These come from the FDA Food Code, which nearly every state adopts. A health inspector checks for them on plan review and at inspection — regardless of your state:
Also required in most kitchens: a mop/service sink (cleaning-water disposal), mechanical exhaust hood (Type I over grease/smoke), adequate hot water, indirect waste/air gaps on food & warewashing equipment, and a grease interceptor where local plumbing code requires it.
Licensing authority: SC Dept. of AGRICULTURE (SCDA) - transferred from DHEC on 2024-07-01. Regime: STATE-ISSUED - agency changed 2024.
AGENCY CHANGE most guides have missed. Regulation 61-25 states that after 2024-07-01 all references to DHEC must be construed as references to SCDA - retail food safety and inspection moved from the Department of Health and Environmental Control to the Department of Agriculture, and three fragmented systems were merged into one. Multiple 2025 and 2026-dated guides still tell operators to contact DHEC. A Retail Food Establishment Permit from SCDA is required before selling retail direct-to-consumer, and the scope explicitly includes mobile food establishments AND their associated commissary. Application historically form DHEC 1769, submitted at least 30 days before opening, with a commissary agreement - confirm the current form number post-transfer. Changes to preparation type, equipment or structure need approval before implementation and may require a new application. Charleston adds a Charleston Water Systems grease trap requirement plus impact fees, and restricts downtown street vending to designated locations.
Mobile/food-truck reciprocity: Not established - single state permit implies statewide validity, confirm
New builds and remodels almost always require a plan review and a pre-opening inspection. Submit your equipment layout early — the sink count, hood, and hot-water sizing are the usual sticking points.
See restaurant-equipment dealers in South Carolina → — many do design + fabrication and know local plan-review requirements.