Charleston County, SC Food Facility Permits & Fees
Restaurants, commercial kitchens, and food trucks.
South Carolina Dept. of Agriculture (SCDA), Consumer Protection / Retail Food Safety (retail food oversight moved from SC DHEC to SCDA on July 1, 2024) · department site →
Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.
Charleston County food-facility health permits run about $100–$550 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with South Carolina Dept. of Agriculture (SCDA), Consumer Protection / Retail Food Safety (retail food oversight moved from SC DHEC to SCDA on July 1, 2024) before you budget.
Confirm the authority for your exact address. Some cities run their own health division, and building, planning, fire, sewer/grease and business-license approvals are separate even when South Carolina Dept. of Agriculture (SCDA), Consumer Protection / Retail Food Safety (retail food oversight moved from SC DHEC to SCDA on July 1, 2024) issues the health permit.
About 1,381 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 424,367. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Last verified: 2026-08-17 — we re-confirmed the serving authority, its contact, and that the fees below match the current published schedule. Fee schedules may carry an earlier effective date (shown per fee); local ordinances & amendments aren’t individually reviewed, so confirm current rules with the authority having jurisdiction.See something out of date? Report an update →
Restaurant / food-facility permit
Retail Food Establishment Permit
$100 initial permit / first-year operational fee + annual inspection fee by anticipated gross food sales ($100 for $0-250k
$150 for $250k-500k
higher tiers up to a total ~$200-$550)
Statewide SCDA permit (no separate Charleston County restaurant permit); Inspection-fee tiers scale with gross sales; verify current tiers in SCDA AnnualInspectionFees2025 schedule; Payments online carry a 2.75% processing fee
Plan review — required
Fee not published online.
Turnaround: Submit 30+ days before opening; plan review and pre-opening inspection coordinated by SCDA regional staff
A grade decal (A >87 pts, B 78-87, C <78) is posted at the main entrance with a QR code linking to the SC Food Grades online inspection reports.
Food truck / mobile permit
Mobile Retail Food Establishment Permit
Same $100 initial + gross-sales-based annual inspection fee as fixed establishments
Requires the Retail Food Establishment Application (Form D-1769) plus a Mobile Food Establishment Supplemental; menu, equipment list, vehicle floor plan, water/wastewater specs, and signed commissary agreement required
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
How Charleston County’s permit cost compares
At about $100/year, Charleston County’s restaurant health permit is about the South Carolina median ($100) and below the U.S. median ($125) — higher than about 45% of U.S. counties.
Ranked 10th-lowest of 46 South Carolina counties by permit cost.
Comparison uses the lowest published annual restaurant-permit figure in each county; confirm your exact tier with the department.
Local food-service market
About 1,381 food & drinking establishments serve ~424,367 residents in Charleston County — one per ~307 residents, denser than the South Carolina average (one per ~649).
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
Budget the permit stack
Start with ~$100 annual health permit.
Plus building, fire, and business-license fees that vary locally — use the cost calculators and the checklist below to budget the full stack.
Watch out for
Retail food safety oversight transferred from DHEC to SCDA effective July 1, 2024; permits are now issued statewide by SCDA, not the county
The City of Charleston also requires a local business license in addition to the SCDA permit
Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction
Category
Annual fee
Notes
caterer (catering operation)
$100 initial + $100-$450/yr (min total $200)
SCDA (statewide, Reg; 61-25) permits as a Retail Food Establishment; no separate caterer license; Annual inspection fee tiered by prior-year gross food sales: $100 (<=$250k) up to $450 (>$1.75M); New/change-of-ownership: $100 initial + annual fee, total never less than $200
commissary / central kitchen
$100 initial + $100-$450/yr (min total $200)
SCDA permits commissary as a Retail Food Establishment (explicitly named as the base of operations associated with mobile units); same gross-sales fee tiers
Temporary Food Establishment requires SCDA Application for Event Authorization (form D-1717); specific fee not published in the retail-food-safety fee materials reviewed
Equipment your Charleston County plan review will check
Health-department plan review looks for specific, code-compliant fixtures. Compare spec-filtered options, then confirm counts and sizes with your local requirements. See the full list in what equipment a commercial kitchen requires.
$100 initial permit / first-year operational fee + annual inspection fee by anticipated gross food sales ($100 for $0-250k; $150 for $250k-500k; higher tiers up to a total ~$200-$550) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.
Is plan review required in Charleston County?
Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility.
Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Charleston County?
In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Requires the Retail Food Establishment Application (Form D-1769) plus a Mobile Food Establishment Supplemental; menu, equipment list, vehicle floor plan, water/wastewater specs, and signed commissary agreement required
Who issues food permits in Charleston County?
Food permits here are issued by South Carolina Dept. of Agriculture (SCDA), Consumer Protection / Retail Food Safety (retail food oversight moved from SC DHEC to SCDA on July 1, 2024). See the department site for current details.
Are city building and fire approvals separate?
Yes — building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals are always separate from the health permit and are often handled by different offices.
Published by Resultex Media Group LLC · Independent & vendor-neutral · Educational only, not legal or engineering advice · Last verified September 2026