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Lancaster County

Lancaster County Development Services – Zoning

In short

Lancaster County Development Services – Zoning issues 5 permits we publish for Lancaster County, last verified 2026-10-27. Each carries the fee as the agency publishes it, with a link to the schedule it was read from.

What this agency issues

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Commercial Zoning Permit (including upfits)only if it applies to youLancaster County Development Services – Zoning$100 per instance (FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule)per instance; a permit term is not published in the FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule2026-10-27
Home Occupation Permitonly if it applies to youLancaster County Development Services – Zoning$75 per instance, renewed annually (FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule)annual (the fee schedule lists the permit as "renewed annually")2026-10-27
Food Truck Zoning Permit (unincorporated Lancaster County)only if it applies to youLancaster County Development Services – Zoning$150 per instance (FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule)per instance2026-10-27
Temporary Use Permitonly if it applies to youLancaster County Development Services – Zoning$100 per instance (FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule)per instance2026-10-27
Sign Permit (permanent or temporary)only if it applies to youLancaster County Development Services – ZoningPermanent sign permit $100.00 per application; temporary sign permit $50.00 per application (FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule).per application2026-10-27

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

About each permit

Commercial Zoning Permit (including upfits)

The Zoning Office issues a Commercial Zoning Permit for commercial projects in the unincorporated county, including the upfit of an existing space for a new business. The fee is $100.00 per instance for "Commercial Zoning (including upfits) Permit", as published in the Lancaster County FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule (the adopted schedule for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, linked on the county's Fee Schedule Documents page as the "Fiscal Year 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule"); the schedule notes that the fee also covers multi-family residential. The county Development Services Fees page lists the same $100.00 "Commercial Zoning Permit". The same schedule lists related zoning fees: a Zoning Verification Letter at $100.00, an appeal from an action of the zoning official at $325.00, a variance at $375.00 for commercial property, a special exception at $400.00, a use permitted on review at $150.00 and a conditional use permit at $500.00. The Zoning Office administers the county's Unified Development Ordinance, adopted November 28, 2016; the county's Proposed UDO page listed the third reading of a new 2026 UDO at County Council on October 26, 2026, so permit names and rules may change when that ordinance takes effect. Contact the Zoning Office at 803-416-9777.

Home Occupation Permit

A business run from a dwelling in the unincorporated county needs a Home Occupation Permit from the Zoning Office, applied for on the county's Home Occupation Permit Application. The fee is $75.00 per instance under the line "Home Occupation Permit-renewed annually", as published in the Lancaster County FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule (the adopted schedule for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, linked on the county's Fee Schedule Documents page as the "Fiscal Year 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule"), so the permit is renewed each year. The county Development Services Fees page lists the same $75.00 amount. The limits on floor area, employees, hours and permitted occupations are set by the county's Unified Development Ordinance, adopted November 28, 2016; the county's Proposed UDO page listed the third reading of a new 2026 UDO at County Council on October 26, 2026, so check the current rules with the Zoning Office (803-416-9777) before applying. A home-based salon, contractor, retail or child care business also holds the state licenses that apply to its trade.

Food Truck Zoning Permit (unincorporated Lancaster County)

Food trucks operating in the unincorporated county are subject to a zoning permit from the Zoning Office. The fee is $150.00 per instance for "Food Truck", listed among the Planning and Zoning miscellaneous fees in the Lancaster County FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule (the adopted schedule for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, linked on the county's Fee Schedule Documents page as the "Fiscal Year 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule"). Location, separation and operating-hour rules for food trucks are set by the county's Unified Development Ordinance, adopted November 28, 2016; the county's Proposed UDO page listed the third reading of a new 2026 UDO at County Council on October 26, 2026, so confirm the current rules and who files the application with the Zoning Office (803-416-9777). A food truck selling prepared food in the unincorporated county also registers for the county's 2% Local Hospitality Tax. A truck operating inside the City of Lancaster or one of the towns follows that municipality's rules instead.

Temporary Use Permit

The county's Unified Development Ordinance, adopted November 28, 2016, requires a Temporary Use Permit for each permitted temporary use in the unincorporated county. The fee is $100.00 per instance, as published in the Lancaster County FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule (the adopted schedule for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, linked on the county's Fee Schedule Documents page as the "Fiscal Year 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule"); the county Development Services Fees page lists the same $100.00 amount, and the application form is posted on the county's Zoning Forms page. The county's Proposed UDO page listed the third reading of a new 2026 UDO at County Council on October 26, 2026, so the list of temporary uses and their time limits may change when that ordinance takes effect; contact the Zoning Office (803-416-9777) for the current rules.

Sign Permit (permanent or temporary)

A business sign in the unincorporated county needs its own permit from the Zoning Office; the county's Open for Business application states that "Signs are issued their own separate permits", apart from the building and zoning permits for the premises. The fee is $100.00 per application for a permanent sign and $50.00 per application for a temporary sign, as published in the Lancaster County FY 2026-2027 Adopted Fee Schedule (the adopted schedule for the fiscal year July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, linked on the county's Fee Schedule Documents page as the "Fiscal Year 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule"); the county Development Services Fees page lists the same two amounts. Sign size and placement rules are set by the county's Unified Development Ordinance, adopted November 28, 2016, which may be replaced by the 2026 UDO that had its third reading scheduled for October 26, 2026.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Lancaster County
Phone
(803) 416-9777

Contact details are taken from the agency’s own site or its published fee schedule. Where we have not verified a phone number we leave it blank rather than guess.

Sources

Every fee and term above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.

  1. Adopted Unified Development OrdinanceLancaster County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  2. FeesLancaster County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  3. Fiscal Year 2027 Adopted Fee Schedule (FY 2026-2027)Lancaster County, South Carolina · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  4. Home Occupation Permit ApplicationLancaster County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  5. Open for Business ApplicationLancaster County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  6. Proposed Unified Development Ordinance (UDO)Lancaster County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  7. ZoningLancaster County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  8. Zoning FormsLancaster County Development Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27

Other offices serving Lancaster County

The full permit list for this jurisdiction

Industry permit lists that include this agency

South Carolina jurisdictions

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.