A restaurant owner in Columbia is responsible for a pile of recurring paperwork no one ever handed over as a list: a state food permit, a city license, a hospitality tax return, a fire inspection and more — each with a different office, a different month and a different late fee. This page is that list for a single-location, sit-down restaurant in Richland County. Every item shows the office that issues it, what it costs, how often it renews, and the official source we checked on September 27, 2026.
Two honest caveats before the list. First, a Columbia address can sit inside the city, unincorporated Richland County, or a neighboring town — the first step the city itself names is working out which jurisdiction you are in, and it changes who issues the license and the fire inspection. Second, several local fees are not published anywhere official, and we say so rather than invent a number — those cost lines carry the word “verify” instead of a made-up figure. This page is a checklist, not legal advice.
Retail food establishment permit (restaurant, bakery, food truck)
01- Office
- SC Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety
- Renewal cycle
- Annual — invoiced on prior-year sales; late fee of $50 or $100 if 30+ days past due
- Cost
- $100–$450/year, tiered on last year’s gross food sales ($100 up to $250k)
Since July 1, 2024 this permit moved from DHEC to SC Department of Agriculture — older checklists still say DHEC. Verify the current-year fee schedule with SCDA.
City of Columbia business license
02- Office
- City of Columbia Business License Division
- Renewal cycle
- Expires April 30 every year; renewals open in February and a 5%-per-month late fee starts May 1
- Cost
- Rate class on gross receipts — the schedule exists but the class rate is not plainly published; verify with the Division
April 30 is the anchor date on a Columbia restaurant’s calendar. The application also pulls clearances from zoning, building, fire and health offices.
Richland County business license (only outside city limits)
03- Office
- Richland County Business Service Center
- Renewal cycle
- Annual; online renewal available (the county notes a $10 saving for renewing online)
- Cost
- County Business License Tax Schedule by rate class — verify the restaurant class
Columbia addresses can sit in the city, the county, West Columbia, Cayce or Forest Acres — step one is working out whose license you actually owe.
SC DOR retail license (sales tax registration)
04- Office
- South Carolina Department of Revenue, via MyDORWAY
- Renewal cycle
- No renewal — the license does not expire; sales tax returns are due the 20th of the month after each period
- Cost
- $50 one-time per location
The one item here you can stop renewing — but the returns against it do not stop.
Hospitality tax (2% on prepared food and drinks)
05- Office
- City of Columbia Business License Division (Richland County Tax Office in county jurisdiction)
- Renewal cycle
- Monthly if you collect over $50/month on average; quarterly between $25–$50; annually below that. County remittances due the 20th, 5% per month late fee
- Cost
- 2% of prepared-food and bakery sales, remitted — not a flat fee
Columbia explicitly includes bakery items — doughnuts, cakes, cookies, breads — and fountain or coffee drinks.
Alcohol licenses (beer, wine, liquor by the drink)
06- Office
- SC DOR Alcohol Beverage Licensing, plus local referendum for Sunday sales
- Renewal cycle
- Biennial — Richland County renewals are due August 31 in even years
- Cost
- $600 beer/wine on-premises, $2,200 for 7-day or brewpub, per biennial renewal; late fee $200–$300/month
Selling alcohol for on-premises consumption after 5 pm requires a liquor liability policy of at least $1,000,000 (SC Code 61-2-145).
Corporate annual license fee (corporations only)
07- Office
- SC Department of Revenue — not the Secretary of State
- Renewal cycle
- Annual, filed with the corporate income tax return
- Cost
- $15 plus $1 per $1,000 of capital, $25 minimum
SC is unusual: a corporation’s annual report goes to DOR. LLCs owe no annual report or license fee at all.
Grease trap / FOG program registration
08- Office
- Columbia Water, Commercial FOG Program
- Renewal cycle
- Ongoing program with periodic compliance inspections
- Cost
- Registration fee not published — verify with Columbia Water; the pumping itself is a private contract
Applies to kitchens discharging to City sewer. On a different utility, the FOG program is that utility’s — verify who serves the address.
Fire inspection and kitchen suppression permits
09- Office
- City of Columbia Fire Prevention (Richland County Fire Marshal outside the city)
- Renewal cycle
- Annually is the common pattern for restaurant-type occupancies; hood suppression service is typically semiannual under NFPA 96
- Cost
- No flat inspection fee published — verify with the Fire Prevention office
The hood-cleaning interval is a fire-code and insurer requirement, not a city permit — confirm the cadence with the office and your service contractor.
Certificate of occupancy
10- Office
- City of Columbia Planning & Development (county Building Permitting & Inspections outside the city)
- Renewal cycle
- One-time per buildout or change of use — re-triggered by renovation, not by a calendar date
- Cost
- Plan review and permit fee schedule — no flat figure published; verify
Converting a retail shell into a restaurant is the classic case that requires a fresh one.
Workers’ comp and liability insurance
11- Office
- Private insurers; SC Workers’ Compensation Commission for the rules
- Renewal cycle
- Annual policy renewal — carrier-dependent
- Cost
- Market premiums; SC has no state fee
Workers’ comp becomes mandatory at four or more employees (part-time counts). General and liquor liability are insurer renewals you have to calendar yourself.
Food handler / certified food protection manager
12- Office
- ANSI/ANAB-accredited providers (ServSafe, Trust20 and others) — not a state permit
- Renewal cycle
- CFPM certificates generally run 3–5 years; check the date printed on yours
- Cost
- Roughly $10–$160 per person depending on provider — verify current pricing
Regulation 61-25 requires a person in charge who can demonstrate food-safety knowledge; line staff need handler training.
Figures on this page are the ones in the official sources linked above, checked September 27, 2026; where a fee is not published, we say so. MustRenew itself is built and run end to end by AI agents on NanoCorp, which is how we can re-check this list and keep it current. For the Georgia side of the river, see what a restaurant in Augusta–Richmond County has to renew.
