Restaurant Permits in Georgia: Every License You Need

Georgia is cheaper than Florida or California — until you add alcohol

A restaurant owner in Marietta called me last year after getting slapped with a $1,000 fine from Cobb County. She had her state food service permit, her city business license, and her health inspection sticker on the wall. What she did not have was a county alcohol pouring permit. She assumed her state-level license covered it. It did not. Georgia is a local-option state, which means every county and city sets its own alcohol rules independently. That one detail costs restaurant owners more money and headaches than any other part of the Georgia permitting process.

The non-alcohol permits for a Georgia restaurant are straightforward and relatively affordable. You are looking at $1,500 to $4,000 in total permit fees for a restaurant that does not serve drinks. Add a full liquor program and the number jumps to $5,000 to $15,000+ depending on your city.

Here is every permit, who issues it, what it costs, and how long it takes.

The permits every Georgia restaurant needs

Permit	Issuing Agency	Cost	Renewal	Processing Time
Food Service Establishment Permit	GA Dept of Public Health (DPH)	$175-$500	Annual	2-4 weeks
County/City Business License (Occupation Tax Certificate)	County/City Tax Office	$75-$500	Annual	1-2 weeks
County Health Permit	County Board of Health	$100-$400	Annual	2-4 weeks
Fire Inspection Certificate	City/County Fire Marshal	$50-$300	Annual	1-3 weeks
Sales Tax Registration	GA Dept of Revenue	Free	None (permanent)	Instant online
Certified Food Safety Manager	ANSI-accredited provider	$80-$150	Every 5 years	1 day (exam)
Sign Permit	City Planning/Zoning	$25-$250	One-time	1-4 weeks
Building Permit (if renovating)	City/County Building Dept	$200-$8,000+	One-time	2-8 weeks
Certificate of Occupancy	City Building Dept	$75-$400	One-time	2-6 weeks
Federal EIN	IRS	Free	None (permanent)	Instant online
Workers' Comp Insurance	Licensed carrier	Varies by payroll	Annual	1-3 days

If you serve alcohol, you need state and local alcohol licenses on top of everything above. Georgia's local-option system makes this the most complicated part of opening a restaurant in the state.

Food Service Establishment Permit: the state permit

The Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) licenses every food service establishment in the state. You cannot serve food to the public without this permit. The DPH delegates inspection and enforcement to the 18 county health districts, but the permit authority comes from the state.

The fee depends on your risk category and seating capacity. Most full-service restaurants fall into the "high risk" category (because you are cooking, holding, and serving potentially hazardous foods). Fees range from $175 for small operations to $500 for larger restaurants.

Before the permit is issued, a health district inspector visits your restaurant and runs through the Georgia Food Code inspection checklist. They check:

Cold holding temperatures (41 degrees F or below)
Hot holding temperatures (135 degrees F or above)
Handwashing stations (separate from prep sinks, stocked with soap and paper towels)
Food storage (off the floor, properly labeled, FIFO rotation)
Pest control measures
Employee hygiene practices
Dishwashing and sanitizing procedures
Grease trap installation and maintenance

Fail on a critical violation — food held at unsafe temperatures, no handwashing station, active pest infestation — and you do not open until it is corrected and re-inspected. Non-critical violations typically give you 10 to 30 days to fix. The DPH publishes inspection scores publicly, and a low score on your first inspection follows your restaurant around on review sites.

Business license: Georgia calls it an Occupation Tax Certificate

Georgia does not have a single statewide business license. Instead, each city and county issues what they call an Occupation Tax Certificate. This is your local business license.

Most Georgia cities and counties calculate the fee based on gross receipts, number of employees, or a flat rate. In Atlanta, the occupation tax is based on gross receipts and employee count — a mid-size restaurant typically pays $150 to $400 per year. Smaller cities like Savannah, Augusta, or Macon charge $75 to $250.

If your restaurant is in an unincorporated area, you get your certificate from the county. If it is in a city, you usually need both a city and county certificate. Check with your county tax commissioner to be sure — some counties and cities have reciprocal agreements, others do not.

This is the permit most restaurant owners get first because other agencies often ask for proof of it before processing their own applications. For the full state-by-state comparison, see our Georgia business license guide.

County health permit

Separate from the state DPH food service permit, your county board of health requires its own permit. Georgia has 159 counties — more than any state except Texas — and each county board of health runs its own permitting office.

The county health permit process overlaps with the state DPH process since the county health district handles inspections on behalf of the state. In practice, you apply for the state food service permit through your local county health district office, and the county permit is often bundled with it. But some counties charge a separate fee on top of the state permit fee.

Annual inspections are conducted by county health district staff. Georgia restaurants get at least one routine unannounced inspection per year. High-volume restaurants and those with past violations may get inspected more frequently. Your inspection score is posted in your restaurant and published online through the DPH's inspection database. For tips on passing, see our health inspection prep guide.

