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Mountain Home, Arkansas debates food truck rules

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September 17, 2026

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The Mountain Home City Council in Arkansas has had a strong debate over mobile food vending, including food trucks and food truck courts. One major source of disagreement was how often food trucks should move, according to a report by Baxter Bulletin.

City Clerk Scott Lilies said the revised rule would allow food trucks to stay in one spot for longer periods, as before they had to move every 30 days. Under the new rules, they can stay in any spot as long as the property owners allow it.

He added that trucks "have to be kept in a readily removable state." In addition, trucks can't have any sort of permanent structures such as canopies, unless they are removable.

Another issue was the distinction between food trucks and mobile vendors that sell non-food items.

"Over on the food-court side, they may only host food trucks," Liles said during the meeting. "They cannot host mobile vendors. That was one of the reasons for the distinction between the food trucks and the mobile vendors. Additionally, food trucks in the food court would be allowed to have up to a 200-pound propane tank on the ground pending fire inspector approval."

No action has been taken yet on the ordinance.