Greenville County Business Registration (Department of General Services)

County Business Registration (unincorporated Greenville County)

Ordinance No. 4277 establishes a County Business Registration Program for "regulated businesses located in the unincorporated area of the County of Greenville". Under §3 a business is covered if it is located in the unincorporated area and holds a license, permit or registration from any South Carolina department or agency, and §4 states: "Any person doing business in the unincorporated area of the County of Greenville must register annually with the County." The county's Business Registration Program page states "Business Registration Applications Due Before December 31, each year" and "There is NO FEE", and the application form states: "New Businesses Must Register with the County Prior to Beginning Operation." Each location is registered separately, and the page says employees of a registered business do not register on their own; a U.S. Pack Mail Center address is accepted "for mailing purposes only", since the site address must be a physical location outside city limits in Greenville County. The page's FAQ answers "No" to a business located in a municipality that conducts business in the unincorporated area, and answers "If you meet the definition from above, yes" for a temporary business. Applicants sign an Illegal Immigration Reform Act affidavit (§4), must be current with county taxes and fees (§5), and registrations are not transferable: a new owner has 45 days to register and an address change must be reported in writing within 45 days (§6). A registration can be denied or revoked on the grounds in §8, including failure to show that the business use complies with the county's zoning ordinance; an appeal to the County Administrator within 10 days carries a $25.00 fee, refunded if the appeal succeeds (§9). A violation is a misdemeanour punishable by a fine not to exceed $200.00 for a first offense, each day a separate offense, and the county may act to stop the business operating until it registers (Penalties section). S.C. Code §12-37-135 states that such a registration, "if adopted, is in lieu of any business license which is authorized pursuant to Section 4-9-30(12)." A business inside Fountain Inn, Greenville, Greer, Mauldin, Simpsonville or Travelers Rest checks with that city for its license requirements, as the county Auditor's page states.