What do these permits involve in Horry County?

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Horry County Business License (unincorporated Horry County)

Code §12.5-91 requires every person engaged in a business listed in the rate classification index, in whole or in part, "within the unincorporated areas of the county" to pay an annual license tax and obtain a business license, and §12.5-96 states that "a new business shall be required to have a business license prior to operation within the county." The figures are from the Horry County Code of Ordinances as published on Municode (version of August 12, 2026). Under §12.5-113 the tax is a minimum on the first $50,000.00 of gross income plus a rate per $1,000.00 or fraction above that, by class: Class 1 $30.00 + $1.07, Class 2 $35.00 + $1.12, Class 3 $40.00 + $1.19, Class 4 $45.00 + $1.25, Class 5 $50.00 + $1.31, Class 6 $55.00 + $1.37 and Class 7 $60.00 + $1.43, doubled (200%) for nonresidents and itinerants with no fixed principal place of business in the county, with declining rates above $1,000,000 (90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, 30% and 15% of the class rate in the $1-2, $2-3, $3-4, $4-5, $5-50 and over-$50 million bands). The same rates appear on the Treasurer's Rate Schedule Effective January 1, 2024. The §12.5-114 schedule (as amended by Ord. 105-2025) lists NAICS sectors by rate class, among them 44 and 45 Retail trade (1), 722 Food services and drinking places (2), 62 Health care and social assistance (3), 71 Arts, entertainment, and recreation (3), 81 Other services (3), 54 Professional, scientific, and technical services (4), 23 Construction (8.10) and 722410 Drinking places (alcoholic beverages) (9.70, which §12.5-113 sets at Rate class 2). Under §12.5-113, "The license inspector shall determine the proper class for a business according to the applicable NAICS manual or website", so the inspector assigns each business its class. For contractors, subclass 8.1 ("NAICS 230000—Contractors, construction, all types") is Rate class 3: $40.00 on the first $50,000.00 and $1.19 per additional $1,000.00, with non-resident rates for an itinerant or nonresident contractor; a site trailer or a home office is not a permanent place of business; the fee on the full contract amount is paid before work starts; and no contractor is licensed until state and county qualification and trade license requirements and building-code bonds are met. Each contractor posts a job sign and furnishes a list of subcontractors. Under §12.5-96 a bar (NAICS 722410) license "must be issued in the name of the individual who has been issued a state alcohol, beer or wine permit or license". A separate license is needed for each place of business and each classification (§12.5-94(a)). The county's Application Instructions page states that "Zoning approval is required prior to the issuance of the business license." Under §12.5-106(d) the late penalty is 10% of the unpaid tax per month, capped at 30% for any one year, and a license not renewed on or before September 30 owes a $100.00 reinstatement fee before it is reactivated.

Zoning Compliance for Business Licensing (unincorporated Horry County)

The Planning and Zoning Department's Current Planning & Zoning page states: "A zoning compliance is required prior to issuance of a business license. This verifies that the type of business proposed is conforming to the zoning of the property where the business is located". The same page explains that a home occupation zoning compliance is issued where the business is run from the owner's home and must meet the zoning ordinance's home occupation requirements, and that a commercial zoning compliance is issued to ensure a commercial building meets code enforcement and zoning requirements for the type of business; "Zoning requirements would include parking and landscaping." The county's Business License Application Instructions page says the Commercial Zoning Compliance application "is required for any business that needs a Business License", lists added material for some uses (for example floor plans for beauty salons and barber shops, a site plan and Mobile Food Vending application for mobile food vending, and a possible Special Exception for restaurants and bars within 500 feet of a residential district or use), and states that "A change in physical address requires a new zoning compliance from Planning & Zoning BEFORE the information can be updated on your license." On fees, the same page states that "All commercial site plan reviews require a fee"; contact Planning and Zoning (843-915-5340) for the amount for a particular business.

Commercial Building Permit and Plan Review (Horry County Code Enforcement)

The Code Enforcement Department page states that "The major function of code enforcement is to issue building permits and inspect new construction and improvements to all buildings located within the unincorporated area of Horry County." The fees are from the Horry County Code of Ordinances as published on Municode (version of August 12, 2026). Under §6-26(a), "All new construction and additions of commercial buildings shall have a permit fee of thirty-five cents ($0.35) per square foot of heated and unheated area. The plan review fee for commercial buildings shall be twenty cents ($0.20) per square foot of heated and unheated area." The county's Cost of a Building Permit page gives the same $0.20 plan review and $0.35 permit figures for new commercial buildings, with the plan review fee paid when plans are submitted and the permit fee when the permit is issued. Under §6-27, all alterations, renovations or repairs have the permit fee calculated under Appendix B of the 1997 edition of the Standard Building Code, with a minimum of $50.00 per permit. The Treasurer's Business License page adds that when a business opens in a commercial space whose occupancy use classification differs from the space's previous use, Code Enforcement verifies the space for the life safety standards of the intended occupancy through a "Change of Use" building permit. A contractor working in the unincorporated county pulls these permits for the projects it builds.

