UW students and personnel hosting or sponsoring an event at a UW location where food will be served, sold, or given away may need to apply for a Temporary Food Service Permit from UW Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S).
A Temporary Food Service Permit application is a Washington state regulatory requirement when serving foods at public or campus community events. The permit application allows EH&S to assess the safety of the food source, evaluate food preparation steps, handling, and storage to protect health and prevent foodborne illness.
Not sure whether you need a Temporary Food Service Permit for your event? Please review the information and frequently asked questions below.
No home-prepared foods
University units, departments, registered student organizations, and sponsored non-UW groups are not allowed to give away or sell food prepared or stored at home (or in a kitchen that has not been approved by EH&S or a local county health jurisdiction) at a temporary food establishment.
Questions about food service at your planned event? Contact the EH&S Environmental Public Health team.
A PERMIT IS REQUIRED
A Temporary Food Service Permit from UW Environmental Health & Safety is required if:
The event is held at a UW location in Bothell, Seattle or Tacoma and meets any of the following conditions:
- The event is sponsored by a UW department or group, including registered student organizations; or
- The event is open to the public or UW campus community (students, faculty, staff); or
- Event information was advertised in public media (e.g., posters, flyers, social media) or wider campus communications (e.g., email, word of mouth); or
- The event is sponsored by a non-UW group and UW campus community members are invited to attend.
Even if a permit is not required, organizers should follow safe food handling practices, including proper handwashing practices, storing food at safe temperatures, limiting food service to a short window of time, and keeping food covered and protected from potential contamination.
A PERMIT IS NOT REQUIRED
A Temporary Food Service Permit from UW Environmental Health & Safety is not required if any of the following exceptions are true.
- The event is not held on UW property. Check with your event site regarding specific local health department requirements for permits.
- The event is invitation only and private (hosted and attended by a non-UW group). This may include food service for weddings, birthdays, funerals, or external company retreats at UW venues, where the campus community is not invited and will not attend.
- The event is limited to members of a small (50 people or less), closed campus community group (e.g., a class, a lab group, an RSO)
- The only food served will be non-perishable, commercially pre-packaged, ready-to-eat foods (e.g., prepackaged chips, candy, individually packaged baked goods, pasteurized, bottled or canned beverages) from a licensed and permitted food establishment or food processing plant.
- The only food served will be individually prepackaged frozen confections (e.g., ice cream cones or popsicles in their original packaging) from a licensed food business or food processing plant.
- The only food served is provided by food establishments with current EH&S-issued operating permits (e.g., UW Housing & Food Services, Bay Laurel Catering, UWMC Plaza Café).
Do I need a permit if the only food served at the event is…
No. A Temporary Food Service Permit is not required if you are serving non-perishable, commercially pre-packaged, ready-to-eat foods (e.g., prepackaged chips, candy, individually packaged baked goods, or pasteurized, bottled or canned beverages) from a licensed and permitted food establishment or food processing plant.
No. Food establishments managed by UW Housing & Food Services have permanent operating permits issued by UW EH&S, are regularly inspected by EH&S, and will provide catered food per food code requirements. A Temporary Food Service Permit isn’t required.
Yes. A Temporary Food Service Permit is required.
No. EH&S does not issue Temporary Food Service Permits for potlucks.
Sharing of homemade food at a potluck may occur when all of the following conditions apply:
- The gathering is limited to members of a small, closed group (e.g., a class, club or office potluck); and
- Attendees bring food to share; and
- There is no compensation given to individuals bringing the food; and
- There is no charge for individuals eating the food; and
- The potluck event is not for commercial purposes.
Home-prepared foods (and foods prepared in kitchens without EH&S or a local health jurisdiction approval) are prohibited from being served or sold to the public or wider campus community.
Potlucks (and home-prepared foods) can have inherent food safety risks related to potential unsafe ingredient sources, and improper food preparation, cooking, food storage and service. This is why it is important for potlucks to be small and controlled if they do occur. There are best practices that groups can take to ensure that food is prepared and shared safely, including:
- Review state and federal food safety guidance related to picnics and barbecues and cooking for groups.
- Be conscious of the ingredients in the food items being served. Consider that attendees may have food allergies or sensitivities. Proper ingredient labeling of items (especially ingredients that are food allergens) is extremely important.
- Protect food from potential contamination (i.e., keep food covered when not being actively served and use clean utensils to serve food and to prevent hand contact with shared food).
- Choose a potluck location where handwashing and/or hand sanitizer supplies are available for attendees.
- Consider limiting potluck food items to those that typically don’t require temperature control (e.g., baked goods like cookies, muffins, brownies, candy brittle, breads and pretzels; dried fruits and nuts; whole fresh fruits like bananas, apples oranges).
Apply for a Temporary Food Service Permit
If a Temporary Food Service Permit from UW Environmental Health & Safety is required, event organizers must apply online at least 2 weeks prior to the event date. EH&S cannot guarantee review of an application submitted within a shorter time frame.
To apply for a Temporary Food Service Permit, you must be a current UW student or personnel with a UWNetID. If you do not have a UWNetID, please identify a sponsoring UW department, the UW sponsor may complete and submit a permit application on behalf of a non-UW food vendor or group. EH&S may contact the UW sponsor with questions about the event plan.
- When event organizers submit an application for a Temporary Food Service Permit, they agree to meet Washington State Retail Food Code requirements designed to ensure event food is prepared and handled safely and under sanitary conditions.
- During application review, EH&S may verify a vendor or caterer’s operating permit from the local health department, operating history and inspection history, and require individuals handling food, food equipment or utensils to have current food worker cards.
