What do these permits involve in Chatham County?

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Occupational Tax Late-Renewal Penalty

This penalty applies to any business holding, or required to hold, a Chatham County Occupational Tax Certificate that pays or renews after the January 31 due date. The $50/$75/$100-per-month schedule is read directly from the current codified §16-113 text in the county's own Code Book PDF, amended August 22, 2025 — after the county's own printed Occupational Tax application form (rev. 08/22/2024) was last issued. That application form still prints the older '$25 or 10%, whichever is greater' language for late payment; that figure is actually §16-112's separate delinquency fee for an underpayment correction, not the renewal-lateness penalty, and the current §16-113 graduated schedule above is the one that applies to a late annual renewal. A business should budget for the current code figure rather than the form's older wording.

Savannah Business Location Approval

Savannah is the county seat and the largest of Chatham County's eight incorporated municipalities, and it runs its own Business Location Approval process in addition to (inside Savannah, in place of) the county's Occupational Tax Certificate — confirmed from the city's own page. This record covers only the county/city stacking relationship; it does not restate Savannah's own business-licensing detail in full, which belongs in a dedicated Savannah city-level spec rather than being duplicated inside the county file. The specific dollar fee was not independently re-priced during this research pass, so no amount is published here; a business should confirm the current figure with the city directly.

Tybee Island Occupational Tax Certificate / Business License

A business locating on Tybee Island, one of Chatham County's eight incorporated municipalities, needs Tybee Island's own business license under City Ordinance Sec. 34, Article II, in addition to (inside Tybee Island, in place of) the county's Occupational Tax Certificate. The $125.00-plus-$10.00 figure is read directly from the city's own live Business Licenses page, which also states a 2026 renewal deadline of November 20, 2025. Third-party compliance-summary sites (avalara.com, harborcompliance.com) quote a different $135 figure; only the city's own stated $125 + $10 figure, read directly from its own page, is used here.

Pooler Business License

A business locating inside Pooler, one of Chatham County's eight incorporated municipalities, needs Pooler's own business license in addition to (inside Pooler, in place of) the county's Occupational Tax Certificate. Pooler's own page confirms this separate municipal system by publishing its own monthly lists of approved business licenses, a city-run process distinct from the county's. The specific dollar fee was not independently re-priced during this research pass, so no amount is published here; a business should confirm the current figure with the city directly before budgeting.

Occupational Tax Certificate

Any business operating at a location in unincorporated Chatham County needs this certificate from the Occupational Tax Division, 1117 Eisenhower Drive, Suite D, Savannah, GA 31406, (912) 201-4300. The bracket and rate figures above are read from the county's own current application/fee-schedule PDF (rev. 08/22/2024) and are identical to the codified §16-106 table in the county's own Code Book PDF (chathamcountyga.gov/OurCounty/CodeBook), which is cited directly alongside the application form. The schedule runs 15 brackets in total, from Bracket 1 ($0-$30,000) through Bracket 15 ($10,000,001 and over). New certificates issued July 1-December 31 are prorated to 50% of the annual rate (§16-109(4)); regulatory fees and seasonal businesses are not proratable. Every application is routed for Zoning Administrator, Fire Inspector, and (for certain classes including alcohol) Police Department sign-off before issuance (§16-132(1)(c),(e),(g)).

Building/Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical Permit Fees

Code §20-308 directs that permit fees are set 'in accordance with Article T of the County Revenue Ordinance,' a separately maintained numeric table that is not published online as a standalone document. The $6/$7-per-$1,000-of-construction-value formula above is instead confirmed from current Building Safety permit-application PDFs — specifically two independently dated revisions (2020-12-04 and 2026-08-06) of the same Demolition Permit Application, both stating the identical formula, which is the evidence that it has been stable for years and remains current. This permit applies to any of the 10 target industries undertaking new construction, a remodel, or a qualifying build-out in unincorporated Chatham County. The $25 safety/reconnection inspection fee independently matches the Safety Inspection Application form's own text ('Currently the permit fee is $25.00').

Garden City Occupational Tax Certificate

A business locating inside Garden City, one of Chatham County's eight incorporated municipalities, needs Garden City's own Occupational Tax Certificate in addition to (inside Garden City, in place of) the county's version — this is a separate municipal regime, not a relabeling of the county one. The city's own page states that a Certificate of Occupancy from Garden City's own Planning and Zoning department is required first: 'this process needs to be completed before the Occupational Tax Certificate process can begin.' The gross-receipts-rate-plus-$150-administration-fee structure and the December 31 expiration are both read directly from Garden City's own Occupational Taxes & Licensing page.

