Caterer permits and licenses in Georgia
The statewide credentials every caterer needs to operate in Georgia, plus city-specific guides for the cities we cover.
This page covers only the Georgia statewide credentials for caterers. Federal credentials that apply nationwide are on the Caterers overview, and each city layers its own permits on top.
The credentials below are the Georgia-wide requirements that apply to every caterer in the state. Each city and county layers its own permits, fees, and inspections on top. To see the requirements for a specific city, choose it from the Georgia cities list below.
Georgia credential overview
| Credential | Level | Fee | Renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catering Food Service Establishment Permit (base kitchen) | State | Set by each county Board of Health; confirm the current annual fee with the county where your base kitchen sits | Annual |
| Food Service Establishment Plan Review | State | Set by each county Board of Health; confirm the current plan-review fee with the county where the kitchen is built or renovated | One-time per build, remodel, conversion, or change of permit holder |
| Certified Food Safety Manager (CFSM) Certification | State | Set by the private provider, not the state; the course and exam commonly run about $100 to $200 | Every 5 years, and the operation must always employ at least one CFSM |
| Temporary Food Service Establishment Permit (serving the general public) | State | Set by each county Board of Health; confirm the current fee with the county where the event is held | Per event |
| State Retail Alcoholic Beverage License (Retail Consumption Dealer) | State | Confirm the current state license fee with the DOR Alcohol and Tobacco Division; paid through the Georgia Tax Center | Annual (licenses expire December 31) |
| Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration (Form ST-3) | State | $0 (free) | One-time registration, then ongoing monthly, quarterly, or annual returns |
| Georgia Business Entity Registration (Secretary of State) | State | $100 to file an LLC or corporation online, then $60 a year to keep it registered (filed January 1 to April 1) | Annual registration |
| Base of Operations and Commercial Kitchen Requirement | Operational | No government fee for the requirement itself, but leasing or owning a compliant commercial kitchen is a real, market-driven cost | Ongoing |
| Local Off-Premise Alcoholic Beverage Catering Endorsement | Operational | Set by the local authority; O.C.G.A. 3-11-2(e) caps total local fees at $5,000 a year for one licensed location | Annual (valid only for the calendar year issued) |
| Per-Event DOR Notification and Local Catering Event Permit | Operational | No state fee for the DOR notification; the local event permit fee is set locally, capped at $50 per event for nonresident caterers under O.C.G.A. 3-11-3 | Per event |
Georgia cities
City and county rules stack on top of the statewide credentials.
Each caterer credential in Georgia, explained
Grouped by the level of government that issues it, broadest first. Every caterer in Georgia needs these regardless of city.
State level
7 credentials
Catering Food Service Establishment Permit (base kitchen)
Georgia issues no standalone caterer license. Under O.C.G.A. 26-2-371 to 373 and DPH Rule 511-6-1, it is unlawful to run a catering food service establishment without a food service permit from the Board of Health in the county where your base kitchen is located. Because catering is food prepared for immediate eating, it falls to the county health authority rather than the Department of Agriculture. The permit ties to one holder, one location, and one operation type, and it does not transfer if you move counties.
- Fee
- Set by each county Board of Health; confirm the current annual fee with the county where your base kitchen sits
- Renewal
- Annual
- Processing
- 4 to 8 weeks from a complete application, plus at least 6 more weeks for plan review when you build or remodel
Food Service Establishment Plan Review
Before any construction or remodeling of the kitchen you cater from, the county has to review and approve your plans and specifications. You submit scaled drawings, equipment specification sheets, finish schedules, and a proposed menu, and no food service permit issues until the plan clears. A caterer renting an already-approved, licensed kitchen does not file its own plan review, but should confirm that kitchen holds a current permit.
- Fee
- Set by each county Board of Health; confirm the current plan-review fee with the county where the kitchen is built or renovated
- Renewal
- One-time per build, remodel, conversion, or change of permit holder
- Processing
- At least 6 weeks from a complete plan submission; complex projects take longer
Certified Food Safety Manager (CFSM) Certification
DPH Rule 511-6-1-.03(3)(b) requires every catering food service establishment to keep at least one Certified Food Safety Manager who has passed an ANSI-accredited exam. Georgia does not issue the certificate itself; your manager earns it from an approved provider and keeps proof on file. That manager carries active managerial control of food safety across the operation, including out at event sites, while the rest of the crew still has to demonstrate safe-handling knowledge.
