What do these permits involve in Beaufort County?

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Beaufort County Business License (unincorporated Beaufort County)

The county's Business Services page states that "The County Council of Beaufort requires all businesses operating within the unincorporated areas of the County, including home based businesses to obtain a business License" and that "Any business physically located within the unincorporated boundaries must have a business license, regardless of revenue." The rates and classes are from Ordinance 2025/49 (full text in the Beaufort County Council agenda packet for December 8, 2025; third reading approved 7:2 per the approved minutes of that meeting), which amended Code ch. 18, art. III and is "effective with respect to the business license year beginning on May 1, 2026". Its Appendix A sets a base rate on the first $2,000 of gross income plus a rate per $1,000 or fraction above it: Class 1 $35.00 + $0.37, Class 2 $40.00 + $0.47, Class 3 $45.00 + $0.57, Class 4 $50.00 + $0.67, Class 5 $55.00 + $0.77, Class 6 $60.00 + $0.87, Class 7 $65.00 + $0.97 and subclass 8.1 contractors $40.00 + $0.47; the same rates appear in the Rate Schedule on the Business Services page, which adds that "Nonresident (not located within the unincorporated boundaries) rates apply and doubled." The ordinance doubles all taxes and rates for nonresidents and itinerants with no fixed principal place of business in the county. Appendix B, the 2025 class schedule adopted by Ord. 2025/49, lists NAICS sectors by class, among them 44-45 Retail trade (Class 1), 722 Food services and drinking places (Class 2), 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation (Class 3), 62 Health care and social assistance (Class 3), 81 Other services (Class 3), 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services (Class 4) and 23 Construction (subclass 8.1). Under §21.C "The license official shall have the authority to make the determination of the classification most specifically applicable to a subject business", so the license official assigns each business its class. The license runs May 1 to April 30 (§3) and the tax is due on or before April 30 (§4.A); a new business pays on "the estimated probable gross income for the balance of the license year", and a separate license is needed for each place of business and each classification (§4.B). A new business must have a license before operating (§5.A). The late penalty is 5% of the unpaid tax per month or portion thereof, and "Penalties shall not be waived" (§12.A). For contractors, the 8.1 text states that "No contractor shall be issued a business license until all state and municipal qualification examination and trade license requirements have been met", requires performance and indemnity bonds, zoning permits when the Zoning Ordinance requires them, a job sign and a list of subcontractors, and allows per-job licenses. The county's Non-Resident Contractors sheet states that all contractors doing business in unincorporated Beaufort County, wherever they are based, "are required to have a business license", and it makes a current business license a prerequisite for building permits. The New Business Package says to "Submit completed packet only AFTER obtaining Zoning Approval and HazMat Approval", with a Clearance Form signed by Zoning, HazMat, the Fire Marshal and Building Inspections.

Zoning Permit and Zoning Review for Business License (unincorporated Beaufort County)

The county's Zoning Permit Procedures state: "A Zoning Permit is required before issuance of a Building Permit or a Business License", and that approval "shall automatically expire if the development activity it authorizes is not commenced within twelve months after the date of approval". The fees are from the Beaufort County Planning & Zoning Department Fee Schedule (Revised January 9, 2023), linked as the Fee Schedule on the county's Zoning page: Zoning Review for Business License $25.00; Home Business/Daycare Letter $25.00; Signs $50.00 per sign; Temporary Use Permit $100.00; All Other Zoning Permits $50.00; and Site Plan Review (with building being primary use) $500.00 plus $0.06 per gross square foot of building. The Clearance Form in the county's New Business Package is required "for all businesses physically located within the unincorporated" area, must be completed for each business activity, and states that "A $25.00 Zoning fee is required when returning each Clearance Form (with any other applicable payments)" and that "All approvals must be obtained and requirements met before a business license will be issued." The form is signed by Zoning (843-255-2170, wzoning@bcgov.net), HazMat, the Fire Marshal and Building Inspections, and is completed again for a new business, a change in physical location, a change in or addition of business activity, or a change of use. A home-based business or a home daycare uses the $25.00 Home Business/Daycare Letter listed in the schedule.

