Food Business Permit (Public Health – Seattle & King County) — Seattle

What Is the Food Business Permit?

Even inside Seattle, the food permit is a county function run by Public Health – Seattle & King County (PHSKC) — it covers Seattle and all of King County.

Process

1. Submit a Plan Review Application (floor plan, equipment list/specs, menu, finish schedule) through the Public Health Permit Center before any construction. The plumbing plan must show your three-compartment sink connecting to a grease trap/interceptor.
2. After plan approval, apply for the operating permit.
3. Schedule a pre-operational inspection at least a week before opening — opening without a passing inspection can mean closure and fees.

Permits and inspection frequency are risk-based by menu/process; results feed the public food-safety rating (Excellent / Good / Okay / Needs to Improve).

Renewal: Annual, via the Public Health Permit Center. Plan reviews can take 8–10 weeks — start early.

What SpoonSeal tracks

The document(s) you upload for this requirement, with automatic renewal/expiration tracking (Current, Due Soon, Expired). Where the city publishes health-inspection results (e.g., NYC and Chicago), SpoonSeal syncs them automatically; elsewhere they can be added manually.