9 permits · verified 2026-10-27
What permits do you need to open a retail store in Beaufort County Sc?
In short
A retail store in Beaufort County Sc, SC has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings charges $110 one-time filing for the articles of organization (llc). 6 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-27 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a retail store in Beaufort County Sc
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County Local Hospitality Tax (2%) — Account and Monthly Return (unincorporated area)only if it applies to you | Beaufort County Business Services | 2% of the gross proceeds derived from the sale of prepared meals and beverages sold in establishments located in unincorporated Beaufort County (Code §66-533(a), Ord. 2024/15); the tax also applies to all food and beverages prepared or modified by convenience stores or grocery stores in the unincorporated area (§66-532(a)). Remitted monthly by the 20th day following the end of the filing period (§66-533(d)). Late penalty: 1.5% of the unpaid amount for each month or portion thereof that the taxes remain unpaid (§66-537(b)). | ongoing; monthly returns and payment due on or before the 20th day following the end of each filing period (Code §66-533(d)) | 2026-10-27 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Beaufort County Sc
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beaufort County Business License (unincorporated Beaufort County) | Beaufort County Business Services | Varies — formula on the Beaufort County Sc page | 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 | Varies — formula on the Beaufort County Sc page | 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 | Varies — formula on the Beaufort County Sc page | 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 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
SC registrations that apply to every type of business
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corporate Annual Report and License Feeonly if it applies to you | South Carolina Department of Revenue | Varies — formula on the SC page | annual — due on the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the tax year ends | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to you | South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings | $110 one-time filing | perpetual — an LLC files no annual report in South Carolina | 2026-09-03 |
| Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to you | South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings | $135 at filing — $110 to the Secretary of State plus the $25 initial license fee | perpetual, but an annual report and license fee are due every year | 2026-09-03 |
| Retail License | South Carolina Department of Revenue | $50 for each permanent location, and it is not refundable | no expiry while the same person trades at the same location | 2026-09-03 |
| Local Business License | South Carolina Department of Revenue | Varies — formula on the SC page | 1 May to 30 April, the same in every South Carolina jurisdiction | 2026-09-03 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
How much does it actually cost to permit a retail store in Beaufort County Sc?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a retail store in Beaufort County Sc, SC, 4 apply to every business of this type and 5 are conditional. Adding every fee on the page together would overstate what most operators pay, because it would include permits they never need.
Of the 4 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 6 of the 9 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 0 have no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:
Beaufort County Local Hospitality Tax (2%) — Account and Monthly Return (unincorporated area): 2% of the gross proceeds derived from the sale of prepared meals and beverages sold in establishments located in unincorporated Beaufort County (Code §66-533(a), Ord. 2024/15); the tax also applies to all food and beverages prepared or modified by convenience stores or grocery stores in the unincorporated area (§66-532(a)). Remitted monthly by the 20th day following the end of the filing period (§66-533(d)). Late penalty: 1.5% of the unpaid amount for each month or portion thereof that the taxes remain unpaid (§66-537(b)).
The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Beaufort County Sc permits page and the SC state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Beaufort County Sc?
Permits for a retail store in Beaufort County Sc, SC come from 5 separate offices: Beaufort County Business Services, Beaufort County Community Development - Zoning, Beaufort County Building Inspections, South Carolina Department of Revenue, South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Beaufort County Business ServicesIssues 2 permits on this page: Beaufort County Local Hospitality Tax (2%) — Account and Monthly Return (unincorporated area), Beaufort County Business License (unincorporated Beaufort County)100 Ribaut Road, Administration Building, Second floor, Room 225, Beaufort, SC 29902 (mail: PO Drawer 1228, Beaufort, SC 29901) · (843) 255-2270www.beaufortcountysc.gov/business-services
- Beaufort County Community Development - ZoningIssues 1 permit on this page: Zoning Permit and Zoning Review for Business License (unincorporated Beaufort County)County Building, 1st floor, Room 105, 100 Ribaut Road, Beaufort, SC 29902 · (843) 255-2170www.beaufortcountysc.gov/zoning
- Beaufort County Building InspectionsIssues 1 permit on this page: Building Permit and Plan Review (Beaufort County Building Inspections)100 Ribaut Road, County Building, 2nd floor, Room 225, Beaufort, SC 29902 · (843) 255-2065www.beaufortcountysc.gov/building-codes
- South Carolina Department of RevenueIssues 3 permits on this page: Corporate Annual Report and License Fee, Retail License, Local Business LicensePO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214 · (803) 898-3153dor.sc.gov/businesses
- South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business FilingsIssues 2 permits on this page: Articles of Organization (LLC), Articles of Incorporation1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201 · (803) 734-2158sos.sc.gov/online-filings/business-entities
What does a retail store need in Beaufort County Sc that other businesses do not?
Beaufort County Local Hospitality Tax (2%) — Account and Monthly Return (unincorporated area)
Code §66-533(a), as restated by Ordinance 2024/15 (adopted April 8, 2024), states: "A hospitality tax equal to two percent is hereby imposed on the gross proceeds derived from the sale of prepared meals and beverages sold in establishments located in unincorporated areas of Beaufort County." Under §66-532(a) "the tax shall be imposed for all food and beverages prepared or modified by convenience stores or grocery stores within the unincorporated areas of Beaufort County", so a retail store is covered only when it sells prepared food or beverages. Payment is the consumer's liability, collected at the time of purchase (§66-533(b)), and the business remits monthly, on or before the twentieth day following the end of the filing period (§66-533(d)). Under §66-537(b), a business that does not remit on time "shall also pay a penalty equal to one and one-half percent of the unpaid amount for each month or portion thereof that such taxes remain unpaid", and under §66-537(d) the director of business license may establish payment plans and "reduce or waive penalties". The county's Business Services page describes the tax as paid by patrons of "restaurants, lounges, grocery stores, convenience stores and any other establishments that sell prepared food and beverages, including alcoholic beverages", at "2% of the total gross sales price received for prepared food, meals and beverages sold", and provides a Hospitality Tax Payment Form; payments go to the Beaufort County Business License Department, PO Drawer 1228, Beaufort, SC 29901. The county's Food Truck Operating Agreement requires food trucks "to collect and remit Hospitality Taxes in the same manner as other food service enterprises." The tax applies only in the unincorporated area.
The other 3 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Beaufort County Sc, SC; what each one involves is set out on the Beaufort County Sc permits page. The 5 state-level registrations apply to every type of business across SC and are covered on the SC state page.
How does a retail store compare with other businesses in Beaufort County Sc?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 1 of these permits. A coffee shop needs Retail Food Establishment Permit and Certified Food Protection Manager, which a retail store does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a retail store | Only a retail store needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Restaurants | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Food trucks | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Sources
Every figure for the permits explained on this page was read from one of these government pages on the date shown. Sources for the permits that apply to every type of business are listed on the Beaufort County Sc permits page and the SC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Ordinance 2024/15 - An Ordinance Amending Chapter 66 Taxation, Article V Local Hospitality TaxBeaufort County Council · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Business ServicesBeaufort County, South Carolina · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Food Truck Operating AgreementBeaufort County Business Services · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.