Food Truck Ordinance - The City of Anniston

Food Trucks in the City of Anniston

Full Ordinance

Below you may review the most important details about our food truck (mobile food unit) policies in the City of Anniston. However, before applying for your food truck or mobile food unit, please be sure to read the full ordinance linked here: Mobile Food Units Ordinance.

Please note: All food trucks have to be inspected before a license or event permit can be issued by the City.

Definitions

The following words, terms, and phrases, when used in this article, shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section:

- Food(s) shall mean any type of edible substance meant to be eaten by any creature, including, but not limited to, natural persons, dogs, cats, ect.
- Mobile food unit(s) shall mean a motorized or non-motorized self-contained vehicle, trailer, or pushcart that is designed to be mobile and to be used for the service of prepared foods, the preparation of foods, or the service of foods in one (1) or more location within the city.
- Mobile food unit permit shall mean a permit to operate a mobile food unit within the city as issued under the authority of this article by the city’s fire/building code official and/or his/her designee.

What is Required to Start a Food Truck Business?

There are two (2) main requirements to begin operations of a food truck (mobile food unit) in the City limits of Anniston:

Business License:
- Any person operating a mobile food unit shall annually obtain and maintain a business license issued by the City Finance Department prior to commencing any sales in the city.
Mobile food unit permit:
- After obtaining a business license, any person operating a mobile food unit shall obtain an annual mobile food unit permit to be issued by the city’s fire/building code official and/or his/her designee. A separate permit shall be required for each mobile food unit. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a mobile food unit within the city without a valid and unexpired mobile food unit permit issued by the city pursuant to this article.

What are the Steps in the Permit Application Process?

There is a seven (7) step process to receiving your approved mobile food unit permit:

Any person desiring to obtain a permit to operate a mobile food unit within the city shall complete an application, in person, to the city’s fire/building code official.
The application shall be submitted on a form created by the city, which will include, at a minimum, the following information:
- (i) Applicant’s name and physical address (to be verified through the presentation of the applicant’s U.S. state issued driver’s license, U.S. state issued identification card, U.S. passport, or foreign passport with U.S. Visa certification), telephone number, email address;
- (ii) Name, physical address, telephone number of the applicant’s employer or principal, if any;
- (iii) Type of mobile food unit applicant is seeking to operate within the city, including a description of such mobile food unit; and
- (iv) The applicant’s signature.
- (v) The applicant shall provide any such further information or documentation the city’s fire/building code official deems necessary to review and consider the application in the interests of public health and safety.
The applicant shall fully complete the mobile food unit permit application and, together with the application, submit to the city’s official along with
- (i) such applicant’s U.S. state issued driver’s license, U.S. state issue identification card, U.S. passport, or foreign passport with Visa certification,
- (ii) a copy of all required and current health department approvals for such mobile food unit, and a copy of a current city business license.
At the time of filing the application with the permit official, the applicant shall pay to the department a non-refundable fee in the amount of one hundred dollars ($100.00) to defray the costs of administering this article.
Upon receipt of the fully completed application and all required documents, the city’s fire/building code official or his/her designee shall review and, if appropriate, approve the application.
Upon approval of the application, the city’s fire/building code official shall complete an inspection of the mobile food unit identified in the permit application. A mobile food unit shall be subject to and comply with any and all relevant codes adopted by the city.
Upon passing of the inspection process, the city’s fire/building code official shall issue a mobile food unit permit to the applicant. The permit shall show the name and address of the permittee and the date of permit’s expiration.

Reasons why a Permit would be Denied/Rejected

Any denial of a permit application shall be in accordance with the following:

Denial of permit: The city’s fire/building code official may deny a mobile food permit application or any renewal thereof for any of the following reason:

An investigation reveals that the applicant falsified and/or provided inaccurate information on the application;
The applicant fails to provide proof of possession of any license or permit which, under federal, state, or local law or regulations, the applicant is required to have in order to conduct the proposed business;
There is no proof as to the authority of the applicant to serve as an employee/agent to the employer/principle;
Failure by the applicant to provide all information required by permit application;
Failure of any portion of the inspection of the mobile food unit; and

The city’s fire/building code official shall note the denial and the reasons therefore on the application form and mail the applicant written notification of the denial to the address identified on the application.

What Locations are Food Trucks Allowed?

All mobile food units shall be located off the public right of ways unless approved in advance by the city. While in operation, a mobile food unit shall be only in areas of the city zoned non-residential.
Any person operating a mobile food unit shall have permission of the property owner where the unit is in operation, which shall be evidenced by a writing expressing said permission and signed by the property owner. The operator of the mobile shall keep said written permission in the mobile food unit while located or in operation on the property.
No mobile food unit may be located within two hundred (200) feet of the main entrance of the nearest restaurant during restaurant’s posted hours of operation.
All mobile food units shall be located a minimum often (10) feet away from any fire hydrants, sidewalks, utility boxes, handicap ramps, and/or building entrances.
No mobile food unit shall be allowed to remain stationary for more than three (3) consecutive days unless approval is granted by the city in advance.

In addition to locations, know that no mobile food unit may sell food in excess of eight (8) hours in any day unless otherwise approved in advance by the city.

Staff Contact Information:

Jason Brown | Fire Marshal | 256-231-7650 | jkbrown@annistonal.gov

Tana Bryant | Senior Code Enforcement Officer | 256-231-7733 | tbryant@annistonal.gov

Code Enforcement Officer | 256-241-7161

Permits & Development

Fees, Zoning, & Inspections

Doing Business