All food trucks in Alabama must obtain a mobile food establishment permit from the Alabama Department of Public Health under Chapter 420-3-22, with uniform sanitation, water, and inspection standards regardless of city.
Alabama Administrative Code 420-3-22, the Food Establishment Sanitation Rules adopted from the FDA Food Code, defines mobile food units and requires each to obtain a permit from ADPH or its designee. Operators must use an approved commissary, maintain potable water, dispose of wastewater properly, and comply with handwashing, food temperature, and food handler card requirements. The Alabama Food Truck Act (Act 2018-432, codified at Section 22-20-5.2) created a statewide reciprocity system: a permit issued in one Alabama county is honored in all others without duplicative health inspection fees, though operators still register with each jurisdiction.
Operation without permit results in fines, immediate cease-and-desist, embargo of food, and possible misdemeanor charges. Repeat sanitation violations cause permit revocation.
See how Lee County's food truck permits rules stack up against other locations.
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