Lynnwood dicusses streamlining food truck permit process

EVERETT — The Lynnwood City Council began discussing an ordinance Wednesday that would streamline the permitting process for food truck vendors.

Currently, many mobile food vendors in Lynnwood operate without a permit, said Karl Almgren, community planning manager for the city, at a council work session Wednesday. A large reason for that is because the current permitting process is unclear, Almgren said. “We want to establish a clear pathway for these,” Almgren said.

'We have found, since food trucks became a new item in our landscapes — not just in Lynnwood, but in the region and throughout the nation — they don’t take away from brick and mortar businesses. They actually, typically, add more to them. They create a place to gather people, and then additional locations are able to strengthen within that.”

The ordinance would only apply to food trucks, Almgren said. Many other mobile food vendors, such as food carts and stands, don’t have adequate refrigeration or clean water, according to the Snohomish County Health Department. In February, the city of Everett passed a law adding criminal penalties for people who operate mobile food stands without proper permits.

https://www.heraldnet.com/2026/04/16/lynnwood-dicusses-streamlining-food-truck-permit-process/