Local permits & fees

Greenville County, SC Food Facility Permits & Fees

Q: How much is a food permit in Greenville County?

Annual inspection fee by gross food sales: $100 ($0-250,000); $150 ($250,001-500,000); $200 ($500,001-750,000); $250 ($750,001-1,000,000); $300 ($1,000,001-1,250,000); $350 ($1,250,001-1,500,000); $400 ($1,500,001-1,750,000); $450 ($1,750,001+) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.

Q: Is plan review required in Greenville County?

Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: required for new/remodeled facilities (submit ~30 days before opening) but a plan-review dollar fee is not published on the SCDA page; confirm with SCDA Retail Food Safety (retailfood@scda.sc.gov)

Q: Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Greenville County?

In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Application form DHEC 1769 (now SCDA-administered) submitted at least 30 days before opening

Q: Who issues food permits in Greenville County?

Food permits here are issued by South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) - Consumer Protection Division, Retail Food Safety & Compliance. See the department site for current details.

Q: 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.

Restaurants and food trucks.

South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) - Consumer Protection Division, Retail Food Safety & Compliance · department site →

Fees change often — always confirm the current amount with the department before you budget.

Greenville County food-facility health permits run about $100–$450 annually, depending on size or sales volume. Confirm the exact amount with South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) - Consumer Protection Division, Retail Food Safety & Compliance 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 Department of Agriculture (SCDA) - Consumer Protection Division, Retail Food Safety & Compliance issues the health permit.

About 1,297 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 558,036. (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 (SC Regulation 61-25)

Annual inspection fee by gross food sales:

$100 ($0-250,000)
$150 ($250,001-500,000)
$200 ($500,001-750,000)
$250 ($750,001-1,000,000)
$300 ($1,000,001-1,250,000)
$350 ($1,250,001-1,500,000)
$400 ($1,500,001-1,750,000)
$450 ($1,750,001+)

State-administered; Retail food oversight transferred from SC DHEC to the SC Dept of Agriculture (SCDA) on July 1, 2024. Fee is based on prior calendar-year gross food/food-product sales (excludes alcohol and general merchandise); Once paid, the posted grade sticker is the permit; no paper license is issued

Plan review — required

required for new/remodeled facilities (submit ~30 days before opening) but a plan-review dollar fee is not published on the SCDA page
confirm with SCDA Retail Food Safety (retailfood@scda.sc.gov)

Plan-review details & forms →

Reach the department

Phone(803) 896-0640

Emailretailfood@scda.sc.gov

Office350 Ballard Court, West Columbia, SC 29172

Websiteagriculture.sc.gov →

Plan reviewagriculture.sc.gov →

Inspection grading

Letter grade (A/B/C)

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 (SCDA)

SCDA permits mobile units under the same Reg 61-25 gross-sales annual inspection schedule
a mobile-specific line item is not separately published, confirm with SCDA
A separate local (Greenville city/county) business license also applies

Application form DHEC 1769 (now SCDA-administered) submitted at least 30 days before opening

How to apply

Forms & applications →

Fees/payment and forms are on the department site; application steps vary by concept — see the checklist below.

How Greenville County’s permit cost compares

At about $100/year, Greenville 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 23rd-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 1,297 food & drinking establishments serve ~558,036 residents in Greenville County — one per ~430 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

Administration moved DHEC to SCDA effective 7/1/2024; permits now issued by SCDA
Annual fee tiered by gross food sales (alcohol and general merchandise excluded)
Late penalties: +$50 (30-59 days past due), +$100 (60+ days)
Annual-fee exemption available under Section 8-304.11(A)(c)(iv) by written request each year

Other food-service permits in this jurisdiction

Category	Annual fee	Notes
grocery/market with deli	Same SCDA Reg 61-25 annual inspection schedule by gross food sales: $100 ($0-250k); $150; $200; $250; $300; $350; $400; $450 ($1.75M+)	State-administered by SCDA; SC uses one unified gross-sales fee schedule for all retail food establishments (convenience stores that prepare food, markets, etc.); it does not break out separate caterer/commissary/bakery/bar/pushcart categories with their own fees; Temporary/event and mobile fees are not separately published; confirm with SCDA

Equipment your Greenville 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.

Compartment sinks

3-bay wash / rinse / sanitize — sized to your menu

Hand sinks

required in prep, cook & warewashing areas

Grease traps / interceptors

sized by drainage fixture units

Reach-in refrigeration

cold-holding at 41°F or below

Work tables & surfaces

NSF-listed, non-absorbent

Hoods & ventilation

over cooking equipment; make-up air

Dishwashers

high-temp or chemical sanitizing

Nearby counties

Permit costs and rules change at the county line — compare Greenville County with its neighbors.

Henderson County, NC

Restaurant permit: $70

Polk County, NC

Restaurant permit: $70

Transylvania County, NC

Restaurant permit: $70

Abbeville County, SC

Restaurant permit: $100

Anderson County, SC

Restaurant permit: $100

Laurens County, SC

Restaurant permit: $100

Pickens County, SC

Restaurant permit: $100

Spartanburg County, SC

Restaurant permit: $100

How to open: typical permitting sequence

This is a typical sequence — confirm the exact sequence with your authority having jurisdiction.

Confirm whether Greenville County or another local jurisdiction (city/district) handles your exact address.
Confirm zoning and permitted use.
Prepare your menu and scaled plans.
Include an equipment schedule with ANSI/NSF spec sheets.
Submit water-heater and hood documentation.
Pay plan-review fees.
Respond to plan-check corrections.
Obtain Environmental Health plan approval.
Obtain building, plumbing, mechanical and fire approvals.
Schedule rough-plumbing, pre-final and final health inspections.
Pay the operating-permit / application fees.
Receive approval before storing or preparing food.

Official plan-check requirements: plan-check guide →

Frequently asked questions

How much is a food permit in Greenville County?

Annual inspection fee by gross food sales: $100 ($0-250,000); $150 ($250,001-500,000); $200 ($500,001-750,000); $250 ($750,001-1,000,000); $300 ($1,000,001-1,250,000); $350 ($1,250,001-1,500,000); $400 ($1,500,001-1,750,000); $450 ($1,750,001+) These are annual health-permit fees, usually tiered by seating or size; confirm your exact category with the department.

Is plan review required in Greenville County?

Yes — plan review is required before you build or remodel a food facility. Typical fees: required for new/remodeled facilities (submit ~30 days before opening) but a plan-review dollar fee is not published on the SCDA page; confirm with SCDA Retail Food Safety (retailfood@scda.sc.gov)

Do I need a commissary for a food truck in Greenville County?

In most cases, yes — most mobile units must operate from an approved commissary; confirm exemptions with the department. Application form DHEC 1769 (now SCDA-administered) submitted at least 30 days before opening

Who issues food permits in Greenville County?

Food permits here are issued by South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) - Consumer Protection Division, Retail Food Safety & Compliance. 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.

South Carolina statewide rules

Who licenses you, reciprocity, and the state regime.

What equipment you need

Build a tailored equipment checklist for your concept.

Permits & plan review, explained

The stack of approvals before you open.

Sources: agriculture.sc.gov · agriculture.sc.gov · des.sc.gov · observed 2026-08-07