11 permits · verified 2026-10-19
What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Spartanburg County?
In short
A restaurant in Spartanburg County, SC has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings charges $110 one-time filing for the articles of organization (llc). 7 of the 11 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-19 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a restaurant in Spartanburg County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spartanburg County Local Hospitality Tax — Registration and Remittance | Spartanburg County Budget Management – Hospitality Tax Division | 2% of the gross proceeds of sales of prepared meals and beverages (Ordinance O-07-20 §2). Late penalty: 5% per month on the original tax due (§8(b)). The registration form shows no registration fee. | ongoing; returns due by the 20th of the month after each filing period closes | 2026-10-19 |
| Retail Food Establishment Permit | South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and Compliance | $100 to open plus an annual inspection fee of $100 to $450 banded by gross food sales — $100 up to $250,000, rising in $50 steps to $450 above $1.75 million | annual — the inspection fee is invoiced and due thirty days from the billing date | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and Compliance | No fee | set by the certifying programme — South Carolina's rules specify none | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Spartanburg County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Development Permit and Site Plan Review (ULMO) / Zoning Permit (PZO Southwest Planning Area) — Non-Residentialonly if it applies to you | Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department | Varies — formula on the Spartanburg County page | PZO zoning permit: effective two years from approval, with five one-year extensions (PZO §9.1.10) | 2026-10-19 |
| Business Sign Permit (unincorporated Spartanburg County)only if it applies to you | Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department | Varies — formula on the Spartanburg County page | per sign permit | 2026-10-19 |
| Building and Trade Permits, Plan Review and Certificate of Occupancyonly if it applies to you | Spartanburg County Building Codes Department | Varies — formula on the Spartanburg County page | per permit | 2026-10-19 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
SC registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Annual Report and License Feeonly if it applies to you | South Carolina Department of Revenue | Varies — formula on the SC page | annual — due on the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the tax year ends | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings | $110 one-time filing | perpetual — an LLC files no annual report in South Carolina | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings | $135 at filing — $110 to the Secretary of State plus the $25 initial license fee | perpetual, but an annual report and license fee are due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Retail License | South Carolina Department of Revenue | $50 for each permanent location, and it is not refundable | no expiry while the same person trades at the same location | 2026-09-03 |
| Local Business License | South Carolina Department of Revenue | Varies — formula on the SC page | 1 May to 30 April, the same in every South Carolina jurisdiction | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a restaurant in Spartanburg County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 11 records listed for a restaurant in Spartanburg County, SC, 4 apply to every business of this type and 7 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 11 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Spartanburg County Local Hospitality Tax — Registration and Remittance: 2% of the gross proceeds of sales of prepared meals and beverages (Ordinance O-07-20 §2). Late penalty: 5% per month on the original tax due (§8(b)). The registration form shows no registration fee.
Retail Food Establishment Permit: $100 to open plus an annual inspection fee of $100 to $450 banded by gross food sales — $100 up to $250,000, rising in $50 steps to $450 above $1.75 million
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Spartanburg County permits page and the SC state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Spartanburg County?
Permits for a restaurant in Spartanburg County, SC come from 6 separate offices: Spartanburg County Budget Management – Hospitality Tax Division, Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department, Spartanburg County Building Codes Department, South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and Compliance, South Carolina Department of Revenue, South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Spartanburg County Budget Management – Hospitality Tax DivisionIssues 1 permit on this page: Spartanburg County Local Hospitality Tax — Registration and Remittance366 N Church St, Main Level, Suite 900, Spartanburg, SC 29303 · (864) 596-3394www.spartanburgcounty.gov/362/Hospitality-Tax
- Spartanburg County Planning and Development DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Development Permit and Site Plan Review (ULMO) / Zoning Permit (PZO Southwest Planning Area) — Non-Residential, Business Sign Permit (unincorporated Spartanburg County)(864) 596-3570www.spartanburgcounty.gov/152/Planning-and-Development
- Spartanburg County Building Codes DepartmentIssues 1 permit on this page: Building and Trade Permits, Plan Review and Certificate of Occupancywww.spartanburgcounty.gov/173/Building-Codes
- South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and ComplianceIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment Permit, Certified Food Protection Manager350 Ballard Court, West Columbia, SC 29172 · (803) 896-0640agriculture.sc.gov/permits-and-inspections/retail-food-safety
- South Carolina Department of RevenueIssues 3 permits on this page: Corporate Annual Report and License Fee, Retail License, Local Business LicensePO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214 · (803) 898-3153dor.sc.gov/businesses
- South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business FilingsIssues 2 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201 · (803) 734-2158sos.sc.gov/online-filings/business-entities
What does a restaurant need in Spartanburg County that other businesses do not?
Shared with other businesses in Spartanburg County
- Spartanburg County Local Hospitality Tax — Registration and Remittance — Spartanburg County Budget Management – Hospitality Tax Division, 2% of the gross proceeds of sales of prepared meals and beverages (Ordinance O-07-20 §2). Late penalty: 5% per month on the original tax due (§8(b)). The registration form shows no registration fee., ongoing; returns due by the 20th of the month after each filing period closes. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Retail Food Establishment Permit — South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and Compliance, $100 to open plus an annual inspection fee of $100 to $450 banded by gross food sales — $100 up to $250,000, rising in $50 steps to $450 above $1.75 million, annual — the inspection fee is invoiced and due thirty days from the billing date. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and Compliance, No fee, set by the certifying programme — South Carolina's rules specify none. Also required for coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Spartanburg County, SC; what each one involves is set out on the Spartanburg County permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across SC and are covered on the SC state page.
How does a restaurant compare with other businesses in Spartanburg County?
A restaurant and a coffee shop in Spartanburg County, SC need exactly the same 3 permits beyond the ones every business needs.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a restaurant | Only a restaurant needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
Sources
Sources for the permits shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Spartanburg County permits page and the SC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.