Restaurants and food trucks.
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 Chatham County Health Department Environmental Health (part of the Georgia Coastal Health District) issues the health permit.
About 943 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 303,655. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Issued by the county health department under GA Rules 511-6-1. Fee is set by the county board of health and is not published online; contact Chatham County Environmental Health (912-356-2160); No fabricated amount
Turnaround: Georgia minimum plan-review timeframe is ~6 weeks after submission to the county health office
State DPH posts a 0-100 score and corresponding letter grade (A 90-100, B 80-89, C 70-79, U <70) displayed at the establishment plus available online.
Since 2023 (GA HB 1443/rule change) operators need a permit only from their base county; must obtain authorization to vend in other counties; Base-of-operations/commissary agreement required; Fee not published
Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.
U.S. Census 2023 population; County Business Patterns 2022 (NAICS 722).
| Category | Annual fee | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| caterer | — | Regulated as a Food Service Establishment under GA DPH Ch; 511-6-1 (Coastal Health District); no separate caterer category; County/district fee schedule not published online |
| temporary/special-event | — | Temporary Food Service Establishment permit; vendor application due >=2 weeks before event; Fee not published on district site |
| temporary food service event organizer | — | Separate organizer permit/application, due >=30 days before event; Fee not published on district site |
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.
Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Chatham County with its neighbors.
This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.
Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →