2026 Cookie Booth Playbook

Girl Scout Cookie Booths

Types of Cookie Booths Cookie booths are stationary locations where troops and Girl Scouts can set up a table outside retail, restaurant, and business locations. Councils and volunteers should use their best judgment in setting up cookie booths at locations that will be open, accessible, and safe for all Girl Scouts and potential customers. GSUSA does not require councils to purchase additional insurance for cookie booths. This should be covered under the council’s general liability insurance policy. (See GSUSA Risk Management Guide .) Below are examples of the types of cookie booths that a Girl Scout may work. Regardless of booth type or location: • Adults must always oversee Girl Scouts’ interactions with customers. • Locations where minors are not legally allowed to patronize are not appropriate for booths. Cookie Stand • A small, lemonade-stand-style booth run by a Girl Scout (or Girl Scouts from one household), supervised by their parent/caregiver(s). For safety reasons 2 adults are still recommended.

Drive-Thru • Set up in a parking lot or open area where customers stay in their vehicles. • Troops should create a safe lane and keep Girl Scouts away from traffic. • Typically run by a larger group of Girl Scouts with appropriate adult supervision. Standard Cookie Booth • Set up at the entrance or exit of a business or retailer. • Usually run by 2-4 girls with the appropriate adult supervision. • These may be a combination of council-secured and troop-secured locations

Certain locations may be inappropriate for Girl Scouts, they may negatively impact the cookie program experience for participants, and may negatively impact the Girl Scout brand in your community, consider not only the policies but the standards of your local community/government. For clarity, Girl Scouts should not sell in or in front of establishments that they themselves cannot legally patronize . Examples being bars, casinos, and dispensaries. As it relates to locations that serve alcohol the following should be considered. • Is this a location that would be considered family appropriate? Examples include a restaurant that also has a bar or a brewery/tasting room that houses a kitchen. • Is there space away from the alcohol where girls can set up their space? • Members should never in any way promote the purchase of alcohol, examples being promoting a drink that pairs well with Thin Mints or the partner offering a coupon on a drink for purchasing a package of cookies. • The adults present with the Girl Scouts should not participate in drinking, see Safety Activity Checkpoints . • Are there any additional state regulations that may prevent boothing?

If all bullets can be met, then it could be a cookie booth location. If they cannot be met, then the partner could consider purchasing cookies in support of Girl Scouts, but Girl Scouts should not booth.

8 Cookie Booth Playbook