Some Green Country food trucks supporting statewide permit bill

Some Green Country food truck owners are excited about a bill that would allow food trucks to operate anywhere in the state under one permit.

HB 1076 is making its way through the Senate right now.

Today, food truck owners say there are different rules for different counties and cities, and the fees add up to get all those different licenses.

FAMILY OWNED

The Ice Box Shaved Ice in Coweta is run by Bubba Burcham and his family.

“This is a family business, a lot of times I’ll be running the shaved ice, and I have two 12-year-old twins, one will work the window, one will work the flavors, or my daughter or my older son. There’s a whole team of us,” said Burcham.

LICENSING EFFORTS

Burcham says it’s a hassle and expensive to get the right certifications in all the places he wants to go for area events.

“Being certified with the state in Wagoner County, you would think that would cover the state,” said Burcham. “But it doesn’t. Every city has little bitty things that they may want to highlight or pick up on. The more expenses you add onto a business, the less profit you have; those expenses have to be passed off somewhere.”

HOPEFUL FOR A NEW LAW

Burcham hopes the bill gets passed.

“If you can make this happen, please do,” said Burcham. “It makes life a lot easier, more freedom, more independence for the small businesses.”

CATALYST FOR CHANGE

Food truck owner Jeremy Jackson was the one who brought up concerns to his representative.

He is the owner of The Masala Skillet Food Trailer.

He sent News On 6 this statement: 

“For a first time business owner, the money that one has to invest is often times prohibitive to get started in the business, let alone keep it going. 

One of the struggles that I found was that I needed to research every city or town that I wanted to sell food in to operate legally. Oftentimes permit fees ranged from $35 to $125, and sometimes with additional health dept requirements and fees that are more stringent than the state requires (Tulsa). This law seems to alleviate some of those pain points, streamlining administrative work from the food truck operator, making operating anywhere in the state more affordable and increasing owners profit margins. I appreciate the work that Rep Hildebrant did on behalf of vendors across OK.”

BILL AUTHOR STATEMENT

Representative Derrick Hildebrant (R-Catoosa) sent News On 6 this statement:

“HB1076, the Food Truck Freedom Act, gives food trucks the freedom to operate across Oklahoma with a single state license, cutting through a maze of duplicative local fees. This bill strengthens tax compliance, supports small business growth, and actually helps cities collect more sales tax — all without sacrificing local control over zoning or public safety. It’s a commonsense fix that helps entrepreneurs thrive while ensuring cities get their fair share.”                                                    

“Right now, food trucks are stuck navigating a patchwork of local licenses just to serve in different towns — it’s costly, confusing, and hurting compliance. HB1076 fixes that by creating one state license so food trucks can legally operate anywhere in Oklahoma. It cuts red tape, boosts tax revenue for cities, and keeps local zoning and safety rules fully in place. It’s a win-win for small business and local government.”

BEHIND THE BILL

The Oklahoma House of Representatives released these statements about the Food Truck Freedom Act advancing to the Senate back in March.

“OKLAHOMA CITY – The Oklahoma House of Representatives advanced House Bill 1076, also known as the Food Truck Freedom Act, authored by Rep. Derrick Hildebrant, R-Catoosa. With an 85-3 vote, the bill aims to streamline the licensing process, allowing vendors with a valid state food establishment license to operate anywhere in the state, provided they follow all applicable state and local laws.

The Food Truck Freedom Act would establish a single, statewide permit for mobile food vendors to operate within the state while ensuring compliance with health and safety standards. Once the state food establishment license is recognized, a vendor may operate at any location permitted by the local authority, including private properties.

"The food truck industry has grown tremendously in recent years, and we need to make sure vendors are able to operate with a streamlined licensing process while maintaining public health and safety," Hildebrant said. "Currently, mobile food vendors must obtain separate permits for each city or county in which they operate, creating excessive costs and regulatory hurdles. This bill would provide a clear, statewide framework that supports both vendors and local governments."

The Food Truck Freedom Act addresses the burdensome and inconsistent permitting requirements that often force food trucks to shut down or bypass the permitting process.

The measure outlines several operational requirements for mobile food vendors, including maintaining their vending vehicle in good condition, providing a waste receptacle and removing refuse within a 25-foot radius of the vehicle, displaying their food establishment license in a visible location and notifying the State Department of Health and local authorities within 10 days if they plan to serve food at a mass gathering.”

Several states, including Nevada, Arizona and Georgia, have successfully implemented similar policies, leading to significant growth in their mobile food industries.

HB 1076 now moves to the Senate for further consideration.

BILL OPPOSITION

One of the representatives who voted against the bill brought up concerns on the House floor that the bill would be taking too much local control and giving it to the state government.