12 permits · verified 2026-10-27
What permits do you need to open a salon or barber in Florence County Sc?
In short
A salon or barber in Florence County Sc, SC has 5 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 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). 5 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 salon or barber in Florence County Sc
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbershop Permit | South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation | $250 to open; renewal is $125 | biennial for a fixed shop; a mobile barbershop renews annually under the statute | 2026-09-03 |
| Salon License | South Carolina Board of Cosmetology, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation | $100 to open; renewal is $72 | biennial, on the board's own renewal cycle | 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.
Local permits that apply to every type of business in Florence County Sc
| 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 | Varies — formula on the Florence County Sc page | 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 | Varies — formula on the Florence County Sc page | 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 | Varies — formula on the Florence County Sc page | 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.
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 salon or barber 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 salon or barber in Florence County Sc, SC, 5 apply to every business of this type and 7 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, 4 carry a flat fee, coming to $425.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 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 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 salon or barber in Florence County Sc, SC come from 6 separate offices: Florence County Planning and Building Department, Florence County Engineering Division, South Carolina Department of Revenue, South Carolina Board of Barber Examiners, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings, South Carolina Board of Cosmetology, Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. No single office issues them all, which is why an opening means filing in several places rather than one.
- Florence County Planning and Building DepartmentIssues 3 permits on this page: Floodplain Development Permit (Florence County Planning and Building), Certificate of Zoning Compliance (Florence County Planning), Building Permit and Plan Review (Florence County Building Inspection)518 S. Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501 · (843) 676-8600www.florencecountysc.gov/planning/inspections
- Florence County Engineering DivisionIssues 2 permits on this page: Small Commercial Land Disturbance Permit (under one acre, Florence County Engineering), Land Disturbance Permit and Stormwater Plan for Sites of One Acre or More (Florence County Engineering)518 S. Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501 · (843) 676-8600www.florencecountysc.gov/offices/public-works/engineering
- 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 Board of Barber Examiners, Department of Labor, Licensing and RegulationIssues 1 permit on this page: Barbershop Permit110 Centerview Drive, Columbia, SC 29210 · (803) 896-4588llr.sc.gov/bar
- 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
- South Carolina Board of Cosmetology, Department of Labor, Licensing and RegulationIssues 1 permit on this page: Salon License110 Centerview Drive, Columbia, SC 29210 · (803) 896-4588llr.sc.gov/cosmo
What does a salon or barber need in Florence County Sc that other businesses do not?
2 of the 2 permits particular to a salon or barber here apply to no other business type we cover in Florence County Sc: Barbershop Permit and Salon License.
Barbershop Permit
A barbershop costs two and a half times what a salon costs — $250 to open against $100, and $125 to renew against $72 — even though the two boards sit in the same building. As with a salon, the permit is location-specific and not transferable, a change of owner or of location costs the full $250 again, and the application must be filed at least fifteen working days before opening with no trading until the fees are paid and the inspection passed. A change of name or of manager is only $10. The physical rules are unusually prescriptive and worth reading before signing a lease: at least five feet between barber chairs measured centre to centre, complete separation from any residence, a ceiling-height partition from any room in other use, smooth-finished walls, ceilings and floors, no exposed pipework, adequate toilet facilities, an accessible working fire extinguisher, and a cabinet of clean towels plus a container for soiled ones for each barber. Note a live conflict on mobile units: the statute says a mobile barbershop permit is renewed annually while the regulation says biennially.
Salon License
A hundred dollars to open and $72 to renew, which is among the cheapest salon licensing in the country — but the license is unusually brittle. It is valid only for the named owner at the named location and is not transferable, so a change of owner, a change of location and even a change of name each require a fresh $100 application rather than an amendment. A new location must be applied for twenty working days before opening and must pass an inspection within ten working days before the license issues. A salon closed permanently must return its license, and any closure beyond sixty days must be notified. Renewing late costs $122 rather than $72. One caution on the renewal date: the regulation says renewal is due before 1 July, while the board runs its cosmetology cycle to 10 March of odd-numbered years, and the regulation has not been conformed to the practice — confirm your own date with the board rather than relying on either.
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 salon or barber compare with other businesses in Florence County Sc?
The closest match is a auto repair shop, which shares 0 of these permits. A salon or barber also needs Barbershop Permit and Salon License. A auto repair shop needs Automotive Repair Shop — South Carolina position, which a salon or barber does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a salon or barber | Only a salon or barber needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Coffee shops | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Food trucks | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Retail stores | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 2 | 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 Florence County Sc permits page and the SC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- South Carolina Regulations chapter 10 — the fee schedules for the barber, contractor, residential builder and veterinary boardsSouth Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- South Carolina Code chapter 40-7 — barbershop registration, inspection before opening and mobile barbershop renewalSouth Carolina General Assembly · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- South Carolina Regulation 35-15 — salon licenses, tied to a named owner and a named location and not transferableSouth Carolina Board of Cosmetology · primary source · retrieved 2026-09-03
- South Carolina Code section 40-13-250 — biennial renewal of cosmetology licensesSouth 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.
