The straight path to getting licensed to do business in South Carolina

You walk into city hall to ask for a “state business license” and the clerk tells you there isn’t one. That’s correct. In South Carolina you usually pair a state tax registration with a local business license where you operate, then layer on any industry permits your work triggers. Do it in that order and the pieces click into place without backtracking.

Do I need a state business license or a city one?

There is no general statewide business license. Most businesses start with state tax registration, then get the local license in the city or county where they do business. If you will sell tangible goods or certain taxable services, you need a South Carolina Retail License from the Department of Revenue before you make your first taxable sale. The fee for a standard Retail License is $50, one per permanent location, and the license does not expire as long as ownership and location stay the same.

If you are an artist or craft vendor who only sells at craft shows and festivals more than four times in a fiscal year, the state offers an Artist & Craftsman License for $20. If you sell anywhere else (including online) you need the standard Retail License instead. If you plan to sell admissions, there is an Admissions Tax license with no fee.

State tax walk-in help is available at SCDOR Taxpayer Service Centers. Typical hours are Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday from 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., and Wednesday from 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., closed on state holidays. Expect longer waits midday and near monthly sales tax due dates. The SCDOR Registration phone line for new tax accounts is 803-896-1350.

Local licensing is separate and tied to where you operate. Under the South Carolina Business License Tax Standardization Act (Act 176 of 2020), any city or county that levies a business license tax must use the same license year and a standard class schedule. The standard license year runs May 1 to April 30, and renewals are due by April 30. Penalties start accruing on May 1 if you miss the deadline.

What does it really cost in Charleston, Columbia, or Greenville?

Local business licenses are based on gross income and the standardized class schedule, but each jurisdiction sets its own base and rates. A few current, practical examples so you can budget and plan a visit:

City of Charleston’s Revenue Collections office at 2 George Street, Suite 1700, is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday for walk-ins. Charleston charges a published base business license fee of $64 plus $3.90 per $1,000 of expected gross income for many classifications. If your space needs zoning review, Charleston also collects a $345 zoning and application review fee at submission for many use approvals.

City of Columbia’s Business License office at 1339 Main Street (1st Floor) is open 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday. If you pay online through the city’s portal, plan for a convenience fee of 2.9% when using a credit card or $1.25 for ACH. Columbia’s renewal drop box is on the Washington Street side of the 1136 Washington entrance if you need an after-hours option.

City of Greenville handles licensing at the Business License & Revenue Center, 204 Halton Road (2nd Floor), with public service hours typically 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m., weekdays. Online and in-person card payments carry a 2.65% processing fee assessed by the processor. Greenville’s license year follows the statewide standard (May 1 to April 30); most renewals can be done online if the total due is under common portal limits.

Counties can license too. If you operate in the unincorporated areas of Horry County, the Business License office at 1301 Second Avenue, Conway, is open 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday–Friday. Horry County’s rate schedule applies a 200% multiplier to minimums and rates for nonresident or itinerant businesses with no fixed place of business in the county, which can be a meaningful cost if you are coming in from another area only for short projects.

Step-by-step: the sequence that avoids rework

1) Choose and form your entity if you need one

If you are forming a limited liability company, file Articles of Organization with the Secretary of State. The statutory filing fee for a South Carolina LLC is $110. Standard LLCs do not file an annual report with the Secretary of State, so there is no recurring state-level LLC report fee. Corporations file differently and must submit a CL‑1 Initial Annual Report and pay a $25 license fee when they form or register to do business in South Carolina; ongoing corporate annual reporting is done with the corporate income tax return.

2) Register for state tax accounts and your Retail License

Set up your business tax account with the Department of Revenue. If you will make taxable retail sales, include the Retail License application and pay the $50 nonrefundable fee. If you have multiple permanent locations, you need one license per location. If you only sell at temporary events and do not maintain a permanent location, the state offers transient options and the Artist & Craftsman License noted earlier for show-only vendors.

Plan your timing. You can apply online at any hour, but if you prefer in-person help, the SCDOR service centers operate 8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m. on most weekdays (Wednesday opens at 9:30 a.m.). Bring a photo ID and any notices you are responding to.

3) If you hire employees, add withholding and unemployment accounts

When you hire, you must withhold state income tax from South Carolina wages and file withholding returns with the Department of Revenue. You must also register with the Department of Employment and Workforce for unemployment insurance. For calendar year 2026, the wage base subject to unemployment insurance is the first $14,000 of each employee’s wages. New employers are assigned a published new-employer rate until the business has enough history to be experience rated.

4) Line up any industry permits

Restaurants, groceries, food trucks, and similar food businesses need a Retail Food Establishment permit from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture before opening. The initial application requires an up-front payment of $100 plus an annual inspection fee based on anticipated food sales, with published tiers that begin at $100 for up to $250,000 in annual food sales and increase in steps for higher sales volumes. The agency’s retail food team is available weekdays 8:30 a.m.–5:00 p.m. by phone if you have questions while preparing your plan review.

If your business will sell beer or wine for off-premises consumption, the state retail beer and wine permit carries a $400 biennial fee. Alcohol licensing is separate from your city business license and may take additional weeks, so build that into your opening timeline.

5) Get your local business license where you operate

Obtain your municipal or county business license in the jurisdiction where your business is located or where you are performing work. Under Act 176, renewals are due April 30 and the license year begins May 1. Many jurisdictions charge monthly penalties beginning May 1 for late renewals, often at 10% per month with a typical cap of 50% of the tax. If you are a mobile or out-of-town contractor working in Horry County’s unincorporated areas, the 200% nonresident multiplier can double your minimums and rates, so budget accordingly.

