UW Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) supports University units, personnel and students with ensuring food safety and regulatory compliance during events that serve food across the University. Some events require a Temporary Food Establishment Permit.
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 Establishment Permit from UW Environmental Health & Safety.
IS A PERMIT REQUIRED?
A Temporary Food Establishment Permit is a Washington state regulatory requirement when serving foods at an event at a UW location that is open to the general public or broader campus community.
A Temporary Food Establishment Permit is not required if any of the following apply:
A Temporary Food Establishment Permit is not required if the event is a private gathering limited to members and guests of a group.
Examples include the following:
- UW college, school, unit, or department events where invitations are sent to a defined group (e.g., students and/or personnel within a department, school, or college; staff meetings and retreats, board meetings, receptions, etc.). Invited guests (e.g., guest speakers, visiting faculty) may also attend.
- A conference or program is hosted by a UW college, school, or unit at a UW location for pre-identified participants or registered guests (e.g., symposium, workshop, speaker panel discussions).
- Student-sponsored, RSO and student-run events for members and invited guests only (e.g., registered student organization meetings, student clubs, classroom or lab groups).
- Non-UW private rentals (e.g., weddings, birthdays, funerals, or non-UW company retreats at a UW venue).
- A potluck (defined below) is hosted by a closed group, where attendees bring a food item to share.
A Temporary Food Establishment Permit is required if the event is open (or advertised to) the general public or broader UW campus community.
Event organizers are expected to follow the food safety requirements, even when a permit is not required.
A Temporary Food Establishment Permit is not required if the food comes from any UW food establishment because it already has a UW Food Establishment Permit (e.g., Bay Laurel Catering, Housing and Food Services, UW Medical Center Plaza Café, UW Bothell Aramark, UW Tacoma Aramark).
Event organizers are expected to follow food safety requirements, even when a permit is not required.
A Temporary Food Establishment Permit is not required if serving non-perishable foods from a licensed and permitted food establishment or food processing plant that are any of the following:
- Commercially pre-packaged, ready-to-eat foods (e.g., pre-packaged chips, candy, individually packaged baked goods, pasteurized, bottled or canned beverages)
- Individually prepackaged frozen confections (e.g., ice cream cones or popsicles in their original packaging)
- Served from the original packaging without direct hand contact using clean, single-service or disposable containers (e.g., cake slices, pretzels, cookies, glazed doughnuts served with tongs from the box onto clean paper plates or napkins)
- Whole fruits or vegetables (e.g., bananas, apples, oranges)
- Hot beverages (e.g., tea, coffee, pasteurized apple cider) that can be served directly from the container into single service cups. Any milks (dairy or alternative) offered with the beverage would need to be shelf-stable powdered creamer or shelf-stable prepackaged creams
- Cotton candy, popcorn, or kettle corn prepared from commercially-packaged ingredients and served without direct hand contact using clean, single-service or disposable containers
Event organizers are expected to follow food safety requirements, even when a permit is not required.
Check with your event site regarding specific local health department requirements for permits.
The only food offered is non-perishable food provided by a vendor with a license from the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) or United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) food processing plant, or a cottage food operation license.
Event organizers are expected to follow food safety requirements, even when a permit is not required.
Home-prepared foods and unpermitted kitchens
Foods prepared or stored at home (or in a kitchen without an operating permit from EH&S or a local health jurisdiction) may not be sold or distributed at a public event that is required to have a UW Temporary Food Establishment permit.
APPLY FOR A PERMIT
The permit application process allows Environmental Health & Safety to assess the safety of the food source, evaluate food preparation, handling, and storage steps to protect health and prevent foodborne illness. Applications are then assigned a risk level based on the kind of food and method of service, which corresponds to the permit fee charged to applicants once approved.
Steps to apply
- Verify whether your event requires a Temporary Food Establishment Permit (listed above).
- Review the Temporary Food Establishment Guidelines.
- Gather all required information before starting the online application.
- Submit the application at least 14 calendar days before the event to guarantee review and processing, and avoid a rush fee.
When event organizers submit an application for a Temporary Food Establishment Permit, they agree to meet the requirements in the Temporary Food Establishment Guidelines, which are designed to ensure food is prepared and handled safely and under sanitary conditions.
Permit fees
A fee is charged after the Temporary Food Establishment Permit is issued. Fees are determined by the complexity of the menu and food-handling processes in alignment with local and state public health regulations and fee structures. Registered Student Organizations are charged a reduced fee.
Application deadline
If a Temporary Food Establishment Permit is required, event organizers should submit the online application at least 14 calendar days prior to the event date to guarantee review and processing, and to avoid a rush fee.
EH&S cannot guarantee review of an application submitted within a shorter time frame. Applications submitted after 5:00 pm Pacific Time (PT) are counted as submitted the next day. The day of the event does not count as a review day.
After you submit your application
You will receive an email from EH&S to confirm that we have received your application. We will review your application and either approve it, request more information if needed, and determine whether it can be approved.
- If the application is approved, EH&S will email a permit to you and your payment method will be charged.
- If the application cannot be approved, EH&S will notify you and you will not be charged for the permit.
Read the FAQs below for more information about the application review process. Contact EH&S with questions.
Check the status of your application
Check the status of an existing application.
FAQs about the application and fees
Yes. The person submitting an application for a Temporary Food Establishment Permit must be a current UW student or personnel with a valid UW NetID (UW email address without "@uw.edu").
If you are working with external vendors who do not have a UW NetID, you can send them the UW Temporary Food Establishment Permit Application Form and use the information they provide to complete the online application. Please contact EH&S for assistance.
