Do You Need A Permit For A Lemonade Stand (In Yakima)?
I should have titled this blog post, "How To Avoid Lemonade Beckys". More and more, I am seeing news stories about sweet little kids getting a big ole fat ticket for running a lemonade stand without a permit. They are getting shut down by the MAN! And in most cases, by the WO-man!
Evil busybodies keep calling the police to report children with lemonade stands and it's getting out of control, as seen in detail here. It is getting so bad out there for young entrepreneurial kids these days that Country Time Lemonade company had to issue this children's legal aid service at countrytimelegalade.com! Country Time showed out! I am dying laughing! Ha!
But what about Yakima? If your kid wants to have a lemonade stand this summer, do they need a permit or nah, as the kids say?
I decided to settle this question once and for all so that when my 7-year old daughter, Willow, gets her lemonade stand up and running, she will not run into any grumpy "BBQ Becky" types.
I called the City of Yakima License department for some answers, and I was not disappointed!
Trevor Martin, an Associate Planner for the City of Yakima, told me straight away that "typically, [lemonade stand] permits are not required for kids". Martin went on to tell me that because minors (who are not subject to taxes per Yakima Municipal Code 5.52.050) can even qualify for an "Exempt Business License". Your kid can even frame this permit and have it displayed at the lemonade stand, if she or he wishes. (You can get it for free on the second floor of City Hall at 129 N 2nd St.)
How fun is that! Now you can keep those snippy "Lemonade Beckys" at bay! As my boss, Jim, says, "Lighen up, let the kids make a buck!"
It's nice to know that the City of Yakima is looking out for the future generation of entrepreneurs in our town. That only leaves your kid remaining with two important questions: How much are you going to charge for that refreshing cup of lemonade and can you break a $20? ;-)