- Fee
- Set by the private provider, not the state; the course and exam commonly run about $100 to $200
- Renewal
- Every 5 years, and the operation must always employ at least one CFSM
- Processing
- Must be on staff within 60 days of permit issuance, a change of ownership, or the previous manager leaving
Temporary Food Service Establishment Permit (serving the general public)
Required only when a caterer serves the general public at a festival, fair, market, or other event open to public access. A private contracted job, a wedding, corporate dinner, or private party where the host hired you, rides your base kitchen permit and needs no temporary permit. When you do serve the public, the permit comes from the county where the event sits, not your home county, so a caterer working public events in several counties pulls a separate permit in each.
- Fee
- Set by each county Board of Health; confirm the current fee with the county where the event is held
- Renewal
- Per event
- Processing
- Submit the temporary food service application to the event county ahead of time, commonly 10 to 30 days depending on the county
State Retail Alcoholic Beverage License (Retail Consumption Dealer)
Only if you serve alcohol at events. Georgia has no dedicated alcoholic-beverage-caterer state license, so DOR Rule 560-2-13 requires a caterer to first hold a state retail or retail consumption dealer license for the specific alcohol types it will serve. You apply through the Georgia Tax Center under O.C.G.A. 3-2-7.1, which routes the application to the local authority and the state at once, but the local license has to issue before the state finalizes. Every bartender and server at a catered event must be at least 21.
- Fee
- Confirm the current state license fee with the DOR Alcohol and Tobacco Division; paid through the Georgia Tax Center
- Renewal
- Annual (licenses expire December 31)
- Processing
- The state will not finalize the license until your local jurisdiction has issued its alcohol license, so allow extra time for local review
Sales and Use Tax Certificate of Registration (Form ST-3)
Any caterer that meets the dealer definition under O.C.G.A. 48-8-2 registers for this before its first taxable sale. Full-service catering, food prepared and served with on-site service, is taxable prepared food at the 4 percent state rate plus local rates on top. Register through the Georgia Tax Center, display the certificate at your business location, and file returns by the 20th of the month after each period.
- Fee
- $0 (free)
- Renewal
- One-time registration, then ongoing monthly, quarterly, or annual returns
- Processing
- About 7 to 15 business days for an online application
Georgia Business Entity Registration (Secretary of State)
Needed only if you form an LLC, corporation, or other formal entity, which most caterers do for liability protection. A sole proprietor files nothing with the Secretary of State but may still register a trade name with the county Superior Court clerk. This filing sets up the legal business; it issues no food or alcohol permits.
- Fee
- $100 to file an LLC or corporation online, then $60 a year to keep it registered (filed January 1 to April 1)
- Renewal
- Annual registration
- Processing
- About 7 business days online, with expedited options for more
Operational level
3 credentials
Base of Operations and Commercial Kitchen Requirement
Rule 511-6-1-.08 requires all catering equipment and supplies to be cleaned and serviced daily at your permitted base of operation, and it flatly bars home-prepared foods, so a domestic kitchen cannot be your base. GDA confirms in its own cottage food FAQ that a home operation cooking for others at events is catering under county health rules, not cottage food. A caterer renting a shared commercial kitchen has to document that arrangement, and because the rule generally bars two separate operations from sharing equipment, a shared-kitchen setup usually needs a county variance and written standard operating procedures.
- Fee
- No government fee for the requirement itself, but leasing or owning a compliant commercial kitchen is a real, market-driven cost
- Renewal
- Ongoing
- Processing
- Not applicable; this is a continuous requirement
Local Off-Premise Alcoholic Beverage Catering Endorsement
Only if you serve alcohol. O.C.G.A. 3-11-2 lets a caterer that already holds both a state retail alcohol license and a local retail alcohol license obtain a local off-premise catering endorsement from the same local authority. Holding the state license plus this endorsement is what makes the business a licensed alcoholic beverage caterer under Georgia law, and you can only serve the alcohol types your licenses authorize.
