7 published records
Business licenses and permits in Florence County, South Carolina
Florence County, South Carolina, seat Florence; population 138,049 (U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 estimate). The county's municipalities include the City of Florence, Lake City, Johnsonville, Timmonsville, Pamplico, Coward, Olanta, Quinby and Scranton. The Florence County Planning and Building Department's Jurisdictions page states that "the following municipalities have consoldiated with the Florence County Planning Department" and lists the City of Johnsonville, Town of Olanta, Town of Quinby, Town of Scranton, Town of Timmonsville and Town of Pamplico, together with Florence County, under both Planning and Zoning and Building; for a site in one of those six towns or in the unincorporated county, zoning compliance, building permits and floodplain review go through the county department at 518 S. Irby Street. The Finance Office collects the county Local Hospitality Tax: per the county's Hospitality Tax Form, 2% in the unincorporated area and within the city limits of Quinby, Coward, Scranton, Lake City, Olanta and Johnsonville, and 1% within Timmonsville, while establishments in the City of Florence and the Town of Pamplico remit hospitality tax to their municipality instead. The Engineering Division issues land disturbance permits under County Code Chapter 9.5. The county's Building Permits page lists among the steps for construction work: "Obtain a business license if working in an municipality." A business inside any municipality checks that municipality's own license, zoning and permit requirements, which stack on the state records.
What are you opening in Florence County?
- 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 Florence County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floodplain Development Permit (Florence County Planning and Building)only if it applies to you | Florence County Planning and Building Department | No floodplain development permit fee is published on the county's Flood Plains page or Planning Fees page; contact the Florence County Planning and Building Department (843-676-8600) for any amount due. | per development | 2026-10-27 |
| Certificate of Zoning Compliance (Florence County Planning) | Florence County Planning and Building Department | $25 per certificate, as listed on the county's Planning Fees page | per certificate | 2026-10-27 |
| Building Permit and Plan Review (Florence County Building Inspection)only if it applies to you | Florence County Planning and Building Department | The county's Building Permits page states: "The building permit fee is based on total cost and is paid prior to the issuance of the building permit. The plan review fee is one-half the cost of the permit fee." Contact the Planning and Building Department (843-676-8600) for the amount on a given project. | per project | 2026-10-27 |
| Small Commercial Land Disturbance Permit (under one acre, Florence County Engineering)only if it applies to you | Florence County Engineering Division | $125 per application (Stormwater Design Manual Appendix O, Fee Schedule (2013); same amount on the June 2022 application) | approved plans remain valid for five years from approval; extensions or renewals by updated application (County Code § 9.5-29(l)) | 2026-10-27 |
| Land Disturbance Permit and Stormwater Plan for Sites of One Acre or More (Florence County Engineering)only if it applies to you | Florence County Engineering Division | A nonrefundable application fee set by the fee schedule in the Appendix of the Florence County Stormwater Design Manual, charged per disturbed acre up to a maximum (County Code § 9.5-30(a)(1)); under § 9.5-30(a)(4) the county fee does not include the fee charged separately by the state for NPDES coverage of construction activities of one acre or more. Contact the Florence County Engineering Division (843-676-8600) for the current county and state amounts. | approved plans remain valid for five years from approval; extensions or renewals by updated application (County Code § 9.5-29(l)) | 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.
What do these permits involve in Florence County?
Floodplain Development Permit (Florence County Planning and Building)
The county's Flood Plains page states that the county's zoning ordinance identifies portions of the county as within the 100-year floodplain, and that the zoning ordinance and building codes have special provisions regulating construction and other development there. It states: "Any development in the floodplain or wetlands area without a permit is illegal", and "All development in the regulatory floodplain requires an Elevation Certificate before, during, and after construction." Before building, filling or otherwise developing in a flood plain, the page directs owners to contact the Zoning Department at (843) 676-8600 (toll free 866-258-9232) to discuss county regulations; a Certified Floodplain Manager in the Planning and Building Department assists with maps and flood protection information. The page adds that a Building Department permit is required to repair flood-damaged buildings, and that buildings whose repair cost is 50 percent or more of the building's value must be brought into full compliance with current floodplain regulations. This applies to a business whose new or expanded premises lie in a mapped flood hazard area. No fee for the permit is published on the Flood Plains page or the Planning Fees page.
Certificate of Zoning Compliance (Florence County Planning)
The county's Planning Fees page, under "Products and Materials Schedule of Fees", lists "Certificate of Zoning Compliance $25.00"; the page is the county's live fee page and does not cite the order that set the amount. The county's Building Permits page lists "Obtain zoning compliance." as the first step for construction work in Florence County. The county department handles zoning for the unincorporated county and the six towns its Jurisdictions page lists. Contact: Florence County Planning Department, 518 S. Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501, (843) 676-8600.
