Washington County - Mobile Food Service Facilities and Semipermanent Food Service Facilities - Toilet and Lavatory Facilities

Washington County food businesses get restroom relief

Beginning October 1, 2026, mobile and semipermanent food facilities in Washington County, Maryland, are exempt from a public-restroom requirement. That requirement applies to food establishments opened after January 1, 1979, that have seating for customers. Separate general toilet and sink requirements remain unchanged. Mobile facilities are food-service vehicles operating on land or water. Semipermanent facilities must be built elsewhere and delivered as complete units needing no building permit for installation. They must have no indoor customer seating and serve cooked food only for immediate service. Facilities that routinely move for sales, supplies, water refills, wastewater disposal, or equipment and utensil cleaning do not qualify as semipermanent. The law also allows Washington County food establishments at agritourism sites, Class 4 limited wineries, and Class 8 farm breweries to use portable chemical toilets. These toilets must meet the applicable sink requirements and sit at least 25 feet from a well.