8 published records
Business licenses and permits in Charleston, South Carolina
Spans Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties, but county government plays no role in business licensing, building permits, or fire permits here — the City of Charleston issues all of these directly. Food-service permitting is a state function (South Carolina Department of Agriculture) and is recorded at the state layer.
What are you opening in Charleston?
- RestaurantsFull-service restaurants carry the densest permit load of any small business: food, fire, occupancy, waste, and usually alcohol.See the full permit list
- Coffee shopsCafés are permitted as food service establishments even where no cooking happens, and the plan review step catches most operators by surprise.See the full permit list
- Retail storesRetail is the lightest common permit load, but the sales tax permit and the certificate of occupancy are non-negotiable in every jurisdiction.See the full permit list
- Salons and barbersPersonal care is licensed at state board level as well as locally, so the shop license and the practitioner licenses are separate obligations.See the full permit list
- Food trucksMobile food is the one category with no certificate of occupancy — but it gains a commissary agreement, and the unit itself is inspected rather than the premises.See the full permit list
- Fitness studiosPrepaid memberships trigger state registration and often a surety bond, which catches operators who budgeted only for the fit-out.See the full permit list
- Childcare centresThe heaviest permit load of any small business: state agency licensing, per-person background checks, and a stricter fire standard than ordinary commercial use.See the full permit list
- Contractors and tradesLicensed at state board level rather than locally, and the only common category with no premises permits at all — the bond is usually the long pole.See the full permit list
- Auto repair shopsOrdinary commercial permitting plus an environmental layer: waste oil, solvents and stormwater are each registered separately.See the full permit list
- Veterinary clinicsA state facility permit, controlled substances registration at both state and federal level, and a medical waste manifest — none of which a general business license covers.See the full permit list
Permits that apply to every type of business in Charleston
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Commercial Building Permit | City of Charleston Building Inspections Division, Department of Public Service | A $40 non-refundable application fee applies to every permit. Building permit fee by construction cost: $15.00 for the first $1,000 plus $5.00 per additional $1,000 (or fraction), up to $50,000; $260.00 for the first $50,000 plus $4.00 per additional $1,000, up to $100,000; $460.00 for the first $100,000 plus $3.00 per additional $1,000, up to $500,000; $1,660.00 for the first $500,000 plus $2.00 per additional $1,000 above that. Plan review, required for valuations over $1,000, is 50% of the building permit fee. Re-inspection is $100/occurrence; a plan revision review is $100 per trade discipline. Trade sub-permits each carry their own $40 application fee: electrical $0.25/amp, plumbing $3.50/fixture, fuel gas $10 (1–4 outlets) plus $2/additional outlet, mechanical $10 for the first $1,000 plus $2/additional $1,000. | one-time, per project | 2026-09-08 |
Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.
What do these permits involve in Charleston?
Commercial Building Permit
The city's own official worked example: a $185,705 project totals $40 (application) + $718 (permit) + $359 (plan review) = $1,117.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- City of Charleston — Building & Trade Permit Fee Schedule (effective October 1, 2019)City of Charleston, Building Inspections Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-08
Who issues business permits in Charleston?
Permitting in Charleston is split across 4 agencies we hold records for, with tax registration handled at state level. No single office issues everything, which is why an opening usually means filing in several places rather than one.
Charleston issuing agencies
- City of Charleston Revenue Collections DivisionBusiness license4 permits
- Charleston Fire Department, Fire Marshal's OfficeFire plan review and permitting · Mobile food vendor fire permit2 permits
- City of Charleston Building Inspections Division, Department of Public ServiceCommercial building permits1 permit
- City of Charleston Department of Planning, Preservation & SustainabilitySign permits · Zoning review1 permit
Other South Carolina jurisdictions we cover
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.