Contact the EH&S Environmental Public Health team with questions.
Check the status of your application
Check the status of an existing application.
FAQs about the permit application
A permit is usually required to operate a temporary food establishment (refer to the definition below) serving food or refreshments on University property in association with public or campus community events, regardless of whether the food is being sold for profit or provided at no charge.
There are some exceptions stated on this webpage. If you are unsure if you need a permit for food service at an event, contact the EH&S Environmental Public Health team for clarification.
To obtain a permit, submit an online application at least two weeks prior to the event date.
No. The University does not charge a fee to apply for (or issue) a Temporary Food Service Permit.
A Temporary Food Service Permit applications may be denied by UW EH&S if the food source (e.g., caterer, restaurant, food truck) does not meet EH&S risk-based screening criteria at the time of permit application review. These criteria consider the establishment operating history and recent food safety inspection details from the local jurisdictional health department.
During the application review process, EH&S will evaluate each vendor/caterer application against risk-based screening criteria that includes:
-
The food establishment that is providing the event food must have a current permanent operating permit from a WA state local health jurisdiction or current permit from the Washington State Department of Agriculture.
-
The food establishment has been operating for at least one year.
-
No indication of bare hand contact with ready to eat food on the most recent local health department inspection report.
-
No health-based establishment closures on record in the past two calendar years.
-
Most recent routine inspection report score from local health department does not exceed 45 violation points.
-
No repeated red critical violations in the most recent routine inspection.
Failure to meet risk-based screening criteria will result in EH&S rejecting the Temporary Food Service Permit application.
If your Temporary Food Service Permit application is denied, re-submit your Temporary Food Service Permit application with another food establishment as your food source, keeping in mind the reason for denial indicated on your email notification.
Contact the UW EH&S Environmental Public Health Program with any questions..
Food safety guidelines
If you are hosting an event on UW property, please follow the EH&S Guidelines for Temporary Food Establishments for safe food preparation, handling and transport.
The Mobile Food Unit Policy and Guidelines apply to UW mobile food units (a readily movable food establishment, such as a food truck) serving food at UW locations.
FAQs about food safety
Temporary food establishments found to be operating at UW locations without an EH&S Temporary Food Service Permit or with one or more imminent health hazards will be closed by UW EH&S.
Home-prepared foods (and foods prepared in kitchens without EH&S or a local health jurisdiction approval) are prohibited from being served or sold to the public or wider campus community.
However, home-prepared food may be shared under the conditions stated in the FAQ “What about potlucks?”
Yes. In accordance with the Washington Retail Food Code, all cooling of foods must occur in equipment that maintains an ambient air temperature of 41°F (5°C) or less, using approved cooling methods, and in a permitted and approved (by EH&S) permanent food establishment. Cooling of foods may not occur in a temporary food establishment.
Yes. UW EH&S requires at least one event organizer per 50 planned servings to have a current Washington state food worker card where organizer(s) plan to transport perishable foods, and/or handle unpackaged food or food contact surfaces at temporary food establishments.
Food worker cards must be obtained (and provided to EH&S for review) prior to the event. Food workers should have a digital or hard copy of their current food worker card available onsite in case requested by EH&S during the event.
As a best practice all people involved in transporting or handling event foods or food contact surfaces should have food safety training. If you have a food worker card from another state, it is not valid in Washington. Each state has distinct food code regulations and food safety requirements.
For more information, please visit the Washington State Department of Health Food Worker Card website.
FAQs about food vendors
No. Food establishments (restaurants, caterers, vendors, mobile food units) intending to provide event food must possess a current permanent operating permit from any Washington state local health jurisdiction or current operating permit from the Washington State Department of Agriculture. EH&S may request proof of the establishment’s current operating permit from event organizers.
You must have an approved Temporary Food Service Permit from EH&S to serve food to the public or UW campus community at a University location. To obtain a permit, you must have a sponsoring UW unit apply for a Temporary Food Service Permit and if the application is approved you will be allowed to serve food at a campus event.
EH&S does not maintain a list of approved food trucks or external caterers/restaurants.
Food establishment operations and inspection scores from local health jurisdictions change over time. EH&S conducts an impartial review of the event food source at the time of the Temporary Food Service Permit application submission.
Services available
EH&S offers the following services:
- Careful review of Temporary Food Service Permits
- Consultation to groups hosting events where food is served
- On-site inspection of temporary food establishments
More information
The authorized online training program to obtain a Washington State Food Worker Card is available on the Washington State Department of Health website.
- Washington Administrative Code Chapter 246-215 WAC provides the regulatory standards for management and personnel during food service operations in Washington State.
- UW Administrative Policy Statement APS 11.5
Definitions
An operation that stores, prepares, packages, serves and vends food directly to the consumer or otherwise provides food for human consumption. Food establishments can be temporary or permanent operations
An individual working with (e.g., handling, serving, transporting, storing) unpackaged food, food equipment, or utensils, or food contact surfaces
Foods likely to spoil, decay or become unsafe to consume if not under time or temperature controls to limit the growth of illness causing bacteria or toxin formation
Operates at a fixed location, with fixed menu for more than 21 consecutive days
Current faculty or staff member, UW department, or registered student group that represents a non-UW vendor or group at an on-campus event
One of the following:
- An establishment serving food at a fixed UW location, with a fixed menu, for not more than 21 consecutive days in conjunction with a single occasion or celebration; or
- An establishment serving food no more than three days a week at a fixed UW location, with a fixed menu, in conjunction with an approved, recurring, organized event