Navigating a Kitchen On Wheels: A Guide to Food Truck Codes and Safety Regulations

You invested everything in your food truck—the equipment, the recipes, the dream of being your own boss. Fire safety regulations exist to protect that investment, not complicate your life. Here's what you actually need to know to stay operational, avoid shutdowns, and keep your mobile kitchen running safely.

What Are the Key NFPA Standards for Food Truck Fire Safety?

Food trucks must follow NFPA 96 (2024 Edition) Chapter 17 for mobile cooking operations and NFPA 1 Fire Code Section 50.7.

Key requirements include:

• Maintaining at least 10 feet clear space from buildings, combustibles, and other vehicles
• Installing automatic fire suppression systems compliant with NFPA 17A
• Automatic fuel shutoff when suppression systems activate
• LP-Gas detector systems per ANSI/UL 1484 standards
• Semi-annual (every 6 months) professional inspections by licensed contractors

What Fire Suppression System Do I Need for My Food Truck? 

Any food truck using deep fryers, grills, cooktops, or appliances producing grease-laden vapors requires a UL-300 compliant automatic wet chemical fire suppression system.

These fire suppression systems activate automatically upon detecting fire or excessive heat through heat-sensitive fusible links. They can also be manually activated.

When triggered, the system releases specially formulated wet chemical agents through nozzles, suppressing fire and preventing re-ignition. The agent creates a soapy layer that seals fuel from oxygen. Additionally, the system shuts off the gas control valve, cuts power to appliances, and activates fans to clear smoke.

What Type of Ventilation Hood Do I Need? 

Food trucks cooking with grease, fats, or oils require Type I hoods (grease hoods), while equipment producing only heat and steam may use Type II hoods (condensate hoods).

Type I hoods are mandatory for: deep fryers, grills, broilers, cooktops, wok ranges, and solid fuel appliances. They must:

• Have UL 1046 grease filters and fully welded ductwork 
• Include fire suppression coverage for all cooking surfaces 

• Extend at least 6 inches beyond equipment edges

• Be positioned 1.5 to 3.5 feet above cooking surfaces (depending on flame exposure)

Type II hoods remove heat, moisture, and steam—not grease. Unlike type I hoods, type II hoods focus on removing excessive heat, moisture, and odors from the air. They are typically installed over equipment like pizza ovens, dishwashers, and coffee machines.

Type II hoods cannot be used over grease-producing appliances. Your food truck's hood system should be customized to fit the size, design, and cooking methods of your kitchen.

How Often Do I Need Hood System Cleaning and Inspections?

Fire suppression systems require professional inspection every 6 months by a licensed contractor, while hood cleaning frequency depends on cooking volume: monthly for high-volume operations, quarterly for moderate-volume, and semi-annually for light-volume operations.

Semi-annual suppression inspections must verify proper nozzle operation and coverage, system pressure and agent levels, manual pull station functionality, fusible link condition (annual replacement recommended), and current service tag displayed. 

NFPA 96 requires quarterly ventilation inspections for frequently used food trucks, with the 2025 updates mandating monthly cleaning for high-volume and 24/7 operations. Failure to maintain current inspection tags can result in immediate shutdown orders from fire marshals during spot checks.

What Fire Extinguishers Are Required on Food Trucks?

All food trucks must carry at minimum one Class K fire extinguisher for cooking oil fires and one 2A:10BC (or larger) ABC extinguisher for electrical and other fire types.

You can't fight a grease fire with a regular extinguisher—it'll just spread the flames. That's why you need both a Class K specifically for cooking oil fires and an ABC extinguisher for everything else (electrical, paper, propane). Both need annual inspection tags.

Class K extinguishers are specifically designed for high-temperature grease fires and must be:

• Mounted in easily accessible locations within the kitchen area
• Annually inspected by licensed contractors with current tags displayed
• Accompanied by staff training on proper use

ABC extinguishers (2A:10BC or 2A:20BC rated) are required for:

• Electrical fires
• Paper and combustible materials
• Generator fires
• Propane system fires

All extinguishers require:

• Monthly visual checks by operators
• Annual professional inspection
• 6-year maintenance and hydrostatic testing
• Immediate recharging or replacement after any discharge

What Propane Safety Requirements Must I Follow?

LP-Gas systems must be inspected prior to each use, with all cylinders securely mounted outside the vehicle, equipped with readily accessible shutoff valves, and connected through hard-piped lines with no flexible whip connections inside the truck.

Key requirements include: maximum 100-200 pound tanks mounted outside with physical guards, readily accessible shutoff valves with quarter-turn emergency shutoff, LP-Gas detectors required near LP-Gas components, hard-piped gas lines inside (no flexible connections), and documented leak testing on all new connections. 

Never leave cooking equipment unattended while hot—this is the leading cause of food truck fires.

What Does the Fire Marshal Look For During Inspections?

Marshals verify that all cooking equipment has proper fire suppression coverage, inspect propane systems for leaks, check fire extinguisher inspection tags, review documentation, and confirm adequate clearances from combustibles (10 ft minimum).

Critical violations that trigger shutdowns include: expired fire suppression tags (over 6 months old), missing extinguisher inspection tags, improperly secured propane tanks, excessive grease buildup, missing LP-Gas detectors, insufficient clearances from buildings, and missing permits. Many jurisdictions perform unannounced spot checks at events.

You Can’t Afford NOT to Be Compliant

Running a food truck means juggling a dozen responsibilities every day. Fire safety compliance shouldn't be the thing that keeps you up at night or shuts you down during your busiest season. 

Brothers Fire & Security handles inspections, servicing suppression systems, and provides all the proper documentation so you can focus on serving great food. If you're not sure whether your truck is fully compliant or you're setting up a new truck, reach out. We'll walk you through exactly what you need.