Senate Bill 197 Alabama 2026 Session

Summary

Primary Sponsor

Dan RobertsSenator

Republican

Session

2026 Regular Session

Title

Food trucks and other mobile food vendors; require one health inspection and fire inspection to apply statewide

Summary

SB197 would require mobile food units to obtain one statewide health inspection and one statewide fire inspection, replacing most local inspections and creating penalties for operating without valid certificates.

What This Bill Does

Creates a statewide health and fire inspection system for mobile food units, so local inspections are largely replaced when units travel across Alabama. Health inspections are conducted by the county health department where the unit's commissary is located, and fire inspections are conducted by a local certifying fire official under a uniform statewide process overseen by the State Fire Marshal. Certificates must meet specified standards (hood systems, hood cleaning, LP-gas safety, electrical wiring, etc.) and fire certificates are valid for six months; records must be kept and available for review. Operating without valid health and fire certificates would be a Class C misdemeanor starting January 1, 2027, with a 30-day operating ban for second or subsequent violations.

Who It Affects

• Mobile food units/operators (food trucks and similar vendors) would need to obtain and maintain statewide health and fire certificates and would be exempt from local inspections when operating across the state, but could still be inspected or ordered to cease if violations are found.
• Regulators and local governments (county health departments, local fire departments, the State Fire Marshal, and city/county governing bodies) would implement, oversee, and enforce the statewide inspection system, maintain inspector lists, and enforce penalties.

Key Provisions

• Mobile food units must obtain one statewide health inspection certificate and one statewide fire inspection certificate; local inspections are generally not required when operating statewide.
• Health inspections will be conducted by the county health department in the jurisdiction where the unit's commissary is located; fire inspections will be conducted by a certifying local fire official; the State Fire Marshal will maintain a list of authorized inspectors and oversee a uniform statewide process.
• The statewide fire inspection process must meet IFC 319 and related standards (NFPA 96 for hoods, NFPA 70 for electrical, NFPA 58 for LP-gas, etc.); hood systems must be serviced/cleaned and LP-gas systems properly installed and tested; certificates are valid for six months.
• A mobile food unit must keep records of equipment and maintenance; any major modification may void a fire inspection certificate; violations are referred to the State Fire Marshal for action.
• The act is designed to supersede conflicting local requirements to the extent possible, while allowing local jurisdictions to require other ordinances or licenses; an effective date is set (July 1, 2026, with certain compliance and penalties beginning January 1, 2027).

AI-generated summary using openai/gpt-5-nano on Feb 12, 2026. May contain errors — refer to the official bill text for accuracy.

Subjects

Health