Building Permit and Plan Review (Florence County Building Inspection)
The county's Building Permits page sets out what is required to do construction work in Florence County: "Obtain zoning compliance.", "Obtain a business license if working in an municipality.", submit a receipt showing that water and sewer taps are paid, provide proof of proper South Carolina license if required, submit a sub-contractors list, submit the building permit application, and "Submit three complete sets of plans with plan review fee." On fees the page states: "The building permit fee is based on total cost and is paid prior to the issuance of the building permit. The plan review fee is one-half the cost of the permit fee." The page asks applicants to allow 14 days for commercial projects and 2 days for residential projects for initial plan review, and lists required building, electrical, plumbing, mechanical and gas inspections, which the contractor is responsible for requesting. It cautions property owners not to obtain the permit themselves when a contractor asks them to, and to call South Carolina Labor Licensing and Regulation at (803) 896-4300 with any doubt about a contractor's qualifications. The department's Jurisdictions page lists the City of Johnsonville and the Towns of Olanta, Quinby, Scranton, Timmonsville and Pamplico as consolidated with the county for Building, so the same department issues permits there. Contact: Florence County Planning and Building Department, 518 S. Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501, (843) 676-8600.
Small Commercial Land Disturbance Permit (under one acre, Florence County Engineering)
County Code § 9.5-28, in the county-hosted copy of Chapter 9.5 linked from the Engineering page, requires all land disturbing activities, unless exempt, to obtain permit coverage by submitting a Stormwater Management and Sediment Control Plan to the County Engineering Division. Under § 9.5-29(b)(2), for activities disturbing less than one acre that are not part of a greater common plan, a designer's seal is not required, but a completed plan meeting the Florence County Stormwater Design Manual must be submitted, and the Division transmits approval or comments within 20 working days. Section 9.5-30 provides that the Division's fee schedule is located in the Appendix of the Stormwater Design Manual, subject to County Council approval. The manual (adopted by Resolution No. 02-2013/14, dated July 18, 2013 and updated February 18, 2022) lists the Small Commercial fee at $125.00 in its Appendix O Fee Schedule (2013), and the county's Small Commercial Land Disturbance Permit Application (June 2022) states "$125.00 Application Fee Required. Please make checks payable to Florence County". The application calls for a plat, a narrative, a description of the site and adjacent property, and a sketch plan showing site boundaries and stormwater and sediment control measures. Under § 9.5-29(l), approved plans remain valid for five years. Under § 9.5-1(f) the chapter applies to all lands within the county's jurisdiction, including incorporated areas whose municipality has an intergovernmental agreement with the county for stormwater services. Contact: Florence County Engineering Division, 518 S. Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501, (843) 676-8600.
Land Disturbance Permit and Stormwater Plan for Sites of One Acre or More (Florence County Engineering)
County Code § 9.5-28, in the county-hosted copy of Chapter 9.5 linked from the Engineering page, requires all land disturbing activities, unless exempt, to obtain permit coverage by submitting a Stormwater Management and Sediment Control Plan prepared under § 9.5-51 and the Florence County Stormwater Design Manual. Under § 9.5-29(b)(1), for activities that will ultimately disturb more than one acre, the plan must be prepared by a designer specified in § 9.5-29(i) and (j) (a registered professional engineer, registered landscape architect or Tier B land surveyor, or a federal employee), and the Engineering Division transmits approval or review comments within 20 working days. Under § 9.5-30, the application is accompanied by nonrefundable fees from the fee schedule in the Appendix of the Stormwater Design Manual, subject to County Council approval: an application fee of a set amount per disturbed acre up to a maximum, and separate fees for waivers or variances, extensions or renewals and major changes. Section 9.5-30(a)(4) states that these fees do not include any fee charged separately by the state to issue the NPDES permit for construction activities one acre or larger, so state coverage is a separate step. Approved plans remain valid for five years (§ 9.5-29(l)), and the applicant must notify the Engineering Division before starting work under an approved plan (§ 9.5-29(m)). Contact: Florence County Engineering Division, 518 S. Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501, (843) 676-8600.
Sources
Every figure in the table above was read from one of these government pages on the date shown.
- Florence County SC - Flood PlainsFlorence County Planning and Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Florence County SC - FeesFlorence County Planning and Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Florence County SC - Inspections (Building Permits)Florence County Planning and Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Florence County SC - JurisdictionsFlorence County Planning and Building Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Florence County Stormwater Design Manual (July 18, 2013, updated February 18, 2022)Florence County Council · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Florence County Small Commercial Land Disturbance Permit Application (June 2022)Florence County Engineering Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Chapter 9.5 - Stormwater Management and Sedimentation ControlFlorence County Council · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
- Florence County SC - EngineeringFlorence County Engineering Division · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
Who issues business permits in Florence County?
Permitting in Florence County 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.
Florence County issuing agencies
- Florence County Planning and Building DepartmentCertificates of Zoning Compliance, building permits, plan review and inspections, and floodplain development review for the unincorporated county and the six towns its Jurisdictions page lists (Johnsonville, Olanta, Quinby, Scranton, Timmonsville and Pamplico)3 permits
- Florence County Engineering DivisionStormwater management and sediment control permits for land disturbing activities (County Code Chapter 9.5)2 permits
- Florence County Finance OfficeLocal Hospitality Tax registration, monthly reporting and remittance for establishments selling prepared food and beverages in the county's taxed areas1 permit
- South Carolina Department of Revenue — Alcohol Beverage LicensingState alcohol licenses and permits, including the Local Option Permit and the 7-day beer and wine permits in counties that have approved Sunday sales1 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.