Fire inspection

Your local fire marshal must sign off on your restaurant before you open. Georgia fire inspections focus on:

Commercial kitchen hood suppression systems (required for all cooking operations producing grease-laden vapors)
Fire extinguisher placement and inspection tags
Emergency exit routes and illuminated exit signs
Maximum occupancy posting
Sprinkler systems (required in most commercial buildings)
Electrical panel access (must be clear of storage)

In Atlanta, the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department handles inspections. Fees run $100 to $300 depending on square footage. Outside Atlanta, your county fire marshal or city fire department conducts the inspection. Most charge $50 to $200.

The hood suppression system is the most common point of failure. If your kitchen hood system is not UL-300 listed, properly installed by a licensed contractor, and tagged with a current inspection sticker, the fire marshal will not sign off. Getting this wrong can delay your opening by weeks while you wait for a fire suppression contractor to fix or replace the system.

Alcohol licensing: Georgia's local-option system

This is where Georgia gets complicated. Georgia is a local-option state, meaning each county and city individually decides whether to allow alcohol sales, and if so, what types and under what conditions. Some counties allow full liquor sales. Some allow beer and wine only. Some are completely dry.

Before you do anything else related to alcohol, verify that your specific city and county allow the type of alcohol sales you plan to offer. This is not something you can assume. As of 2026, most urban and suburban Georgia counties have voted to allow alcohol sales, but there are still dry and semi-dry jurisdictions, particularly in rural south Georgia.

State alcohol license

The Georgia Department of Revenue, Alcohol and Tobacco Division, issues state-level alcohol licenses. You need a state license in addition to any local permits. The state fees:

Retail Dealer (Malt Beverage): $100 per year — lets you sell beer on premises
Retail Dealer (Wine): $100 per year — lets you sell wine on premises
Retail Dealer (Distilled Spirits): $1,000 per year — lets you sell liquor on premises

A restaurant serving beer, wine, and liquor needs all three: $1,200 per year to the state. If you are only doing beer and wine, it is $200 per year.

Local alcohol license (pouring permit)

On top of the state license, you need a local alcohol license from your city or county. This is the expensive part. Local pouring permit fees in Georgia vary wildly:

City/County	License Type	Fee	Term
City of Atlanta	Pouring (beer, wine, liquor)	$5,000	Annual
City of Atlanta	Pouring (beer and wine only)	$2,500	Annual
Savannah	Pouring (full)	$3,500-$5,000	Annual
Augusta	Pouring (full)	$2,500-$4,000	Annual
Marietta (Cobb County)	Pouring (full)	$3,000-$4,000	Annual
Roswell	Pouring (full)	$2,500-$3,500	Annual
Athens-Clarke County	Pouring (full)	$2,000-$3,500	Annual
Smaller cities	Pouring (full)	$1,000-$2,500	Annual

Most cities require a background check for all owners and managers, proof of a clean criminal history (felony convictions within the past 10 years usually disqualify), proof of an approved location (distance requirements from schools, churches, and residential areas), and a public hearing in some jurisdictions.

The distance requirements catch people off guard. Atlanta requires liquor-serving establishments to be at least 100 yards from any school, church, or college campus. Other cities have their own distances. Measure from your front door to the nearest church door before you sign a lease. Many restaurant owners have discovered too late that a church they never noticed across the street makes their location ineligible for a pouring permit.

For the full cost breakdown of Georgia liquor licensing, see our Georgia liquor license cost guide.

Certified Food Safety Manager

Georgia requires at least one Certified Food Safety Manager (CFSM) in every food service establishment. This person must pass an ANSI-accredited exam such as ServSafe, Prometric, or the National Registry exam.

The certification costs $80 to $150, lasts 5 years, and takes about a day to complete. At least one CFSM must be on-site or available during all hours of food preparation and service. If your only certified manager leaves and you do not get someone else certified, you are in violation and it will come up at your next inspection.

Sales tax registration

Georgia charges a 4% state sales tax on prepared food, and most counties add a local option sales tax (LOST) and special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) that brings the total to 7% to 9% depending on your county. Fulton County (Atlanta) has a combined rate of 8.9%.

Register for free with the Georgia Department of Revenue online at etax.dor.ga.gov before your first day of business. You collect sales tax on every transaction and file returns monthly, quarterly, or annually depending on your volume. Late filings carry a penalty of 5% per month plus interest.

City-specific requirements

Atlanta

Atlanta is the most expensive city in Georgia for restaurant permitting, especially if you serve alcohol. The city's pouring license alone is $5,000 per year for full liquor, and the application process involves a background check, a review by the Atlanta Police Department's License and Permits Unit, a hearing before the License Review Board, and approval by the City Council.

Atlanta's permitting is handled by the Department of City Planning (zoning and land use), the Office of Buildings (building permits and certificates of occupancy), and the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department (fire inspections). Expect 4 to 8 weeks for a building permit on a restaurant buildout.