A Temporary Food Establishment Permit application may be denied for various reasons. EH&S will provide the reason in an email to the applicant.
During the application review process, EH&S will evaluate the food source (e.g., caterer, vendor, restaurant, food truck) against risk-based screening criteria that include (but are not limited to):
The food establishment that is providing the event food must have a current permanent operating permit from a Washington state local health jurisdiction or the Washington State Department of Agriculture, and all of the following are true:
- At least one routine inspection by the local health jurisdiction
- No indication of bare hand contact with ready-to-eat food on the most recent local health jurisdiction inspection report
- No health-based closures on record in the past two calendar years
- Most recent routine inspection report score from the local health jurisdiction does not exceed 45 violation points
- No repeated red critical violations in the most recent routine inspection.
An application may be denied if the food source doesn’t meet risk-based screening criteria, or the application is missing information necessary for review, and the applicant has not responded to communication attempts from EH&S.
Revise and re-submit your application to address the issue (e.g., apply with a different caterer if the application was denied because the original caterer didn’t meet risk-based screening criteria).
Please contact the UW EH&S with any questions.
Payment information is collected through a secure online form when you submit your permit application.
You may use a UW worktag, credit card, debit card, or electronic check to pay the fee. A 15.6% UW administrative surcharge is added if paying with a credit card, debit card, or electronic check.
Please review the Temporary Food Establishment Permit Fees for more information.
No. You will not be charged a permit fee if your application is denied or not processed.
A permit fee is charged when EH&S has issued a Temporary Food Establishment Permit.
Please review the Temporary Food Establishment Permit Fees for more information.
No. Once a permit is issued, the fee is non-refundable, even if the event is cancelled later.
EH&S will issue either a single event occurrence permit or a multiple event occurrence permit.
A single event permit allows a temporary food establishment to operate up to 21 consecutive days in conjunction with a single event; or up to three days per week in conjunction with a recurring event.
A multiple event permit allows a temporary food establishment to operate up to five times in a calendar year if it has the same caterer, location, menu, and service period.
FOOD SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
When a permit is required
All events that are required to have a Temporary Food Service Permit are required to follow the Temporary Food Establishment Guidelines for safe food preparation, handling, and transport.
When a permit is not required
Even when a Temporary Food Service Permit is not required, event 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.
All events that are not required to have a Temporary Food Service Permit are required to follow the Guidelines for Food Safety.
FAQs about food safety
Yes, only when it’s served at a potluck or limited to members of a small, closed campus community group.
Home prepared foods cannot be sold or distributed to the public or broader campus community.
Potlucks 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. 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).
EH&S may stop food service operations under any of the following conditions:
- The violation point total (total of critical/red and non-critical/blue) is greater than 90 points or critical/red violation points total is greater than 70 during an inspection; or
- Operating without an EH&S Temporary Food Establishment Permit; or
- An imminent or actual health hazard is observed during inspection (may suspend operations in a portion of or the full establishment); or
- Operations/facilities/equipment or the permit holder do not comply with Washington State Retail Food Code (refer to the regulations section below); or
- There is interference with EH&S staff in performing inspections or other regulatory duties.
Follow the Temporary Food Establishment Guidelines to ensure your temporary food establishment meets food safety requirements.
Yes. Events with food service that requires a Temporary Food Establishment Permit, 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 permanent food establishment.
Cooling of foods may not occur at the event in accordance with the Temporary Food Establishment Guidelines.
It depends. Current food worker cards are required for individuals who are:
- Transporting or handling (i.e., cutting, washing, preparing, serving, cooking) unpackaged food, utensils or other food contact surfaces; or
- Supervising large buffet service events. Have at least one person with a current food worker card for every 50 planned attendees served at an event (e.g., at least two people with food worker cards responsible for overseeing buffet service at a 100-person event).
Food worker cards must be obtained (and provided to EH&S for review when the permit application is submitted) prior to the event. Food workers should have a digital or hard copy of their current food worker card available on site in case it's requested by EH&S during the event.
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.
FAQs about food vendors
To serve food at an event at a University location, restaurants, caterers, vendors, and mobile food units must:
- Have a current permanent operating permit from a Washington state local health jurisdiction; or
- Possess a current operating permit from the Washington State Department of Agriculture or United States Department of Agriculture; and
- An EH&S Temporary Food Establishment Permit for the event.
EH&S may request proof of the vendor’s current operating permit when reviewing the temporary food establishment permit application.
No. To serve at a University event, you are required to have:
- A current operating permit (refer to the FAQ above); and
- An EH&S Temporary Food Establishment Permit for the event.
To obtain an EH&S Temporary Food Establishment Permit, you must have a sponsoring UW unit apply for a permit on your behalf.
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.
Read the FAQ above regarding requirements for food worker cards.
- Washington Administrative Codes Chapter 246-215 and 246-217 (referred to as the “Washington State Retail Food Code”) include maintaining appropriate facilities, trained staff, functional equipment, proper food protection, and safe handling practices
- UW Food Safety Program Manual.
Definitions
A setup 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.
Sharing homemade food when all of the following conditions apply:
- Event 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
Current faculty or staff member, UW department, or registered student group that represents a non-UW vendor or group at an on-campus event.
A permitted setup at a University location that serves, sells, or gives away food, at a fixed location, with a fixed menu, that is advertised to or attended by the broader UW community or public.
A temporary food establishment may have a single event or multiple event occurrence permit.