9 permits · verified 2026-10-19
What permits do you need to open a food truck in Horry County?
In short
A food truck in Horry County, SC has 4 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 5 more that depend on your premises, signage or how you are set up. South Carolina Secretary of State, Division of Business Filings charges $110 one-time filing for the articles of organization (llc). 5 of the 9 are charged as a range or formula rather than a flat fee. Verified 2026-10-19 against the issuing agencies’ published fee schedules.
Permits particular to a food truck in Horry County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Horry County Mobile Food Permit (Zoning Ordinance §913)only if it applies to you | Horry County Planning and Zoning Department | $150.00 per mobile food unit, which includes review of two vending locations; $100.00 per additional location reviewed with the initial application (Zoning Ordinance §913.C.2). The FY 2027 Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule lists the same amounts: Mobile Food Unit Permit (2 sites) $150.00; (additional sites) $100.00 (each). | May 1 to April 30 (§913.C.1); the unit also obtains an annual zoning compliance (§913.B.1(j)) | 2026-10-19 |
| Retail Food Establishment Permit | South 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 million | annual — the inspection fee is invoiced and due thirty days from the billing date | 2026-09-03 |
| Certified Food Protection Manageronly if it applies to you | South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and Compliance | No fee | set by the certifying programme — South Carolina's rules specify none | 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 Horry County
| Permit | Issuing agency | Fee | Renews | Last checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zoning Compliance for Business Licensing (unincorporated Horry County) | Horry County Planning and Zoning Department | Varies — formula on the Horry County page | issued before the business license; a change in physical address requires a new zoning compliance | 2026-10-19 |
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 food truck in Horry County?
There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 9 records listed for a food truck in Horry County, SC, 4 apply to every business of this type and 5 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, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 5 of the 9 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:
Horry County Mobile Food Permit (Zoning Ordinance §913): $150.00 per mobile food unit, which includes review of two vending locations; $100.00 per additional location reviewed with the initial application (Zoning Ordinance §913.C.2). The FY 2027 Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule lists the same amounts: Mobile Food Unit Permit (2 sites) $150.00; (additional sites) $100.00 (each).
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 3 variable fees belong to permits that apply to every type of business here; their formulas are set out on the Horry County permits page and the SC state page.
Which offices issue these permits in Horry County?
Permits for a food truck in Horry County, SC come from 4 separate offices: Horry County Planning and Zoning Department, 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.
- Horry County Planning and Zoning DepartmentIssues 2 permits on this page: Zoning Compliance for Business Licensing (unincorporated Horry County), Horry County Mobile Food Permit (Zoning Ordinance §913)1301 Second Avenue, Suite 1D09, Conway, SC 29526 · (843) 915-5340www.horrycountysc.gov/departments/planning-and-zoning
- South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and ComplianceIssues 2 permits on this page: Retail Food Establishment Permit, Certified Food Protection Manager350 Ballard Court, West Columbia, SC 29172 · (803) 896-0640agriculture.sc.gov/permits-and-inspections/retail-food-safety
- 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 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
What does a food truck need in Horry County that other businesses do not?
1 of the 3 permits particular to a food truck here applies to no other business type we cover in Horry County: Horry County Mobile Food Permit (Zoning Ordinance §913).
Horry County Mobile Food Permit (Zoning Ordinance §913)
Zoning Ordinance §913, in the Horry County Code of Ordinances as published on Municode (version of August 12, 2026), allows mobile food units as a conditional use in listed commercial, mixed and industrial zones and requires every unit, including ice cream trucks, to hold a Horry County Mobile Food Permit. Under §913.C.2 "The permitting fee for each mobile food unit is $150.00, which includes review of two vending locations", plus $100.00 for each additional location reviewed with the initial application; the Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule FY 2027, which took effect July 1, 2026 per the department's page, lists the same $150.00 and $100.00 (each) amounts. The permit runs May 1 to April 30 (§913.C.1), and the unit must obtain an annual zoning compliance (§913.B.1(j)). The application includes the applicant's addresses, a description of the goods, "SCDHEC Certification, or a letter from SCDHEC stating that certification is not required", vehicle registration and exterior photographs (§913.B.3), and a list of all requested sites with scaled site plans (§913.B.1(i)); at most 50 permits are allowed at a time. Under §913.B.1(h) the vendor provides a letter or lease from the property owner and a copy of the property owner's business license, and "If applicable, the vendor must provide a copy of the approved county hospitality tax application and a State sales tax number". Siting rules include a 25-foot front setback, a principal structure or business on the site, one unit per parcel (more on parcels over 30 acres), two parking spaces per unit, 300 feet from the principal public entrance of another food service business and 200 feet from a PreK-12 school. Units may not sell alcohol (§913.D), vend between 3:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., be left unattended or stay overnight at a vending location (§913.F).
Shared with other businesses in Horry County
- Retail Food Establishment Permit — South 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 million, annual — the inspection fee is invoiced and due thirty days from the billing date. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
- Certified Food Protection Manager — South Carolina Department of Agriculture, Retail Food Safety and Compliance, No fee, set by the certifying programme — South Carolina's rules specify none. Also required for restaurants and coffee shops; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.
The other 1 local permit in the tables apply to every type of business in Horry County, SC; what each one involves is set out on the Horry County 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 food truck compare with other businesses in Horry County?
The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 2 of these permits. A food truck also needs Horry County Mobile Food Permit (Zoning Ordinance §913). A coffee shop needs Horry County Hospitality Fee — Account Registration and Monthly Remittance (unincorporated area), which a food truck does not.
| Business | Its own permits | Shared with a food truck | Only a food truck needs | Only it needs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coffee shops | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Restaurants | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Auto repair shops | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Childcare centres | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Contractors and trades | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Fitness studios | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Retail stores | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Salons and barbers | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| Veterinary clinics | 1 | 0 | 3 | 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 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 Horry County permits page and the SC state page. Confirmed by Editorial Team.
- Horry County Code of Ordinances, Appendix B - Zoning, Article IX, Sec. 913. - Food vendingHorry County Council (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Planning and Zoning Fee Schedule FY 2027Horry County Planning and Zoning Department · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
- Business License Application InstructionsHorry County Government · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
Related
Commercial Compliance Hub publishes information, not legal advice. Requirements change — confirm anything you rely on with the issuing agency before you file.