The BeltLine corridor and Midtown area have additional overlay zoning districts that can restrict signage, require design review, and impose parking requirements beyond the standard code. If your restaurant is in one of these districts, check with the Department of City Planning early.

Atlanta also requires a grease trap permit from the Department of Watershed Management. Every restaurant with a commercial kitchen needs a properly sized grease interceptor, and the Department inspects them. A violation can result in a fine and a shutdown order. Grease trap pumping runs $100 to $300 per month depending on your volume.

Savannah

Savannah is more restaurant-friendly than most Georgia cities when it comes to alcohol. The city allows open containers in the downtown Historic District (one of the few U.S. cities that does), and the permitting process is generally faster than Atlanta.

Savannah's alcohol licensing is handled by the Revenue Department. Full pouring permits run $3,500 to $5,000. The city's Historic District has its own design review process for signage and exterior modifications, managed by the Savannah Historic District Board of Review. If you are renovating a historic building, expect the review process to add 4 to 8 weeks.

The Chatham County Health Department handles food service inspections for Savannah restaurants. The county also requires a separate Chatham County business license in addition to your City of Savannah license if your restaurant generates more than $10,000 in annual revenue.

Augusta

Augusta-Richmond County operates under a consolidated city-county government, which simplifies the permitting process. You deal with one set of offices instead of separate city and county agencies.

The Augusta License and Inspections Department handles business licenses, and the Augusta Fire Department handles fire inspections. Alcohol licensing is managed through the Augusta Commission, which requires a public hearing for new pouring permits. Fees for a full pouring permit run $2,500 to $4,000.

Augusta's permitting costs are lower than Atlanta and Savannah. A typical restaurant opening in Augusta can expect $3,000 to $8,000 in total permit fees including alcohol, compared to $8,000 to $15,000+ in Atlanta.

Penalties for permit violations

Georgia takes food service and alcohol violations seriously. Here is what you face for common violations:

Operating without a food service permit: The DPH can issue a cease-and-desist order and close your restaurant immediately. Reopening without a permit is a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 and/or up to 12 months in jail.
Operating without a business license: Most cities impose a penalty of 10% to 25% of the license fee per month, plus interest. Atlanta adds a $500 fine for operating without a valid occupation tax certificate.
Alcohol violations: Selling without a valid pouring permit is a misdemeanor. Fines start at $500 and can reach $2,500. Your state alcohol license can be suspended or revoked. The Georgia Department of Revenue can also assess back taxes plus penalties on unreported alcohol sales.
Serving minors: First offense is a fine up to $1,000 and possible license suspension. Second offense within 36 months can result in license revocation. The server personally faces a misdemeanor charge.
Health code critical violations: The DPH can close your restaurant on the spot for imminent health hazards. You reopen only after correcting the violation and passing a re-inspection.
Lapsed renewal: There is no grace period on most Georgia permits. If your food service permit expires and you keep operating, you are operating illegally. The DPH and local code enforcement can and do check.

For a deeper look at what happens when any permit expires, see our guide to expired business license consequences.

Total cost: what to budget

Here is what a full-service restaurant in a major Georgia city should budget for first-year permits:

Permit/Item	Atlanta	Smaller Cities
DPH Food Service Permit	$300-$500	$175-$400
Occupation Tax Certificate	$150-$400	$75-$250
County Health Permit (if separate)	$100-$300	$100-$250
Fire Inspection	$100-$300	$50-$200
Building Permit (if renovating)	$500-$8,000+	$200-$5,000+
Certificate of Occupancy	$200-$400	$75-$300
Sign Permit	$50-$250	$25-$150
Food Safety Manager Cert (CFSM)	$80-$150	$80-$150
Sales Tax Registration	Free	Free
Federal EIN	Free	Free
Workers' Comp Insurance	Varies	Varies

Total without alcohol: $1,480 to $10,300 depending on city, renovation scope, and restaurant size.

Add beer and wine: +$200 (state) + $2,500 (local) = roughly +$2,700.

Add full liquor: +$1,200 (state) + $5,000 (Atlanta local) = roughly +$6,200.

An Atlanta restaurant with a full bar is looking at $7,680 to $16,500+ in first-year permit and licensing fees. A restaurant in a smaller city with beer and wine only might spend $2,000 to $5,000 total.

Get your full Georgia restaurant permit list

Use the free permit checker to see every permit your Georgia restaurant needs. Pick your city, select "Restaurant," and get the full checklist with links to the actual state and local agencies, estimated costs, and processing timelines. Already open? Check our Georgia business license guide to make sure nothing is missing, or review the restaurant permit checklist for a general overview.

If you are tracking permits across multiple agencies — state DPH, county health, city business license, fire marshal, alcohol licensing — that is a lot of renewal dates to keep straight. The PermitDue dashboard sends you reminders at 90, 60, 30, and 7 days before any permit expires. In a state with no grace period on lapsed permits, missing one renewal can shut you down the same day. That is lost revenue and a re-inspection you did not need.