Building Permit and Plan Review (Beaufort County Building Inspections)

The Building Inspections page lists among the department's duties to "Enforce the building codes, fire code, national electrical code, floodplain regulations and dilapidated abandoned structures" and to "Issue building permits for new construction, substantial improvements and additions", and lists the codes enforced, including the 2021 South Carolina Building Code, 2021 South Carolina Fire Code and 2021 South Carolina Plumbing Code. The county's 2026 Building Permit Application asks for the contractor's state license number, license class and Beaufort County Business License. For a business, the Clearance Form in the county's New Business Package states: "If in a new commercial structure, a copy of the CO or Building Codes Department Approval is needed to continue the business license application process. Please be advised this applies to Change of Use and Upfits". A restaurant, shop, studio, clinic or other premises-based business that builds, upfits or changes the use of a space in the unincorporated county therefore goes through Building Inspections before its business license is issued, and a contractor pulls these permits for the work it does. Contact Building Inspections at (843) 255-2065 or inspections@bcgov.net for the fee that applies to a given project.

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Beaufort County Business License (unincorporated Beaufort County)	Beaufort County Business Services	County business license tax (county only), Appendix A of Code ch. 18, art. III as restated in Ord. 2025/49: a base rate on gross income of $0-$2,000, plus a rate per $1,000 or fraction thereof over $2,000, by rate class: Class 1 $35.00 + $0.37; Class 2 $40.00 + $0.47; Class 3 $45.00 + $0.57; Class 4 $50.00 + $0.67; Class 5 $55.00 + $0.77; Class 6 $60.00 + $0.87; Class 7 $65.00 + $0.97; subclass 8.1 (NAICS 230000, Contractors, Construction, All Types) $40.00 + $0.47. "Unless otherwise specifically provided, all taxes and rates shall be doubled for nonresidents and itinerants having no fixed principal place of business within the County" (8.1: "Non-resident rates apply"). 2025 class schedule (Appendix B) by NAICS sector: 44-45 Retail trade, Class 1; 722 Food services and drinking places, Class 2; 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation, Class 3; 62 Health care and social assistance, Class 3; 81 Other services, Class 3; 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services, Class 4; 23 Construction, subclass 8.1. Late penalty: 5% of the unpaid tax for each month or portion thereof after the due date until paid; "Penalties shall not be waived" (§12.A).	license year May 1 to April 30, due on or before April 30; a license for a construction contract may, at the licensee's request, expire at the completion of the project (Ord. 2025/49 §3, §4.A)	2026-10-27
Zoning Permit and Zoning Review for Business License (unincorporated Beaufort County)	Beaufort County Community Development - Zoning	Planning & Zoning Department Fee Schedule (Revised January 9, 2023): Zoning Review for Business License $25.00; Home Business/Daycare Letter $25.00; Signs $50.00 per sign; Temporary Use Permit $100.00; All Other Zoning Permits $50.00; Site Plan Review (with building being primary use) $500.00 + $0.06 per gross square foot of building. The New Business Package states: "A $25.00 Zoning fee is required when returning each Clearance Form".	approval expires if the development activity it authorizes is not commenced within twelve months after approval (Zoning Permit Procedures, §E); a new Clearance Form and zoning review for each business activity and each change of location or use	2026-10-27
Building Permit and Plan Review (Beaufort County Building Inspections)only if it applies to you	Beaufort County Building Inspections	Contact Beaufort County Building Inspections at (843) 255-2065 for the permit and plan review fees that apply to a specific project.	per project; the Building Inspections page states that permits expire and are renewed in accordance with the administrative chapters of the adopted codes	2026-10-27

Business licenses and permits in Beaufort County, South Carolina

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