Local zoning and fire inspections are part of issuance in many cities. Charleston, for example, routes new businesses through zoning review and fire inspection; the fire marshal’s inspection must clear before the license is issued and you are expected to post the certificate of occupancy inside the business entry area once granted.

How fast is approval, and can I operate while I wait?

For state taxes, online registration is the fastest route. Your Retail License is effective once approved, and you do not need to print a special colored form; the state now issues licenses on standard white paper and provides copies electronically. If you change ownership, the previous license cannot transfer and the new owner must apply and pay $50 for a new license in their name.

Local license timing varies. In Columbia, if you email or mail a new business license application, the office advises allowing up to five business days for a licensing technician to contact you for next steps. In Greenville, most renewals are same-day online if you have your license number and PIN, while first-time applicants typically visit the Halton Road office during weekday hours. In Charleston, you can often finish in one visit once zoning and fire are signed off, but if your use needs that $345 zoning and application review, the review itself is what controls the clock. In all of these cases, do not begin operating inside city limits without the local license if one is required there; the fines for operating without a license cost more than waiting a day.

Edge cases that trip up South Carolina owners

Remote sellers and online-only shops sometimes assume they can ignore South Carolina if they never visit. If your gross revenue into the state exceeds $100,000 in the current or prior calendar year, you have economic nexus and must obtain a Retail License and collect South Carolina Sales Tax on taxable sales delivered into the state. Marketplace-only sellers may have the platform collect for them, but if you also sell direct, you need your own account.

County versus city coverage is another point of confusion. Some counties do not levy a business license tax at all, while others do. For example, Greenville County does not require a county business license, but the City of Greenville does. Horry County does license in unincorporated areas and applies that 200% nonresident multiplier. If you do work in multiple places, you may need more than one license, even for the same week’s project.

Plan review fees are often missed in budgets. Charleston’s $345 zoning and application review fee is one example. Food businesses also underestimate the state’s retail food application timing. You must submit the application and fees at least 30 days before your planned opening, then request a pre‑opening inspection once your equipment and processes are in place.

Finally, remember that the SCDOR Retail License does not expire if you continue operating at the same location under the same ownership, but if you do not report sales for 24 consecutive months, state law requires surrender of the license. If you move to a new location, update your address. If you sell the business, the new owner must apply for a new license in their name rather than trying to “transfer” yours.

Key things to know before you file

• There is no statewide “general business license.” Start with state tax registration, then get the local license where you operate.
• The South Carolina Retail License costs $50 and is required before any taxable retail sales. Artists and crafters who only sell at shows can use the $20 Artist & Craftsman License, but online or storefront sales require the standard Retail License.
• Local business license renewals share the same calendar statewide. The license year is May 1–April 30, and renewals are due by April 30. Penalties can begin on May 1.
• Charleston’s license base is $64 plus $3.90 per $1,000 expected income. Columbia’s online payments add 2.9% for cards or $1.25 for ACH. Greenville’s card payments add 2.65%.
• Food businesses apply at least 30 days before opening and pay $100 up front plus an annual retail food inspection fee based on expected food sales.
• If you hire staff, set up state withholding and a DEW account. For 2026, unemployment insurance applies to the first $14,000 in wages per employee.
• Forming an LLC costs $110 to file, and standard LLCs have no ongoing annual report with the Secretary of State. New corporations file a CL‑1 with a $25 license fee at formation and report annually with their tax return.
• Remote seller into South Carolina over $100,000 in gross revenue in the current or previous year must obtain a Retail License and collect tax on taxable sales delivered into the state.

Reader Q&A

Do I need a state license if I’m just a service business with no product sales?

Most service-only businesses that do not sell taxable products or specifically taxed services do not need a state Retail License. You still register with the Department of Revenue if you will have withholding, and you still obtain the local business license in the city or county where you operate. If you later begin selling taxable items, add the $50 Retail License before you make your first sale.

When are local business license renewals due now?

Under the statewide standardization law, every city and county that levies a business license tax uses the same license year and due date. The license year is May 1 to April 30, and your renewal is due by April 30. Penalties can begin on May 1, and some jurisdictions assess 10% per month up to a 50% cap, so file on time.

How fast can I get my Retail License and can I start selling while it’s pending?

If you apply online with complete information and pay the $50 fee, approvals are typically quick. Do not make taxable retail sales until the license is approved. If you prefer in-person help, SCDOR service centers are open most weekdays from 8:30 a.m. (Wednesday opens at 9:30 a.m.) to 4:30 p.m..

I’m opening a small café. What permits besides the city license will I need?

You will register for state taxes and obtain the $50 Retail License, then apply at least 30 days before opening for the Retail Food Establishment permit, which requires an upfront $100 payment plus an annual inspection fee based on expected food sales. Your city will route you through zoning and fire review too. In Charleston, for example, many uses include a $345 zoning and application review fee and a fire marshal inspection before the city issues the license.

To narrow your path, decide first whether you will make taxable sales. If yes, start the state Retail License immediately and book your local license visit around zoning and inspections. If no, still line up your local license early and keep an eye on any industry permits that apply to your work so they do not become your bottleneck.

Published: September 10, 2026 · Reviewed by the South Carolina editorial team