Independent Operators

Santa Maria, California lessens food truck regulations

Photo: Adobe Stock

July 9, 2026

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Santa Maria, California, is making it easier for food truck operators in the city through a revised ordinance. In particular, it removes time limits which only allowed operators to be on public property for 30 minutes and just over an hour on private property, according to a report by KEYT.

The ordinance extends the operating hours to a work day. With this change, food truck operators will be able to serve made-to-order food.

"Recognizing that the game has changed dramatically since this was initially written decades ago, we wanted to make sure that our regulations were up to date," Chenin Dow, community development director for the City of Santa Maria, said in the report. "We're also looking at distance requirements to ensure that you don't have somebody that offers the exact same food you do park right in front of your restaurant."

The ordinance also requires operators to keep a 100-feet liter free radius.