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Spartanburg County

Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department

In short

Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department issues 4 permits we publish for Spartanburg County, last verified 2026-10-19. 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
Development Permit and Site Plan Review (ULMO) / Zoning Permit (PZO Southwest Planning Area) — Non-Residentialonly if it applies to youSpartanburg County Planning and Development DepartmentBy building square footage (Exhibit D, effective July 1, 2026). ULMO Minor Land Site Plan, or PZO zoning permit review for All Non-Residential Uses (Except as Listed Below): <12,000 sf $105.00; 12,001-50,000 sf $263.00; 50,001-200,000 sf $525.00; >200,000 sf $788.00 (the same tiers apply to a ULMO Minor Land Site Plan – Conditional Use). ULMO Major Land Development Site Plan (also Conditional Use), or PZO Non-Residential Conditional Uses, Special Exceptions, Extensive Uses and Administrative Modifications: 50,000 sf & less $315.00; >50,000 sf $788.00. ULMO Major Land Development – Final $158.00. Compliance Review – Existing Site: "Same fee as for new project". Uses whose primary function is outdoors are charged by the square footage of land used for the primary use.PZO zoning permit: effective two years from approval, with five one-year extensions (PZO §9.1.10)2026-10-19
Business Sign Permit (unincorporated Spartanburg County)only if it applies to youSpartanburg County Planning and Development DepartmentSign Permit Review (Countywide), Exhibit D effective July 1, 2026: Business (excludes residential development signs) $53.00; Temporary, if applicable $105.00.per sign permit2026-10-19
Mobile Food Service Annual Zoning Permit (PZO Southwest Planning Area)only if it applies to youSpartanburg County Planning and Development DepartmentNo fee for this permit is published in the Planning and Development fee schedule (Exhibit D, effective July 1, 2026); contact Planning and Development (864-596-3570) for any amount due at application.annual2026-10-19
Temporary Use Permit (seasonal and intermittent stands)only if it applies to youSpartanburg County Planning and Development Department$63 per temporary use permit (Exhibit D, effective July 1, 2026)PZO: seasonal uses up to 120 days, intermittent uses up to 45 days; ULMO: seasonal uses up to 90 days2026-10-19

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

Development Permit and Site Plan Review (ULMO) / Zoning Permit (PZO Southwest Planning Area) — Non-Residential

In the ULMO area (the unincorporated county outside the Southwest Planning Area), ULMO §1.13 provides that no building, other structure or land shall be used, or converted wholly or in part to any other use, until the Planning Department issues a Development permit certifying compliance, with an exception for continued identical uses in existence on the ordinance's effective date. In the Southwest Planning Area, PZO §9.1.10 states: "No building, structure, or tract of land within the zoned area of the County shall be used, constructed, or developed until the issuance of a valid zoning permit." That permit is effective for two years from approval, with five one-year extensions, and under §9.1.20 the building or activity may not be used or occupied until the Zoning Administrator indicates compliance; §9.1.30 says the fee is established by County Council. So a business opening premises, or converting land or a building to another use, applies to Planning and Development first. The Planning FAQ adds: "Zoning Verification Letters do not grant any type of approval of existing use or change of activity. Planning and Development Department permitting is required." The amounts are from the Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department fee schedule ("Exhibit D", effective July 1, 2026), the department's current published schedule; the council action adopting it is not posted online: for a ULMO Minor Land Site Plan or a PZO non-residential zoning permit, $105.00 under 12,000 sf, $263.00 for 12,001-50,000 sf, $525.00 for 50,001-200,000 sf and $788.00 over 200,000 sf; for a ULMO Major Land Development Site Plan or a PZO conditional use, special exception, extensive use or administrative modification, $315.00 at 50,000 sf and less and $788.00 above; $158.00 for a ULMO Major Land Development – Final; and the same fee as a new project for a Compliance Review of an existing site. The schedule took effect July 1, 2026 for the fiscal year running to June 30, 2027.

Business Sign Permit (unincorporated Spartanburg County)

The sign rules sit in Article 7 of the Performance Zoning Ordinance, and §7.1.00 states: "This Article shall apply to all the unincorporated portions of Spartanburg County." The county's Zoning page likewise says the PZO sign regulations apply to the entire unincorporated area, so a business sign needs a permit in both the ULMO area and the Southwest Planning Area. The §7.2.10 quick reference chart marks Business Signs with "$ = Permit Required". The fees are from the Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department fee schedule ("Exhibit D", effective July 1, 2026), the department's current published schedule; the council action adopting it is not posted online, under "Sign Permit Review (Countywide)": $53.00 for a business sign (excluding residential development signs) and $105.00 for a temporary sign, if applicable. The schedule took effect July 1, 2026 for the fiscal year running to June 30, 2027.

Mobile Food Service Annual Zoning Permit (PZO Southwest Planning Area)

This applies in the Southwest Planning Area, where the Performance Zoning Ordinance governs. PZO §4.8.00(h) states: "Mobile Food Service vendors are required to obtain an annual zoning permit prior to operation on private property and must have a DHEC approval in order to request such a permit." The applicant submits a sketch plan showing where the unit will sit and written consent from the property owner, and may operate only during the property's normal business hours. A unit may not remain overnight unless part of a multi-day event of no more than three days, must not block entrances, exits, travel or fire lanes or required parking, and must be at least 500 feet from the front door of any restaurant and outdoor dining area and at least 100 feet from any other permitted mobile food vending location. It may not use a public road right-of-way to serve customers, except at a temporary street closing for a county-sponsored or neighborhood event, and may not be the primary or principal use of a lot. A specific fee for this permit is not published in the Planning and Development fee schedule (Exhibit D, effective July 1, 2026); contact Planning and Development (864-596-3570) for any amount due at application.

Temporary Use Permit (seasonal and intermittent stands)

Both land-use ordinances require a temporary use to submit a sketch plan and, on approval, to be issued a temporary permit. In the Southwest Planning Area, PZO §4.8.00(c) allows seasonal uses such as snow cone and produce stands for up to 120 days, and §4.8.00(d) allows intermittent uses such as firework stands and Christmas tree sales lots for up to 45 days; temporary structures must stay out of the road right-of-way and a site may not be reused for another temporary use for six months (seasonal) or three months (intermittent). In the ULMO area, §3.21(3) allows seasonal uses such as snow cone, firework and produce stands and Christmas tree lots for up to 90 days. The fee is $63.00 for "Temporary Use", as published in the Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department fee schedule ("Exhibit D", effective July 1, 2026), the department's current published schedule; the council action adopting it is not posted online, which took effect July 1, 2026 for the fiscal year running to June 30, 2027.

Contact

Jurisdiction
Spartanburg County
Phone
(864) 596-3570

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. Fee ScheduleSpartanburg County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  2. Frequently Asked QuestionsSpartanburg County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  3. Performance Zoning Ordinance (Ord. O-19-29, amended through June 15, 2026)Spartanburg County Council · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  4. Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department Fee Schedule – Effective July 1, 2026 (Exhibit D)Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  5. Unified Land Management Ordinance (Ord. No. O-99-015, as amended)Spartanburg County Council · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  6. Zoning (ULMO and PZO)Spartanburg County Planning and Development Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19

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