Tuscaloosa, AL Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors: Food Truck Permits (2026)

Sec. 12-50 makes it unlawful to operate a mobile food service business on any street, avenue, alley or other public place of the city, including city-owned or right-of-way property, without a valid, effective franchise approved by the city council; the council 'retains and reserves all powers and authority' under state law to grant or deny any franchise. Sec. 12-51 requires the application to go in writing to the office of the city attorney and to include the applicant's contact information and entity documents, photographs and full dimensions of the food unit or cart (the franchise covers only that specific unit), proof of insurance meeting Sec.

12-52(f)'s minimums, copies of health department, state, county and other municipal permits or licenses already held, any notices of alleged food-service misconduct, and the dates and dispositions of any felony charges or food/business-related misdemeanors involving the applicant or its principals. Sec. 12-52(f) sets the insurance floor at $300,000 per person and $1,000,000 per occurrence for bodily injury and $1,000,000 per occurrence for property damage, with the city named as additional insured and 30 days' notice required before any policy change or cancellation. A business license under Chapter 7 is required in addition to, and independent of, the franchise itself.

Franchises are non-exclusive, non-transferable without City Council consent, and limited to one mobile unit each; Sec. 12-53 requires the franchise ordinance to be published for three consecutive weeks at the franchisee's expense before it takes effect.