To sell food at a fair, festival or market booth in the U.S., you usually need a temporary food permit from the local health department for that booth, applied for 7 to 30 days before the event depending on where it is. Most places also require a trained person at the booth, a handwashing station of at least 5 gallons with a spigot and catch bucket, and food prepared on site or in a permitted kitchen rather than at home. Fees for a single event run from $25 in New Mexico to $441 for a cooking booth in King County, Washington.
The table compares seven programs from their official pages. Rules on who needs a food handler card are in our food handler card requirements by state.
Temporary food event permits compared: fee, deadline and trained staff
| Where | Permit | Fee for one event | Apply by | Trained person at the booth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County | Temporary Food Facility permit per booth; event organizer permit when there are 2+ booths | $82 prepackaged, $116 with sampling, $184 food preparation (FY 2023-24 schedule) | 30 days; under 14 days is late | Not stated on the program page |
| New York City | Temporary Food Service Establishment permit, events of 14 days or less | $70, valid one year | Not stated on the permit page | Supervisor with a Food Protection Certificate at all times |
| Chicago | Single Event or 180-day Special Event Food license | Shown on the license application | Not stated on the CDPH page | Summer Festival Food Vendor sanitation certificate |
| King County, WA | Temporary food permit: Minimal, Moderate or Complex | $126, $315 or $441 | 14 days | Food worker card holder on site at all times |
| Maricopa County, AZ | Temporary Food Establishment permit, 1 to 14 days | $249 (since Aug. 19, 2026) | 7 days, or pay a $112 late fee | Certified food protection manager in charge for open TCS food; all handlers carded |
| New Mexico (NMED) | Temporary Food Establishment permit, Type 1, 2 or 3, up to 30 days | $25 | Not stated in the rule | Person in charge with a manager certificate or food handler card; Type 3 needs a certified manager |
| Salt Lake County, UT | Temporary food permit: daily, 3-day, extended or seasonal | $70 low risk, $115 high risk (daily) | 7 days; $50 late fee | Card or manager certificate holder on site; the person in charge takes a quiz |
Sources: LA County Community Events and fee schedule; NYC TFSE permit; Chicago CDPH special events; King County temporary food permit; Maricopa County special event requirements and 2026 fee notice; 7.6.2 NMAC; Salt Lake County temporary permits and application.
Two details change the real cost. LA County charges extra for applications filed less than 14 days out, and its program page and fee schedule list different amounts, so ask Community Events before you rely on one. King County adds $50 when the application arrives 3 to 5 days before the event and $100, plus in-person approval, at 2 days.
What you sell decides the permit tier
Almost every program prices the booth by risk. Selling prepackaged snacks costs less, and needs less equipment, than cooking raw meat.
- King County: Minimal is prepackaged food, Moderate is unpackaged food with no raw animal food, Complex covers cooking raw animal food or cooling. Five-event and unlimited permits ($756 to $1,008 for Moderate and Complex) require a Certified Booth Operator, a $126 course.
- New Mexico: Types 1 to 3 rise with risk. The $25 fee is waived for booths selling only non-TCS food, booths open two days a month or less, and free food.
- LA County: prepackaged, prepackaged with sampling, preparation and demonstrator booths each have their own fee. Annual permits for a single location run $164 to $507.
- Salt Lake County: low- and high-risk rates; an extended permit covers 14 days and is valid one year ($330 / $445).
- NYC: non-processing booths have lighter rules than booths that prepare food on site (DOHMH food safety guidelines).
- Maricopa County: vendors selling only packaged food or whole produce may be exempt from the permit.
Handwashing station rules for a food booth
The specifications are close across programs:
- King County: an insulated, gravity-flow container of at least 5 gallons with a spigot that locks open, filled with hot water, plus soap, paper towels and a catch bucket (temporary food establishment guidelines, January 2026).
- Maricopa County: at least 5 gallons of 100°F water in an insulated container with a free-flowing spigot; the waste container must be 15% larger than the fresh-water one.
- New Mexico: faucet-type spigot, water at 100°F or warmer, catch bucket, liquid soap and paper towels. Types 1 and 2 can use gravity-fed water but need extra heat past four hours; Type 3 needs running water under pressure.
- Salt Lake County: a 5-gallon container with a continuous-flow spigot and a 5-gallon catch bucket. A nearby restroom sink does not count.
- NYC: non-processing booths may use alcohol-based moist towelettes; processing booths bring potable water and keep wastewater in a lidded container labeled “waste water.”
- Chicago: inspectors check for an adequate handwashing sink.
Where booth food can be prepared
Home kitchens are out in the programs that address it: King County, Maricopa County and Salt Lake County all bar home preparation and storage. Chicago requires prep at an inspected commissary, restaurant or shared kitchen that passed an inspection within six months of the application (CDPH booth license checklist). Maricopa County needs a commissary agreement for food made in advance. New Mexico allows off-site prep only with a letter of agreement and bans carrying cooked food over to the next day. Salt Lake County requires food that needs cooling to be made in an approved kitchen. A truck or cart that sells all year needs a different permit; fees and commissary rules are compared in food truck permit requirements in 8 places.
Inspections at the event
Expect an inspector at the booth. LA County checks that hot food is held at 135°F or above and cold food at 45°F or below. King County closes booths with an imminent health hazard and charges multi-event permit holders a $252 reinspection fee after a failed inspection. Salt Lake County has violations corrected on site and charges $130 for a reinspection. In New Mexico, you arrange an opening inspection through the NMED field office. Chicago sanitarians inspect during events, and in NYC inspectors and police accept the permit receipt as proof. Records from LA County events are explained in our LA County community event inspection records guide.
Checklist before you apply for a temporary food permit
- Find which health department covers the event address; county and city programs can differ inside one metro area.
- Pick the tier that matches your menu: prepackaged only, open food without raw animal products, or cooking.
- Count the events you will work this year. Annual, 5-event or seasonal permits beat single-event fees after a few events.
- Mark the deadline: 30 days in LA County, 14 days in King County, 7 days in Maricopa and Salt Lake counties.
- Line up the trained person: a food worker card in King County, a certified manager for open TCS food in Maricopa County, a Food Protection Certificate supervisor in NYC.
- Book your prep kitchen and get the commissary agreement or letter if one is required.
- Assemble the handwashing station: 5 gallons of warm water, spigot, catch bucket, soap, paper towels.
State card rules behind these requirements are in our guides for Washington food worker cards, Arizona food handler cards, New Mexico food handler cards and Utah food handler permits. Manager certificates are compared in our food manager certification guide.
LA County, NYC, Chicago, King County, Maricopa County, NMED and Salt Lake County pages checked October 24, 2026.