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Cedar Hill adopts mobile food vendor rules to align with state law; local permitting preempted by HB 2844
Summary
Following a staff briefing, the council repealed the city's mobile food vendor pilot program and replaced it with an ordinance conforming to Texas House Bill 2844, removing local registration and aligning city rules with preserved authorities like hours, noise and use of city property.
The Cedar Hill City Council on Sept. 23 replaced the local mobile food vendor pilot program with a new ordinance conforming to Texas House Bill 2844, which establishes a statewide licensing program for mobile food vendors and preempts local licensing and certain location restrictions.
Director Self briefed the council on the effect of HB 2844, saying the law “establishes a statewide licensing program for mobile food vendors, allowing a single Department of State Health Services to license operations throughout the state” and that cities must remove local permitting and registration requirements. Self explained the city may retain authority over hours of operation on city property, noise control, traffic and fire lanes, and health and fire inspections, but may not require local display of licenses or impose rules that exceed state law.
During the public hearing no members of the public spoke. Mayor Pro Tem moved to approve an ordinance repealing Chapter 8, Article 2, Division 3 (the mobile food vendor pilot program) and replacing it with regulations that track the state law. Assistant City Manager read the ordinance summary into the record; the council approved the ordinance unanimously.
The new ordinance preserves the council’s authority to control operations on city property (including limiting alcohol sales on city property unless authorized by the city manager or city council), maintain city noise and traffic codes, and require compliance with city health and fire inspections to the extent state law allows. The ordinance becomes effective July 1, 2026, consistent with the statewide implementation date cited by staff.
Director Self and councilmembers discussed enforcement limitations under the state program and the possibility of additional guidance coming from state agencies before July 2026; staff said they would monitor forthcoming state rules and may collect local data to anticipate local trends.
