2023 Bills

HB 408: Mobile Business Freedom

This bill passed both chambers of the legislature unanimously. Review our tracker for more information.

Libertas Institute supports this bill

Staff review of this legislation finds that it aligns with our principles and should therefore be passed into law.

Since teaming up in 2017 with now-Lieutenant Governor Deidre Henderson on our original Food Truck Freedom bill, we have continued our work to bring the benefits of a freer market to mobile business operators and patrons. This session, we are teaming up with Representative Robert Spendlove to pass HB 408 — which takes the successes we’ve had with food truck legislation and expands it to include other types of mobile businesses that function similarly, but sell a good or service instead of food.

To achieve this,  HB 408 adds a definition for “Enclosed Mobile Businesses” and clarifies that it includes mobile barber shops, mobile cell phone trucks, mobile pet grooming, and eight other mobile business types. If HB 408 passes, these mobile businesses would no longer have to deal with a number of headaches. For example:

  • As is already the case with food trucks, enclosed mobile businesses such as mobile barber shops, mobile cell phone repair, and more would no longer be required to obtain additional licenses and inspections for each city or county they wish to operate. In other words, once they’ve received their business license from one location and had their vehicle inspected by the fire and county health departments, they could operate throughout the state without the hassle and cost of redundant processes.
  • Enclosed mobile businesses would no longer be subject to high regulatory fees. In fact, licensing fees would be restricted to no more than the actual cost of processing the license.
  • The term “Mobile Business” has been defined to include enclosed mobile businesses, food trucks, ice cream trucks, and food carts. Each type has its own independent definition to clarify that they are not all subject to identical regulations.

With HB 408 in effect, a greater variety of mobile business operators would enjoy the freedom to open and operate their business throughout Utah. These microentrepreneurs can more easily make a living for themselves and provide jobs for those they employ. Furthermore, citizens all across Utah can now benefit from their goods and services.