Commercial Compliance Hub
Check requirements

13 permits · verified 2026-10-27

What permits do you need to open a coffee shop in Florence County Sc?

In short

A coffee shop in Florence County Sc, SC has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 8 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. Florence County Planning and Building Department charges $25 per certificate, as listed on the county's Planning Fees page for the certificate of zoning compliance (florence county planning). 7 of the 13 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 coffee shop in Florence County Sc

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Florence County Local Hospitality Tax — Registration and RemittanceFlorence County Finance OfficePer the county's Hospitality Tax Form: 2% of gross proceeds of sales of prepared food and beverages in eating/drinking establishments in the unincorporated area of Florence County and within the city limits of Quinby, Coward, Scranton, Lake City, Olanta and Johnsonville; 1% within the city limits of Timmonsville. Establishments in the City of Florence and the Town of Pamplico remit hospitality tax to their municipality instead of the county. No registration fee is shown on the county's registration form. Late payment: the form states "Failure to pay on time carries a 5% per month penalty."ongoing; remitted monthly when the average tax is more than $50 a month, quarterly at $25 to $50 a month and annually under $25 a month (S.C. Code § 6-1-770); the county form states the tax is due by the 20th of the following month2026-10-27
Retail Food Establishment PermitSouth Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and Compliance$100 to open plus an annual inspection fee of $100 to $450 banded by gross food sales — $100 up to $250,000, rising in $50 steps to $450 above $1.75 millionannual — the inspection fee is invoiced and due thirty days from the billing date2026-09-03
Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to youSouth Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and ComplianceNo feeset by the certifying programme — South Carolina's rules specify none2026-09-03

Fees shown as a range or formula are set that way by the issuing agency — we do not average them into a single number.

Local permits that apply to every type of business in Florence County Sc

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Floodplain Development Permit (Florence County Planning and Building)only if it applies to youFlorence County Planning and Building DepartmentVaries — formula on the Florence County Sc pageper development2026-10-27
Certificate of Zoning Compliance (Florence County Planning)Florence County Planning and Building Department$25 per certificate, as listed on the county's Planning Fees pageper certificate2026-10-27
Building Permit and Plan Review (Florence County Building Inspection)only if it applies to youFlorence County Planning and Building DepartmentVaries — formula on the Florence County Sc pageper project2026-10-27
Small Commercial Land Disturbance Permit (under one acre, Florence County Engineering)only if it applies to youFlorence 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 youFlorence County Engineering DivisionVaries — formula on the Florence County Sc pageapproved 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.

SC registrations that apply to every type of business

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Corporate Annual Report and License Feeonly if it applies to youSouth Carolina Department of RevenueVaries — formula on the SC pageannual — due on the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the tax year ends2026-09-03
Articles of Organization (LLC)only if it applies to youSouth Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings$110 one-time filingperpetual — an LLC files no annual report in South Carolina2026-09-03
Articles of Incorporationonly if it applies to youSouth Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings$135 at filing — $110 to the Secretary of State plus the $25 initial license feeperpetual, but an annual report and license fee are due every year2026-09-03
Retail LicenseSouth Carolina Department of Revenue$50 for each permanent location, and it is not refundableno expiry while the same person trades at the same location2026-09-03
Local Business LicenseSouth Carolina Department of RevenueVaries — formula on the SC page1 May to 30 April, the same in every South Carolina jurisdiction2026-09-03

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 coffee shop in Florence County Sc?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a coffee shop in Florence County Sc, SC, 5 apply to every business of this type and 8 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 5 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $75.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 13 are charged as a range or a formula set by the issuing agency, and 1 has no fee published at all. The ones particular to this business that vary:

Florence County Local Hospitality Tax — Registration and Remittance: Per the county's Hospitality Tax Form: 2% of gross proceeds of sales of prepared food and beverages in eating/drinking establishments in the unincorporated area of Florence County and within the city limits of Quinby, Coward, Scranton, Lake City, Olanta and Johnsonville; 1% within the city limits of Timmonsville. Establishments in the City of Florence and the Town of Pamplico remit hospitality tax to their municipality instead of the county. No registration fee is shown on the county's registration form. Late payment: the form states "Failure to pay on time carries a 5% per month penalty."

Retail Food Establishment Permit: $100 to open plus an annual inspection fee of $100 to $450 banded by gross food sales — $100 up to $250,000, rising in $50 steps to $450 above $1.75 million

The other 5 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Florence County Sc permits page and the SC state page.

Which offices issue these permits in Florence County Sc?

Permits for a coffee shop in Florence County Sc, SC come from 6 separate offices: Florence County Planning and Building Department, Florence County Finance Office, Florence County Engineering Division, South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and Compliance, 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.

What does a coffee shop need in Florence County Sc that other businesses do not?

