South Carolina Food Safety

South Carolina Food Code: A Complete Guide for Restaurant Operators

South Carolina's inspection authority changed in July 2024 when SCDA took over from DHEC. Here's how inspections work now, what A through C grades mean, when a permit can be revoked, and what violations are most commonly cited.

Important: Enforcement Authority Changed July 1, 2024 As of July 1, 2024, the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) handles all retail food establishment inspections in South Carolina. This responsibility previously rested with DHEC (Department of Health and Environmental Control). If your compliance records or contacts reference DHEC for restaurant inspections, update them -- the correct authority is now SCDA.

How South Carolina Food Inspections Work

Food safety inspections in South Carolina are now conducted by the South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA). The governing regulation is Regulation 61-25 -- South Carolina's Retail Food Establishments regulation -- which follows an FDA Food Code framework.

South Carolina uses a risk-based inspection system, meaning the frequency of routine inspections depends on the risk category of the food operation. Facilities handling raw proteins, cooking to order, serving vulnerable populations, or operating with a history of violations are inspected more frequently than lower-risk operations such as convenience stores or establishments that serve only pre-packaged food.

All routine inspections are unannounced. The inspection scoring is expressed as a percentage, and the resulting score determines the letter grade posted. Grade cards must be posted and are visible to customers.

Inspection results are publicly available through scfoodgrades.com, where consumers can look up any licensed food service establishment in the state. This transparency creates a direct public accountability link between your grade and your customer-facing reputation.

Quick Reference

Regulatory authority: South Carolina Department of Agriculture (SCDA) -- as of July 1, 2024

Previous authority: SCDHEC (now handles other environmental health matters)

Governing regulation: Regulation 61-25, Retail Food Establishments

Grading system: Risk-based percentage score with A, B, C grades

Inspection frequency: Risk-based; higher-risk facilities inspected more often

Inspections announced: No -- all routine inspections are unannounced

Public results: Searchable at scfoodgrades.com

TCS cold holding: 41°F or below

TCS hot holding: 135°F or above

South Carolina's Letter Grading System

South Carolina uses a percentage-based scoring system with three passing grades. A score below 70 results in permit revocation. Results are posted publicly at scfoodgrades.com.

A
Score: 90 to 100
The facility is in substantial compliance with Regulation 61-25. An A grade signals a well-run operation and is the standard expectation during SCDA inspections. Grade is posted and searchable on scfoodgrades.com.
B
Score: 80 to 89
Compliance gaps are present and must be corrected. A B grade triggers a follow-up inspection. The facility may remain open, but the B grade is posted publicly. Violations must be addressed before the follow-up visit.
C
Score: 70 to 79
Significant compliance failures. A C grade is a serious result that triggers immediate re-inspection. The C is posted publicly on scfoodgrades.com and visible to anyone who looks up the establishment. Repeated C grades substantially increase inspection frequency.
Permit Revoked
Score: below 70
SCDA may revoke the food service permit. The facility cannot operate legally until violations are corrected and a re-inspection confirms compliance. Permit revocation is a public record and appears in the SCDA enforcement history.

Most Common Violations in South Carolina Restaurant Inspections

These are the violation categories most frequently identified by SCDA inspectors under Regulation 61-25. Many of them are preventable with consistent daily routines and documentation.

01
Temperature control for TCS foodsCold-held foods found above 41°F or hot-held foods below 135°F. These are among the highest-weighted violation categories because they directly create conditions for bacterial growth. SCDA inspectors measure temperatures directly with calibrated thermometers.
02
Improper food storage and cross-contaminationRaw proteins stored above or adjacent to ready-to-eat foods. Inspectors check cooler and walk-in organization on every visit. Improperly stored raw poultry above ready-to-eat salads is one of the most common critical violations seen in South Carolina inspections.
03
Handwashing and employee hygieneFailure to wash hands at required intervals, or employees observed making bare-hand contact with ready-to-eat foods. SCDA inspectors observe employee behavior during the visit. Handwashing sink accessibility is also checked -- a sink blocked by equipment or supplies is a violation.
04
Date labeling failuresReady-to-eat TCS foods prepared on site and held longer than 24 hours must be date-marked and discarded no later than 7 days after preparation. SCDA inspectors check every container in the walk-in. Missing or incorrect date labels on deli meats, prepared salads, and sauces are consistent findings.
05
Sanitizer concentration out of rangeChlorine-based sanitizers below 50 ppm or above 200 ppm, or quaternary ammonium solutions outside the manufacturer's required range. Inspectors test sanitizer solutions with test strips. Sanitizer buckets that are not refreshed during the shift are a common source of out-of-range readings.
06
Pest evidence and facility maintenanceEvidence of cockroaches, rodents, or flying insects in food preparation or storage areas. South Carolina's warm coastal climate creates year-round pest pressure, particularly in coastal counties. Pest control contracts and facility sealing documentation should be maintained and available.

Built on South Carolina law, not a national average

01
Updated for SCDA enforcement

Our South Carolina content reflects the July 2024 transfer of inspection authority from DHEC to SCDA. Citations reference Regulation 61-25 and the correct enforcement agency -- not an outdated DHEC reference that could mislead operators about who to contact.

02
Real, sourced citations

South Carolina enforces Regulation 61-25 under SCDA. Our checklist cites the specific provision for each item we check, sourced from SCDA's current published regulation -- not generated from a generic template.

03
scfoodgrades.com awareness

Because South Carolina's grades are searchable by anyone at scfoodgrades.com, your inspection result is public-facing the moment it's recorded. Our self-audit tools help you arrive at inspections prepared, not surprised.

FoodSafe IQ runs AI photo reviews from each zone -- cooler, prep, dish, receiving -- against a South Carolina-specific checklist and flags violations with the exact Regulation 61-25 citation an SCDA inspector would reference, plus a corrective action and owner assigned automatically.

Source: South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Division. Regulations change -- always confirm current requirements with SCDA directly.

What's included

✓
South Carolina-specific inspection checklistCovers all major Regulation 61-25 categories with citations updated for SCDA enforcement, reflecting how current South Carolina inspectors categorize and score violations.
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AI photo reviewUpload photos from each zone and AI flags violations with the SC-specific citation -- so staff understand what SCDA would write up and how to correct it before the real inspection.
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Corrective action trackingEvery violation gets an assigned owner, due date, and verification step. Nothing closes out until a manager confirms the fix -- protecting your grade from violations that get noted but never fully resolved.
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Multi-location dashboardSee every South Carolina location's grade and open items in one view, alongside other states if you operate across the Southeast.
✓
Temperature and HACCP loggingDigital logs for walk-ins, hot holding, and cooling records. Timestamped and verifiable -- the documentation that backs up your compliance when an SCDA inspector asks to see records.

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