Statesboro, GA Food Truck Ordinance Ban

Statesboro, Georgia, has an ordinance which bans food trucks from operating within 200 feet of any brick-and-mortar restaurant. The ban includes exceptions for food trucks that are either owned by restaurants or obtain permission from the restaurants to compete with them. The ban violates both the U.S. and Georgia Constitutions, and it harms Statesboro’s public safety and local economy.

Laws like this that hurt food trucks to protect brick-and-mortar restaurants, also known as economic protectionism, violate the U.S. Constitution, according to the U.S. Supreme Court. Additionally, in a lawsuit won by IJ involving lactation consultants, the Georgia Supreme Court explained that economic protectionism also violates the Georgia Constitution, which provides even stronger protection for the right to earn an honest living than its federal counterpart.  

That’s why IJ sent a letter to city officials in Statesboro, Georgia, warning them to revise their ordinance to allow these businesses to compete.