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 Georgia DPH - East Central Health District (District 6, Augusta), Richmond County Environmental Health issues the health permit.
About 400 food & drinking establishments operate here, serving a population of about 205,414. (U.S. Census 2023 estimate; County Business Patterns 2022, NAICS 722)
Locally administered; the Richmond County Board of Health (through the East Central Health District) issues the permit under state DPH rules; establishments are risk-categorized and a Certified Food Safety Manager is required
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.
A mobile food service unit must be based at, and report daily to, a permitted commissary/base of operations; operating in another county generally requires that county's approval; A City of Augusta / Augusta-Richmond County business license and any vending rules also apply
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 | a caterer is permitted as a food service establishment by Richmond County Environmental Health; the fee is set by the county board of health and is not published online; Confirm at 706-667-4234 | County-administered under GA Ch; 511-6-1; amount unpublished |
| Bakery / food processing | retail bakeries, groceries and food processing/food sales are regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture, not the county health district; fees vary by category; Confirm with GA Dept of Agriculture | Authority is GA Dept of Agriculture (retail food/food sales), not the East Central Health District |
| Grocery / market with deli | grocery/market retail food sales are regulated by the Georgia Department of Agriculture; an in-store deli/prepared-food service may fall to county Environmental Health; Fees unpublished/vary; Confirm with GA Dept of Agriculture and Richmond County EH (706-667-4234) | Split authority: retail food = GA Dept of Agriculture; prepared-food service = county EH |
| Temporary / seasonal event | Richmond County Environmental Health issues a Temporary Food Service Establishment permit; the fee is set by the county board of health and is not published online; Confirm at 706-667-4234 | County-administered under GA Ch; 511-6-1; amount unpublished |
| Pushcart / mobile vending | the Mobile Food Service Unit permit fee is set by the county board of health and is not published for Richmond County; secondary guides cite roughly $200-$600/yr statewide; Confirm at 706-667-4234 | Mobile units must be based at a permitted commissary; a City of Augusta business license also applies |
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 Richmond 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 →