Charleston
Charleston Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office
In short
Charleston Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office issues 2 permits we publish for Charleston, last verified 2026-09-08. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.
What this agency issues
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobile Food Vendor Fire Permit | Charleston Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office | $40–$74.24 by category — A $40.00, B $54.63, C $74.24; re-inspection is the same amount as the category fee | 12 months — the operational permit sticker is valid for 12 months and must be renewed at least every 12 months; renewals are due 30 days before the expiry date on the sticker | 2026-09-08 |
| Fire Plan Review and Permitting | Charleston Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office | $153.56–$721.38 one floor, by complexity level — Level 1 $153.56 up to Level 5 $721.38; a flat $40 application/admin fee applies on top, and plan-review/inspection components multiply by floor count for Levels 2–5 | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
About each permit
Mobile Food Vendor Fire Permit
Required of every mobile food vendor operating in the city from a cart, trailer, tent, vehicle or similar, including caterers who prepare food off site and serve it at an outdoor event; vendors selling only commercially pre-packaged beverages or snacks, or stocking vending machines, are outside the program. The fee follows the vendor's category: A for vendors that do not cook or warm food and use no portable power, B for vendors that warm or reheat food or use portable power or fuel systems, and C for vendors that cook food producing grease-laden vapors. Before operating, the vendor submits the Mobile Food Vendor Permit Application, pays the fee and passes a fire inspection, typically held at 2 George Street, after which a permit sticker valid for 12 months is affixed to the unit. A re-inspection, charged for each visit after the first two or for failing to correct cited items, costs the same as the category fee, and working without a permit doubles the applicable fee. The permit does not replace the City Business License or zoning compliance, and the operator must also meet the South Carolina Department of Agriculture's requirements.
Fire Plan Review and Permitting
Covers sprinkler, alarm, and kitchen-hood suppression system review. A separate Inspection, Testing & Maintenance (ITM) report fee is $30, with late fees of $30/$60/$90/$120 at 31, 61, 91, and 121+ days late.
Contact
- Jurisdiction
- Charleston
- Phone
- (843) 724-3429
- Website
- www.charleston-sc.gov/
Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.
Sources
Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Charleston Fire Department — Mobile Food Vendors, Information Bulletin IB-2019-04-12 (revised December 12, 2024): vendor categories, 12-month operational permit, renewalCharleston Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-18
- City of Charleston Fire Department — Fire Fee Schedule, Information Bulletin IB-2024-12-20 (effective January 1, 2025)Charleston Fire Department, Fire Marshal's Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
Other offices serving Charleston
The full permit list for this jurisdiction
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