Augusta-Richmond County, GA Special Events & Permits: Sidewalk Dining & Cafés (2026)
Key Facts
- Permit fee
- $25, includes one inspection
- Issuing office
- Planning & Development Department Director
- Insurance required
- $1,000,000 commercial general liability
- Clearance required
- 36 inches unobstructed passage always
- Max encroachment
- Up to 10 ft on wide sidewalks
Summary
Augusta-Richmond County requires a sidewalk cafe permit from the Planning & Development Director before restaurants can place tables, chairs, or umbrellas on public sidewalks, with mandatory permits in the Entertainment Zone and width-based space limits elsewhere.
It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a sidewalk cafe in the Entertainment Zone except as permitted in this Chapter. It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a sidewalk cafe as described in this ordinance without a permit issued by the Director, or to fail to comply with all sections of the sidewalk cafe ordinance.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Recodification).
Full Breakdown
A sidewalk cafe extending a restaurant onto the public sidewalk needs a permit from the Director of the Planning & Development Department, issued for $25 covering one inspection (each additional inspection is $25). Permits are unlawful to operate without in the Central Business District's Entertainment Zone (Savannah River to Greene Street, Fifth to Thirteenth Streets) and required countywide. Sidewalks under 10 feet wide allow no cafe encroachment; 10-19 foot sidewalks permit up to 5 feet of tables and chairs; sidewalks 20 feet or wider permit up to 10 feet, always preserving at least 36 inches of clear passage around obstacles. Permittees must carry $1,000,000 in commercial general liability insurance naming Augusta, Georgia as an additional insured.
Violations & Fines
Operating a sidewalk cafe without a permit, or in the Entertainment Zone without one, is unlawful; the Director can suspend, modify, or revoke a permit for noncompliance, construction, emergencies, or public safety.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do all Augusta restaurants need a sidewalk cafe permit?
How wide must a sidewalk be for a cafe?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Augusta-Richmond County
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