Who needs a retail food establishment permit in South Carolina?

Issued by South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety (Regulation 61-25), at step 4 of 6 in the opening sequence: get the permits for your kind of business.

9 of the 20 kinds of business in South Carolina

Retail food permits moved from DHEC to the Department of Agriculture on July 1, 2024, so older guides name the wrong agency. Submit the application with the floor plan, menu and equipment list at least 30 days before opening, pay the initial and first-year fees with it, then pass the opening inspection. Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, bakeries and ice cream shops are all retail food establishments under 61-25; a new owner pays the initial fee again.

Checked Oct 21, 2026 against the agency’s page.

Step 4 of 6: Get the permits for your kind of business

  1. Set up the business
  2. Register for tax
  3. Approve the space
  4. Get the permits for your kind of business
  5. Alcohol permits
  6. Before the first hire

Issued by South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety (Regulation 61-25).

Sources and dates

Department of Agriculture retail food establishment fee page and fee sheet (CPD form 2122); Regulation 61-25. Checked against the agency’s page on the date shown; cities add their own fees.

Questions about opening here.