Ga. lawmakers push to simplify food truck permitting process in all counties

COLUMBUS, Ga. (WTVM) - Lawmakers are working to accommodate an industry steadily on the rise.

Georgia House Bill 1443 will allow food truck owners to operate anywhere in the state, requiring one permit.

The one thing people love most about food trucks is it’s ability to travel up the street, city to city, or county to county. But according to the Food Truck Association of Georgia, expensive fees and what they say is redundant paperwork is making that harder.

“We are making breakthroughs with the food trucks because the community - the world loves food trucks,” said Christopher Murphy, owner of A Little Nauti Food Truck and member of the Food Truck Association of Georgia. “They love food trucks they love the idea of mobile opportunities to go and eat gourmet foods.”

Food truck owners say each county requires it’s own permit and paperwork including high fees.

“It’s thousands and thousands of dollars, lots of red tape - that kind of stops you from being able to go out and make a living,” said Murphy.

Georgia House Bill 1443 is working to allow food trucks to operate throughout the state with only a single permit.

Jerome Lawson, owner of The Twisted Skillet, says this is a move in the right direction.

“You shouldn’t have to go into another county and get another business license in that county because you’re in Georgia and that business license is recognized by the sate of Georgia,” said Lawson.

Lawson says sometimes that process can be impossible.

“Mobile units are just that. They are not brick and mortar businesses. So, to try to get us to comply with brick and mortar ordinances can be difficult and sometimes impossible,” said Lawson.

The bill will give food truck owners the ability to travel to more places - giving people all over Georgia a new taste from a different place.

If the bill passes, it will go into affect January 1, 2023.

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