Getting set up to sell

Your plain-language guide to selling at market.

Three things stand between you and your first booth: a Washington business license, the right health permit (if you sell food), and liability insurance. This guide walks through each one in plain English — no jargon, no assumptions. Take it one step at a time.

Friendly heads-up: This is general guidance to help you get started, current as of June 2026. It isn't legal, tax, or insurance advice, and rules and fees change. The official agencies linked below are always the final word — when in doubt, check with them or reach out to us and we'll help you find the answer.

Which do I actually need?

a quick map based on what you sell

If you sell…	You'll typically need…
Fresh whole produce (uncut fruit & veg)	Business license + insurance. Usually no health permit.
Shelf-stable home goods (jams, breads, cookies, dried herbs)	Business license + Cottage Food Permit + food worker card + insurance.
Food cooked or served on-site (hot food, samples, cut fruit)	Business license + temporary food / farmers market permit + food worker card + insurance.
Crafts, art, or other non-food goods	Business license + insurance. No health permit.

Step one

Washington business license

This registers your business with the state and gives you a UBI number (Unified Business Identifier) — a nine-digit ID that follows your business everywhere, like a social security number for your stall.

Do I need one?

You need a state business license if any of these are true: you expect to earn $12,000 or more a year, you'll sell under a business name (not just your own legal name), you'll collect sales tax, or you plan to hire help. For most market vendors, the answer is yes.

Cost: about $50 to apply Time: ~10 business days online

How to get it

Go to the Washington Department of Revenue at dor.wa.gov and start the Business Licensing Wizard — it asks about your business and tells you exactly what you need.
Create a free SAW (SecureAccess Washington) account when prompted.
Complete the Business License Application. You'll need your Social Security Number or ITIN, your business details, and an estimate of your yearly income.
Pay the application processing fee (around $50; a trade name or city endorsement may add a small amount).
Receive your UBI and license — about 10 business days online, a bit longer if city endorsements apply.

Moontide tip: An ITIN works in place of a Social Security Number, so you can apply whether or not you have an SSN. Apply as early as you can — your UBI is needed for nearly everything else, including the cottage food and insurance steps below.

Step two

Health permits (food vendors)

Only food sellers need a health permit, and the type depends on what you sell and how it's handled. There are two main paths, plus a card almost every food worker needs. If you sell crafts or whole produce, you can skip ahead to insurance.

Path A — Shelf-stable home goods: the Cottage Food Permit

If you bake or make non-perishable goods in your home kitchen — breads, cookies, jams, jellies, fruit butters, dried herbs and teas — you'll want a WSDA Cottage Food Permit. It allows direct sales to customers at places like farmers markets.

Cost: $355 for two years Time: plan 6–8+ weeks

Allowed: baked goods, stovetop candies, jams/jellies/preserves, dried herbs and tea blends, extracts.
Not allowed: anything needing refrigeration — cream or custard pies, fresh salsa, canned vegetables, meat or fish.
Includes a home kitchen inspection, a business plan, and label approval. Sales are capped at $35,000/year.
Start at WSDA Cottage Food.

Path B — Cooked or served on-site: temporary food / farmers market permit

If you prepare, cook, or serve food at the market — hot food, drinks, cut fruit, samples — you'll need a permit from Kitsap Public Health. There's a specific permit for authorized farmers markets, and each market you attend needs its own.

The fee depends on how risky your menu is. Some simple, low-risk foods are fee-exempt — but you still submit an application so they can confirm it.
Apply and read the details at Kitsap Public Health — Temporary Food.

Almost everyone in food needs: a Food Worker Card

If you handle food, you (and anyone helping you) need a Washington Food Worker Card. It's a short online course and quiz.

Cost: about $10

Get it at foodworkercard.wa.gov. Note: only Washington's official card counts — cards from other states or private programs aren't accepted.

Moontide tip: The cottage food permit takes the longest of anything in this guide — start it months before the season if you can. Not sure which path is yours? Tell us what you make and we'll point you the right way.

Step three

Liability insurance

Most markets — Moontide included — ask vendors to carry general liability insurance before booking a booth. It protects you (and the market) if someone is hurt or something is damaged because of your booth: a slip by your table, an allergic reaction, a tent that blows over.

What markets usually ask for

General liability, commonly $1,000,000 per occurrence and $2,000,000 total.
"Additional insured" status — adding the market to your policy so it's covered too. Many insurers add this for free.
A Certificate of Insurance (COI) — the one-page proof we'll ask to see. Most insurers issue it instantly.

Cost: roughly $200–$500 / year Time: often same-day

Where to get it

Vendor-specific programs are usually the easiest and cheapest, and they understand market requirements:

Food vendors: programs like FLIP (fliprogram.com) include product liability for food and start around $299/year.
Crafts & art vendors: programs like ACT Insurance (actinsurance.com) cover handmade goods, with single-event or annual options.
You can also ask your current home or business insurer — just make sure any food policy includes product liability.

Moontide tip: If you only do a few markets a year, look for a single-event or short-term policy instead of annual — it can cost far less. Always get a couple of quotes; the cheapest isn't always the right coverage.

That's the whole map. Tackle them in order — license first, then permits, then insurance — and you'll be ready to set up your stall. Questions on any of it? We're glad to help you through it.

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