By Barnett Wright | The Birmingham Times
With nearly 200 food truck vendors applying for permits in 2024, up from less than 10 in 2017, the Birmingham City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved amendments to the City’s food truck ordinance, allowing for more turnaround time for vendors to acquire permits.
The amendments are aimed at reducing the time it takes to process the applications and prevent redundancy — cutting the time from several months to 48 hours, according to the city.
Currently 192 vendors have applied for permits in 2024.
“The whole purpose of these changes are aimed at making it easier for people to operate a food truck in Birmingham because we see that as not only beneficial for tax revenue purposes, but also because it adds to the character of the city and our renowned local food scene,” said City Council President Darrell O’Quinn.
Other changes, made to ordinance first passed in 2017, include reducing the number of permits options to a single one for vendors, previously there were multiple variations of food truck permits, and it complicated the process, according to vendors and city officials.
Paige Ishmael, senior planner with the Birmingham Department of Transportation, told the council Tuesday that city employees worked extensively with food truck owners, local businesses and merchants’ associations to make the application process faster.
Before the recent changes, the city offered several types of food truck permits, which vendors told city staff complicated the application process. Now there will be only one permit. The fee for the permit will also be fixed at $200. Currently, they range from $300 to $500 based on the permit type.
The changes would also require a fire inspection from the City of Birmingham, and not an outside entity. Also, food trucks will be able to park and operate at any metered space in the city, so long as they are in compliance with previously existing regulations such as not operating within 150 feet of an existing restaurant. Vendors are required to pay the meter when they are parked.
“This has been something we’ve discussed at city hall for quite some time and I’m very glad to see these amendments put in place; I think it will greatly benefit our vendors and residents alike,” O’Quinn said.
All food truck permits expire on December 31, 2024, and with the approval of the amended ordinance, city officials are hopeful that this new process will be in place by Jan. 2, 2025.
How to obtain a permit and business license for a food truck
- operators must get a fire inspection from the Birmingham Fire Department
- they must then obtain a Jefferson County Department of Health permit
- vendors will then need to visit the Birmingham Department of Transportation Office at City Hall to fill out an application and conditions form
- they will need a valid drivers’ license and certificate of general liability insurance
- Once completed, they will need to acquire a business license with the City of Birmingham to receive their decal — which must be displayed at all times
For more information, visit: www.birminghamal.gov/foodtruck.