Florence County Local Hospitality Tax — Registration and Remittance

The county's Local Hospitality Tax Guide, published by the Finance Office and linked from the county Finance page, states that "Florence County Council has imposed a two percent (2%) Local Hospitality Tax on gross sales in eating/drinking establishments located within the unincorporated areas of Florence County and certain towns and a one percent (1%) on gross sales in eating/drinking establishments located within other municipalities of Florence County", and that the tax "is effective on October 1, 2008." The county's Hospitality Tax Form sets out the geography: 2% in the unincorporated area and within the city limits of Quinby, Coward, Scranton, Lake City, Olanta and Johnsonville; 1% within Timmonsville; and "Establishments located in the boundaries of the City of Florence and the Town of Pamplico are currently remitting hospitality tax to their municipality and are not required to remit the county hospitality tax." Under the guide, "Restaurants, bars and lounges, private clubs, hotels and motels, caterers, grocery stores, convenience stores and other food establishments" collect the tax from patrons; a prepared meal is any food or beverage, including alcoholic beverages, prepared or modified by the establishment and ready for consumption at the time of sale, and the guide lists items such as coffee brewed on site and sandwiches prepared on site as taxable. S.C. Code § 6-1-770 sets the remittance frequency: monthly when the average tax is more than $50 a month, quarterly at $25 to $50 and annually under $25; the county form states that "The tax is due by the 20th of the following month" and that late payment carries a 5% per month penalty "Per Florence County Ordinance". A business registers with the Finance Office on the Hospitality Tax Registration Form in the guide (no registration fee is shown on it), and an establishment that does not sell prepared meals or beverages for immediate consumption may file the guide's Local Hospitality Tax Exemption Form. Contact: Florence County Finance Office, 180 N. Irby Street MSC-H, Florence, SC 29501, (843) 665-3013.

Retail Food Establishment Permit

Check the agency before anything else: retail food safety moved out of the health and environmental control department on 1 July 2024, and it did not go to either of the two departments that replaced it — it went to the Department of Agriculture. Any guidance naming DHEC for a restaurant permit is two years out of date. The pricing is a $100 first-year fee plus an inspection fee banded by the previous year's gross food sales, starting at $100 up to a quarter of a million and rising in fifty-dollar steps to $450 above $1.75 million; a new business estimates its band from anticipated sales. Alcohol and general merchandise are excluded from the calculation, and a convenience store counts only what it prepares or packages itself, though fountain drinks do count. Miss the thirty-day payment window and $50 is added at thirty days and another $50 at sixty; at ninety days the permit is suspended and reinstatement costs $25. There is no paper permit — the graded decal posted on the wall is the evidence, on a scale where 88 to 100 is an A, 78 to 87 a B and 77 or below a C, and below 70 triggers enforcement. School and licensed child care kitchens, healthcare facilities and charitable meal providers are exempt from the fee but must certify annually.

Certified Food Protection Manager

No state fee, because South Carolina neither examines nor certifies anyone — the certificate comes from a nationally accredited programme at that programme's price. There are two obligations here and the second is the one that shapes rotas. At least one employee with supervisory authority, the power to direct food preparation and enforce health policy, and a frequent presence at the premises must be a certified food protection manager. Separately, at all times during operation the person in charge must be either a certified food handler or a certified food protection manager — which is a staffing constraint on every shift, not a one-off qualification for the owner. The rules draw a sharp line between certification and training: a training certificate alone does not satisfy the requirement, because the accreditation must attach to the examination process. Establishments the department judges to pose minimal risk are excused. No validity period appears anywhere in South Carolina's rules, so the certificate lasts as long as the issuing programme says it does.

The other 5 local permits in the tables apply to every type of business in Florence County Sc, SC; what each one involves is set out on the Florence 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 coffee shop compare with other businesses in Florence County Sc?

A coffee shop and a food truck in Florence County Sc, SC need exactly the same 3 permits beyond the ones every business needs.

Permits particular to each business type in Florence County Sc, SC, compared with a coffee shop
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a coffee shopOnly a coffee shop needsOnly it needs
Food trucks3300
Restaurants4301
Retail stores2121
Auto repair shops1031
Childcare centres1031
Contractors and trades2032
Fitness studios0030
Salons and barbers2032
Veterinary clinics1031

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 Florence County Sc permits page and the SC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.

  1. Florence County Hospitality Tax FormFlorence County Finance Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  2. Florence County Local Hospitality Tax GuideFlorence County Finance Office · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  3. South Carolina Code title 6 chapter 1 — the Business License Tax Standardization Act, defining a business license as one issued by a county or municipalitySouth Carolina General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  4. Florence County SC - FinanceFlorence County Government · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-27
  5. South Carolina Department of Agriculture — annual retail food inspection fee schedule, with unambiguous band boundariesSouth Carolina Department of Agriculture · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  6. South Carolina Regulation 61-25 — retail food establishments, permit fees, inspection fee bands and the A to C grading scaleSouth Carolina Department of Agriculture · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
  7. South Carolina Code section 46-57-10 — the Department of Agriculture takes over retail food regulation from 1 July 2024South Carolina General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03

Related

Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.