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Occupational Tax Late-Renewal Penaltyonly if it applies to you	Chatham County Department of Building Safety & Regulatory Services, Occupational Tax Division	Code §16-113, amended August 22, 2025, sets a graduated penalty for failing to pay/renew the Occupational Tax Certificate by the January 31 due date: a $50 late fee if paid February 1-28; an additional $75 (on top of the first late fee) if paid March 1-31; and an additional $100 per month beginning April 1 — each added to the original tax and any prior late fees. Operating unregistered or after delinquency is also punishable, on Magistrate Court conviction, by up to a $1,000 fine and/or jail (§16-113(1)). This graduated schedule is separate from the 'greater of $25 or 10% of the additional tax due' delinquency fee under §16-112, which applies only to an underpayment correction (for example after a gross-receipts audit), not to a late renewal.	not applicable — this is a penalty tied to Record 1's annual tax, not a license term of its own	2026-10-02
Savannah Business Location Approvalonly if it applies to you	City of Savannah, Planning & Urban Design Department	The City of Savannah administers its own Business Location Approval process and fee schedule for any business locating within Savannah city limits. The dollar figure is set by the City of Savannah's own current schedule and is not restated here; confirm the current amount directly with the City of Savannah's Planning & Urban Design Department before applying.	per the City of Savannah's own licensing cycle	2026-10-02
Tybee Island Occupational Tax Certificate / Business Licenseonly if it applies to you	City of Tybee Island Business License Office	$125.00 license fee plus a $10.00 administrative fee.	annual; licenses expire December 31 and must be renewed annually	2026-10-02
Pooler Business Licenseonly if it applies to you	City of Pooler	The City of Pooler operates its own municipal business license system, evidenced by its own page publishing monthly lists of approved business licenses. The dollar figure is set by the City of Pooler's own current schedule and is not restated here; confirm the current amount directly with the city.	per the City of Pooler's own licensing cycle	2026-10-02
Occupational Tax Certificate	Chatham County Department of Building Safety & Regulatory Services, Occupational Tax Division	A $75 non-refundable, non-transferable administrative fee (§16-105(1)) built into a 15-bracket gross-receipts schedule (§16-106) crossed with a profitability class A-F by NAICS dominant activity (rates .00047-.00097 per $1 above the bracket floor). Examples, confirmed identically in both the codified §16-106 table and the current application-form schedule: Bracket 1 ($0-$30,000) runs $82 (Class A) to $89 (Class F); Bracket 8 ($1,000,001-$2,000,000) runs $780 to $1,530; Bracket 15 ($10,000,001 and over) runs $4,775 to $9,775. Certain licensed professionals named in §16-105(2) — including veterinarian, attorney, physician, engineer, architect and several others — may instead elect a flat $400-per-practitioner tax in lieu of the gross-receipts schedule.	annual, calendar year; the certificate expires December 31	2026-10-02
Building/Electrical/Plumbing/Mechanical Permit Feesonly if it applies to you	Chatham County Department of Building Safety & Regulatory Services, Permits & Inspections Division	Residential permits: $6 per $1,000 of construction value plus a $25 flat fee. Commercial permits: $7 per $1,000 of construction value plus a $25 flat fee (Code §20-308, cross-referencing 'Article T of the County Revenue Ordinance'). Related fixed fees confirmed from the code and matching current form text: re-inspection for a posting failure $30 (§20-306); safety/reconnection inspection $25 (§20-314); manufactured-home setup inspection $50 (§20-315); demolition permit $25 plus the §20-308 base permit fee. Starting work before obtaining a permit doubles the fee or adds $250, whichever is greater (§20-303).	per permit	2026-10-02
Garden City Occupational Tax Certificateonly if it applies to you	City of Garden City, Planning and Zoning / Occupational Tax Office	Gross receipts multiplied by a tax rate of .00025-.0005, plus a $150 administration fee.	annual; the certificate expires December 31	2026-10-02

Business licenses and permits in Chatham County, Georgia

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Permits that apply to every type of business in Chatham County