Food Truck Permit Requirements in Columbia, SC

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. South Carolina Department of Revenue — Retail License

   Every person who engages in business in South Carolina as a retailer must obtain a Retail License from the SC Department of Revenue before making any retail sales subject to sales and use tax, including internet sales and infrequent sales. A separate licence is required for each retail outlet. The licence does not have to be renewed while the same taxpayer keeps operating at the same location, but a new application is required after a change of ownership or after 24 months with no sales.

   Official government source

   $50 per location, non-refundable, and it is a one-time fee rather than an annual charge (S.C. Code Section 12-36-510(A)(1)). The statewide sales and use tax rate is 6%; SCDOR states counties may impose an additional 1% local sales tax where voters approve it, and the applicable local rates are published in forms ST-500 and ST-575.·Not published by SCDOR. Applying through MyDORWAY is the fastest route — confirm current issuance time when you apply.

   $50 per location, non-refundable, and it is a one-time fee rather than an annual charge (S.C. Code Section 12-36-510(A)(1)). The statewide sales and use tax rate is 6%; SCDOR states counties may impose an additional 1% local sales tax where voters approve it, and the applicable local rates are published in forms ST-500 and ST-575.

   Not published by SCDOR. Applying through MyDORWAY is the fastest route — confirm current issuance time when you apply.

2. Certified Food Protection Manager — SC Regulation 61-25 (SC Department of Agriculture)

   South Carolina Regulation 61-25, Retail Food Establishments, administered by the SC Department of Agriculture's Retail Food Safety Department, requires at least one employee with supervisory and management responsibility at each retail food establishment to be a certified food protection manager who has passed a test that is part of an accredited program (section 2-102.12). At all times during operation the person in charge must be a certified food handler or certified food protection manager. The requirement does not apply to establishments the department deems minimal risk based on the nature of the operation.

   Official government source

   No state fee. The exam and any course are sold by the accredited certification provider (for example a Conference for Food Protection recognized program), which sets its own price.·Set by the accredited exam provider — schedule the proctored exam directly with them.

   No state fee. The exam and any course are sold by the accredited certification provider (for example a Conference for Food Protection recognized program), which sets its own price.

   Set by the accredited exam provider — schedule the proctored exam directly with them.

1. South Carolina Department of Agriculture — Mobile Food Establishment Permit

   Food trucks operating in Columbia must obtain a Retail Food Establishment permit for a mobile food establishment from the SC Department of Agriculture's Retail Food Safety Department, which permits and inspects retail and mobile food establishments statewide under Regulation 61-25 — no Richland County or City of Columbia health department issues this permit. Apply through SCDA's online registration using the Mobile Food Establishment Supplemental form, which covers both the unit and its associated commissary; the unit is inspected before the permit is issued. A City of Columbia business license is required separately.

   Official government source

   SCDA charges an annual inspection fee based on the previous calendar year's gross food and food-product sales: $100 up to $250,000; $150 to $500,000; $200 to $750,000; $250 to $1,000,000; $300 to $1,250,000; $350 to $1,500,000; $400 to $1,750,000; $450 above that. Card payments carry a 2.75% processing fee, and late payment adds $50 (30-59 days) or $100 (60+ days).·Not published. SCDA inspects the unit before issuing the permit, so apply well before your intended opening date ([email protected], 803-896-0640).

   SCDA charges an annual inspection fee based on the previous calendar year's gross food and food-product sales: $100 up to $250,000; $150 to $500,000; $200 to $750,000; $250 to $1,000,000; $300 to $1,250,000; $350 to $1,500,000; $400 to $1,750,000; $450 above that. Card payments carry a 2.75% processing fee, and late payment adds $50 (30-59 days) or $100 (60+ days).

   Not published. SCDA inspects the unit before issuing the permit, so apply well before your intended opening date ([email protected], 803-896-0640).

2. City of Columbia Business License

   Every business with a location inside Columbia city limits must hold a general business licence from the City of Columbia Business Licensing Division. The licence is renewed each year and must be displayed at your place of business. Applications and renewals are handled through the Business Licensing Self-Service Portal. Zoning compatibility for the business address is confirmed separately through Planning & Development.

   Official government source

   Based on gross income and the NAICS rate class under the SC Business License Tax Standardization Act (S.C. Code Section 6-1-400 et seq.) — there is no flat fee. For a new business the fee is projected from the start-of-business date through December 31; at renewal it is based on the previous year’s reported gross income. Use the city’s rate-class schedule to calculate your amount.·All Columbia business licences expire April 30, with the licence year running May 1 to April 30 and renewal season opening in February. Fastest through the Self-Service Portal; the city warns that mailed renewals can take six to eight weeks between February and June.

   Based on gross income and the NAICS rate class under the SC Business License Tax Standardization Act (S.C. Code Section 6-1-400 et seq.) — there is no flat fee. For a new business the fee is projected from the start-of-business date through December 31; at renewal it is based on the previous year’s reported gross income. Use the city’s rate-class schedule to calculate your amount.

   All Columbia business licences expire April 30, with the licence year running May 1 to April 30 and renewal season opening in February. Fastest through the Self-Service Portal; the city warns that mailed renewals can take six to eight weeks between February and June.

3. SCDA Commissary Agreement for a Mobile Food Establishment

   Under Regulation 61-25 a mobile food establishment in South Carolina must operate from an approved commissary — a permitted commercial kitchen used for food preparation, storage, servicing and cleaning. The SC Department of Agriculture’s Retail Food Safety Department permits both the unit and the commissary; its permitting page expressly covers “mobile food establishments (to include the associated commissary and mobile units).” The signed commissary agreement is submitted with the Mobile Food Establishment Supplemental form. Retail food permitting in South Carolina is SCDA’s, not DPH’s, and no Richland County or City of Columbia health department is involved.

   Official government source

   There is no state fee for the commissary agreement itself. What you pay is the private rental rate negotiated with the commissary operator, which SCDA neither publishes nor regulates. The commissary must hold its own SCDA retail food permit, whose annual inspection fee is tiered by the previous year’s gross food sales from $100 (up to $250,000) to $450 (above $1,750,000).·The signed agreement must be in place before the mobile food establishment permit application is submitted. SCDA does not publish a processing time — contact Retail Food Safety at [email protected] or 803-896-0640.

   There is no state fee for the commissary agreement itself. What you pay is the private rental rate negotiated with the commissary operator, which SCDA neither publishes nor regulates. The commissary must hold its own SCDA retail food permit, whose annual inspection fee is tiered by the previous year’s gross food sales from $100 (up to $250,000) to $450 (above $1,750,000).

   The signed agreement must be in place before the mobile food establishment permit application is submitted. SCDA does not publish a processing time — contact Retail Food Safety at [email protected] or 803-896-0640.

Official Sources

• Columbia / Richland County Health Department
• South Carolina Department of Revenue — Retail License

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