits run about $440–$915 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Plan review runs about $1,000. Confirm the exact amount with Snohomish County Health Department (SnoHD), Food & Living Environment - Food Safety before you budget.
Confirm the authority for your exact address. Some cities run their own health division, and building, planning, fire, sewer/grease and business-license approvals are separate even when Snohomish County Health Department (SnoHD), Food & Living Environment - Food Safety issues the health permit.
About 1,654 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 844,761. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Last verified: 2026-08-17 — we re-confirmed the serving authority, its contact, and that the fees below match the current published schedule. Fee schedules may carry an earlier effective date (shown per fee); local ordinances & amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date? Report an update →
Restaurant / food-facility permit
Food Establishment Annual Permit
exact seat/risk-based restaurant permit amounts not captured on public page
see SnoHD Permits &
Fees schedule (Ordinance BOH25-03)
Mobile/annual permits range cited $440-$915. Not fully verified
After the pre-operational inspection is passed, an invoice for the annual permit fee is emailed (payable online, in person, or by mail); Fees set by Board of Health fee ordinance
Plan review — required
$1,000 plan review fee (cited for food-truck/mobile plan review
new establishment plan review fees per fee schedule)
Turnaround: ~12 weeks for first review (plans reviewed first-come, first-served regardless of type); Board of Health approved partial fee credits when waits exceed 12 weeks
Explicitly no letter grades or smiley icons; narrative inspection reports posted online (QR poster required at facility).
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile Food Unit Permit
Annual mobile food unit permit approx
$440-$915 depending on type
$1,000 plan review fee paid first
Mobile Food Unit Plan Review Guide required; Long permit backlogs prompted a Board of Health relief measure crediting temporary application fees toward the annual permit when approval exceeds 12 weeks
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Snohomish County’s permit cost compares
At about $440/year, Snohomish County’s restaurant health permit is above the Washington median ($292) and above the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 97% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 25th-lowest of 30 Washington counties by permit cost.
Comparison uses the lowest published annual restaurant-permit figure in each county; confirm your exact tier with the department.
Local food-service market
About 1,654 food & drinking establishments serve ~844,761 residents in Snohomish County — one per ~511 residents, denser than the Washington average (one per ~521).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$440 annual health permit + $1,000 plan review.
Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.
Watch out for
Plan reviews sit in a single first-come, first-served queue; first-review wait has run ~12 weeks
Ordinance BOH25-03 (2025) sets current Health Department fees; verify exact restaurant amounts on the Permits & Fees schedule
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
Caterer
$500 / $745 / $1,025
Caterer by risk: low $500, medium $745, high $1,025. Catering Endorsement (added to an existing food service permit) +$250
Bakery
$500
Bakery permit $500
Commissary / central kitchen
$780
Central/commissary kitchens permitted as food service establishments; School Food Service Central Kitchen $780 (Satellite Kitchen $495, School Kitchen $590); Standalone commissary permitted by risk under the food service establishment categories
Temporary / special event
$110; $275
Temporary Food permit by risk: low $110, medium/high up to $275
Grocery/retail store food service (deli) permitted by SnoHD as a food service establishment (priced by seats/risk); grocery retail itself licensed by WA Dept; of Agriculture; No standalone grocery-deli line on the fee schedule
Food processing / wholesale
—
Food processing/wholesale licensed by the WA State Dept; of Agriculture, not Snohomish Health Department; no county fee
Equipment your Snohomish County plan review will check
Health-department plan review looks for specific, code-compliant fixtures. Compare spec-filtered options, then confirm counts and sizes with your local requirements. See the full list in what equipment a commercial kitchen requires.
exact seat/risk-based restaurant permit amounts not captured on public page; see SnoHD Permits & Fees schedule (Ordinance BOH25-03); Mobile/annual permits range cited $440-$915. Not fully verified These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Snohomish County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: $1,000 plan review fee (cited for food-truck/mobile plan review; new establishment plan review fees per fee schedule)
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Snohomish County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Mobile Food Unit Plan Review Guide required; Long permit backlogs prompted a Board of Health relief measure crediting temporary application fees toward the annual permit when approval exceeds 12 weeks
Who issues food permits in Snohomish County?
Food permits here are issued by Snohomish County Health Department (SnoHD), Food & Living Environment - Food Safety. See the department site for current details.
Are city building and fire approvals separate?
Yes — building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals are always separate from the health permit and are often handled by different offices.
Published by Resultex Media Group LLC · Independent & vendor-neutral · Educational only, not legal or engineering advice · Last verified September 2026