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12 permits · verified 2026-10-27

What permits do you need to open a retail store in Florence County Sc?

In short

A retail store in Florence County Sc, SC has 4 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 12 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 Florence County Sc

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Alcohol Sunday Sales — Florence County Local Option Status (state-issued permits)only if it applies to youSouth Carolina Department of Revenue — Alcohol Beverage LicensingThis record states Florence County's Sunday-sales referendum status as SCDOR publishes it. The Local Option Permit (LOP), 7 Day Off-Premises Beer & Wine Permit (P7B) and 7 Day On-Premises Beer & Wine Permit (PO7) are state permits issued and priced by the SC Department of Revenue; see SCDOR's Alcohol Beverage Licensing pages for the current permit fees.continuing; reflects the county's approved Sunday sales referendums as listed by SCDOR2026-10-27
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

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 retail store in Florence County Sc?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 12 records listed for a retail store in Florence County Sc, SC, 4 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 4 that always apply, 2 carry a flat fee, coming to $75.00. That is a floor, not a total. 7 of the 12 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:

Alcohol Sunday Sales — Florence County Local Option Status (state-issued permits): This record states Florence County's Sunday-sales referendum status as SCDOR publishes it. The Local Option Permit (LOP), 7 Day Off-Premises Beer & Wine Permit (P7B) and 7 Day On-Premises Beer & Wine Permit (PO7) are state permits issued and priced by the SC Department of Revenue; see SCDOR's Alcohol Beverage Licensing pages for the current permit fees.

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."

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 retail store in Florence County Sc, SC come from 6 separate offices: South Carolina Department of Revenue — Alcohol Beverage Licensing, Florence County Planning and Building Department, Florence County Finance Office, Florence County Engineering Division, 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 retail store need in Florence County Sc that other businesses do not?

Alcohol Sunday Sales — Florence County Local Option Status (state-issued permits)

The SC Department of Revenue's "Operating an ABL Business" page lists, under "Approved Sunday sales referendums", the jurisdictions that "have passed referendums to allow for Sunday sales", with columns for the Local Option Permit (LOP), the 7 Day Off-Premises Beer & Wine Permit (P7B) and the 7 Day On-Premises Beer & Wine Permit (PO7). Its county table shows "Florence" with YES in all three columns. This is a county local-option fact: per SCDOR, because Florence County has approved these referendums, the LOP, P7B and PO7 permit types are available from SCDOR for locations in the county, subject to SCDOR's own qualifications and hours. The permits themselves are state permits from SCDOR; contact SCDOR Alcohol Beverage Licensing at (803) 898-5864.

Shared with other businesses in Florence County Sc

  • Florence County Local Hospitality Tax — Registration and Remittance — Florence County Finance Office, 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.", 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 month. Also required for restaurants, coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.

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 retail store compare with other businesses in Florence County Sc?

The closest match is a restaurant, which shares 2 of these permits. A restaurant needs Retail Food Establishment Permit and Certified Food Protection Manager, which a retail store does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Florence County Sc, SC, compared with a retail store
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a retail storeOnly a retail store needsOnly it needs
Restaurants4202
Coffee shops3112
Food trucks3112
Auto repair shops1021
Childcare centres1021
Contractors and trades2022
Fitness studios0020
Salons and barbers2022
Veterinary clinics1021

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 shared with other businesses are listed with their explanations on the coffee shops page. 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. Operating an ABL BusinessSouth Carolina Department of Revenue · 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.