Routine Fire Safety Inspection of Commercial Buildings (unincorporated Horry County)

The Code Enforcement Department page states that the building inspection branch "performs fire inspections on commercial buildings located in the unincorporated areas." Code §6-26(h), in the Horry County Code of Ordinances as published on Municode (version of August 12, 2026), sets the fees "for fire safety inspections to be conducted on a routine basis" by building size: Tier One, less than 1,000 square feet, no charge; Tier Two, 1,000 to 2,500 square feet, $50.00 per inspection; Tier Three, 2,501 to 50,000 square feet, $100.00 per inspection; and Tier Four, 50,001 square feet or more, $150.00 per inspection. A 30-day re-inspection, if required, is included in those fees, and 45-day and subsequent re-inspections are $100.00 per inspection. The tiers were set by Ord. No. 25-19 (June 4, 2019), the latest amendment shown in the section's history. The fee applies to a business occupying a commercial building in the unincorporated county when the county conducts its routine inspection.

Permit	Issuing agency	Fee	Renews	Last checked
Horry County Business License (unincorporated Horry County)	Horry County Treasurer – Business License Department	County business license tax (county only), Code §12.5-113 (Ord. 112-2021 as amended by Ord. 117-2023): a minimum on the first $50,000.00 of gross income, plus a rate per $1,000.00 or fraction thereof over $50,000.00, by rate class: Class 1 $30.00 + $1.07; Class 2 $35.00 + $1.12; Class 3 $40.00 + $1.19; Class 4 $45.00 + $1.25; Class 5 $50.00 + $1.31; Class 6 $55.00 + $1.37; Class 7 $60.00 + $1.43. All minimums and rates are multiplied by 200% for nonresidents and itinerants with no fixed principal place of business in the county. Declining rates on gross income over $1,000,000, as a percent of the class rate for each additional $1.0 million: $1-2 million 90%; $2-3 million 80%; $3-4 million 70%; $4-5 million 60%; $5-50 million 30%; over $50 million 15%. Contractors (subclass 8.1, NAICS 230000) pay Rate class 3: $40.00 on the first $50,000.00 plus $1.19 per additional $1,000.00, with nonresident rates for itinerant or nonresident contractors. Late penalty: 10% of the unpaid tax per month, not more than 30% of a year's tax; a license not renewed on or before September 30 also owes a $100.00 reinstatement fee (§12.5-106(d)).	license year May 1 to April 30, renewed before May 1; a license issued on a construction contract runs to the completion of the project (Code §12.5-93)	2026-10-19
Zoning Compliance for Business Licensing (unincorporated Horry County)	Horry County Planning and Zoning Department	The county's Business License Application Instructions page states: "All commercial site plan reviews require a fee. Please contact the Planning and Zoning Department for procedures." Contact Planning and Zoning (843-915-5340) for the amount that applies to a given business.	issued before the business license; a change in physical address requires a new zoning compliance	2026-10-19
Commercial Building Permit and Plan Review (Horry County Code Enforcement)only if it applies to you	Horry County Code Enforcement Department	New construction and additions of commercial buildings: permit fee $0.35 per square foot of heated and unheated area, plus a plan review fee of $0.20 per square foot of heated and unheated area (Code §6-26(a)). Alterations, renovations or repairs: permit fee calculated under Appendix B of the 1997 Standard Building Code, with a minimum of $50.00 per permit (Code §6-27).	per project	2026-10-19
Routine Fire Safety Inspection of Commercial Buildings (unincorporated Horry County)only if it applies to you	Horry County Code Enforcement Department	Code §6-26(h), by building size: Tier One (less than 1,000 sq. ft.) no charge; Tier Two (1,000 to 2,500 sq. ft.) $50.00 per inspection; Tier Three (2,501 to 50,000 sq. ft.) $100.00 per inspection; Tier Four (50,001 sq. ft. or more) $150.00 per inspection. A 30-day re-inspection, if required, is included; 45-day and subsequent re-inspections are $100.00 per inspection.	per inspection, on the county's routine inspection basis	2026-10-19

Business licenses and permits in Horry County, South Carolina

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