- Fee
- Set by the local authority; O.C.G.A. 3-11-2(e) caps total local fees at $5,000 a year for one licensed location
- Renewal
- Annual (valid only for the calendar year issued)
- Processing
- Confirm with your local licensing authority; the state license must already be in hand or applied for at the same time
Per-Event DOR Notification and Local Catering Event Permit
Only if you serve alcohol. Before each catered event with alcohol, the licensed caterer notifies the DOR Commissioner in writing at least 5 business days out and obtains a local catering event permit from the jurisdiction where the event is held, unless that jurisdiction allows catering without issuing one. The Alcohol Beverage Catering report (Form ATT-CA-1) rides with the vehicle carrying the alcohol, everything moves in unbroken packages and is served by the drink, and records are kept for at least 3 years.
- Fee
- No state fee for the DOR notification; the local event permit fee is set locally, capped at $50 per event for nonresident caterers under O.C.G.A. 3-11-3
- Renewal
- Per event
- Processing
- The DOR notification must be received at least 5 business days before the event; confirm local lead time with each jurisdiction
Georgia-specific things to watch for
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license to start a catering business in Georgia?
Yes. Under O.C.G.A. 26-2-371 to 373 and DPH Rule 511-6-1, you cannot run a catering food service establishment in Georgia without a food service permit from the county Board of Health where your base kitchen sits. There is no separate statewide catering license; caterers are permitted as a category of food service establishment under the same framework as restaurants, but the permit is applied for, issued, inspected, and priced locally by each county.
Can you cater from home in Georgia?
No. DPH Rule 511-6-1-.08 bars home-prepared foods in a catering operation, and a domestic kitchen cannot be issued a food service permit. The Georgia Department of Agriculture cottage food program, even as expanded by HB 398 in July 2025, covers only shelf-stable direct sales, not food service. A caterer has to work from a permitted commercial kitchen, either one it builds out after plan review or one it rents under a documented arrangement, which in a shared kitchen usually needs a county variance.
Do you need a license to serve alcohol at a catered event in Georgia?
Yes, in several steps. Georgia has no dedicated caterer alcohol license, so you first hold a state retail alcohol license from the DOR Alcohol and Tobacco Division plus a local retail alcohol license where you are based, then add a local off-premise catering endorsement under O.C.G.A. 3-11-2. After that, each event needs a local catering event permit from the event jurisdiction and a written DOR notification filed at least 5 business days ahead. You can only serve the alcohol types your licenses authorize.
Does a Georgia caterer need a permit for every event?
It depends on the event. Your base Catering Food Service Establishment permit covers all private contracted events across Georgia, so no extra food permit is needed per private job. Serving the general public at a festival, fair, or public market needs a Temporary Food Service Establishment permit from the county where that event is held. If alcohol is served, a local catering event permit and a DOR notification are required for every event, private or public.
You just read through every credential your caterer needs in Georgia.
Each one has a different renewal date, a different fee, and a different agency. CredentiAlert tracks all of them and reminds you before any of them lapse, so you can spend your time running your business, not managing a renewal calendar.
- Georgia Department of Public Health, Food Service
- Georgia Food Service Rules and Regulations, Chapter 511-6-1 (PDF)
- Official Georgia Rules and Regulations, Subject 511-6-1
- Georgia DPH, Food Service Design, Installation and Construction Manual
- Official Georgia Rules and Regulations, Subject 560-2-13 (Alcoholic Beverage Catering)
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Apply for a License to Sell Alcohol
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Centralized Alcohol Licensing (Retail Licensees)
- Georgia Department of Revenue, Sales and Use Tax Registration FAQ
- Georgia Department of Agriculture, Cottage Food FAQ
- Georgia Secretary of State, Register a Domestic Entity
- ANSI National Accreditation Board, Accredited Food Protection Manager Programs
Last verified 2026-07-11. Requirements change. Always confirm with the issuing department before applying.