The Pierce County Council has rejected a proposal that would have given the Sheriff’s Office a new role in enforcing food-safety rules for unpermitted mobile vendors. The measure applied to unincorporated Pierce County—not every food vendor in Tacoma or other cities—and its narrow defeat leaves the current approach in place.
The amended proposal called for health officials and deputies to educate vendors and issue a warning at first contact. A second encounter could have brought misdemeanor charges for an on-site vendor and a gross misdemeanor for the person or group deemed responsible for the operation. The Sheriff’s Office could also have seized equipment, including vehicles.
Supporters pointed to a sharp increase in the number of unpermitted vendor setups the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department said it shut down: eight in 2024, 143 in 2025 and 62 more from January through October 2026. Small-business advocates countered that many people want to follow the rules but need help navigating them. They warned criminal penalties could make some vendors less likely to seek guidance, while permit costs can be a significant barrier.
Council members who opposed the ordinance also questioned whether involving law enforcement was the right fix—and whether vendors could simply move into Tacoma, Puyallup or Lakewood, outside the county ordinance’s reach. The News Tribune’s full report explains the debate behind the close decision and what comes next. Read it here.
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