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13 permits · verified 2026-10-19

What permits do you need to open a restaurant in Horry County?

In short

A restaurant in Horry County, SC has 6 permits that apply to every business of this type, plus 7 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). 9 of the 13 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 restaurant in Horry County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Horry County Hospitality Fee — Account Registration and Monthly Remittance (unincorporated area)Horry County Treasurer – Hospitality Fee Department2.5% of the gross proceeds from the sale of prepared food and beverages sold for immediate consumption either on or off premises, in the unincorporated area: the 1.5% countywide hospitality fee plus the additional 1% imposed in the unincorporated area only (Code §19-6(a)). No account registration fee is published on the county's Hospitality Fee page.ongoing; returns and payment due on or before the 20th of each month, or the 20th day after each four-week period for 13-installment filers (Code §19-6(c)(2))2026-10-19
Late Night Establishment Preclearance Letter (alcohol on premises, midnight to 6 a.m.)only if it applies to youHorry County Administrator$250.00 annual regulatory fee plus a $250.00 one-time nonrefundable investigative fee, both paid with the application (Code §12.5-174(a)); the annual regulatory fee is refunded if the application is withdrawn or denied. An establishment in existence before January 1, 2017 instead files a safety plan with a one-time nonrefundable $250.00 administrative fee (§12.5-173(a)).one calendar year from issuance, renewed by paying the annual regulatory fee; may be extended for up to two consecutive years by notarized written affirmation that nothing has changed (Code §12.5-174(b))2026-10-19
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 Horry County

Permits required, with issuing agency, fee, renewal term and the date each record was last verified against its source
Horry County Business License (unincorporated Horry County)Horry County Treasurer – Business License DepartmentVaries — formula on the Horry County pagelicense 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 DepartmentVaries — formula on the Horry County pageissued before the business license; a change in physical address requires a new zoning compliance2026-10-19
Commercial Building Permit and Plan Review (Horry County Code Enforcement)only if it applies to youHorry County Code Enforcement DepartmentVaries — formula on the Horry County pageper project2026-10-19
Routine Fire Safety Inspection of Commercial Buildings (unincorporated Horry County)only if it applies to youHorry County Code Enforcement DepartmentVaries — formula on the Horry County pageper inspection, on the county's routine inspection basis2026-10-19

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

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 restaurant in Horry County?

There is no single figure, and any site quoting one is rounding away the part that matters. Of the 13 records listed for a restaurant in Horry County, SC, 6 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 6 that always apply, 1 carry a flat fee, coming to $50.00. That is a floor, not a total. 9 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:

Horry County Hospitality Fee — Account Registration and Monthly Remittance (unincorporated area): 2.5% of the gross proceeds from the sale of prepared food and beverages sold for immediate consumption either on or off premises, in the unincorporated area: the 1.5% countywide hospitality fee plus the additional 1% imposed in the unincorporated area only (Code §19-6(a)). No account registration fee is published on the county's Hospitality Fee page.

Late Night Establishment Preclearance Letter (alcohol on premises, midnight to 6 a.m.): $250.00 annual regulatory fee plus a $250.00 one-time nonrefundable investigative fee, both paid with the application (Code §12.5-174(a)); the annual regulatory fee is refunded if the application is withdrawn or denied. An establishment in existence before January 1, 2017 instead files a safety plan with a one-time nonrefundable $250.00 administrative fee (§12.5-173(a)).

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 6 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 restaurant in Horry County, SC come from 8 separate offices: Horry County Treasurer – Business License Department, Horry County Planning and Zoning Department, Horry County Treasurer – Hospitality Fee Department, Horry County Code Enforcement Department, Horry County Administrator, 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 restaurant need in Horry County that other businesses do not?

1 of the 4 permits particular to a restaurant here applies to no other business type we cover in Horry County: Late Night Establishment Preclearance Letter (alcohol on premises, midnight to 6 a.m.).

Horry County Hospitality Fee — Account Registration and Monthly Remittance (unincorporated area)

Code §19-6(a), in the Horry County Code of Ordinances as published on Municode (version of August 12, 2026), establishes a hospitality fee "equal to one and one-half (1.5) percent within the geographic confines of the county, and an additional imposition equal to one (1) percent within the unincorporated areas of the county only", applied among other things to "The gross proceeds derived from the sale of prepared food and beverages sold for immediate consumption either on or off premises; or maintain licenses for the on-premise consumption of alcohol, beer or wine." A restaurant or coffee shop in the unincorporated area therefore collects 2.5%, which matches the county's Hospitality Fee page: "Businesses located outside the city limits will calculate the fee at 2.5% of gross proceeds from the Sale of Food/Beverages". The fee is the consumer's liability, collected by the business at the time of service and held in trust until remitted (§19-6(b)). Returns and payment are due monthly on or before the twentieth day of each month, or, for businesses paying in thirteen four-week installments, on or before the twentieth day after each period (§19-6(c)(2)). A new account is set up by calling the Hospitality Fee Department at (843) 915-5620 or visiting the office, per the county page; no registration fee is published there. Under §19-6(c)(5)-(7) the failure-to-file and late-filing penalties are each 0.333% per day (10% per month), capped at 20% of the fee due for the period, and the late-payment penalty is 0.333% per day. The county's Hospitality Fee page adds that all businesses must also register with the S.C. Department of Revenue.

Late Night Establishment Preclearance Letter (alcohol on premises, midnight to 6 a.m.)

Code §12.5-171, in the Horry County Code of Ordinances as published on Municode (version of August 12, 2026), regulates "late night establishments that offer or allow on-premises consumption of alcohol and that operate between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m. within the unincorporated areas of Horry County". §12.5-172 defines a late night establishment as "a commercial establishment that offers or allows consumption of alcoholic beverages on the premises and that is open for use by patrons, for any length of time, between the hours of 12:00 midnight and 6:00 a.m." Under §12.5-173(a) it is unlawful to begin operating one after January 1, 2017 without a valid preclearance letter, and "No person shall apply for a certificate of zoning compliance or approval of a special exception to operate a late night establishment before obtaining a late night establishment preclearance letter"; the letter itself does not authorize operation, and the zoning compliance or special exception is still needed. The application is filed in person, notarized, at "the office of the Horry County Administrator (or such office as the administrator may designate)" (§12.5-173(b)). Under §12.5-174(a) the fees are a $250.00 annual regulatory fee and a $250.00 one-time nonrefundable investigative fee, both paid with the application, and the letter is valid for one calendar year, renewable by paying the annual fee (§12.5-174(b)). The county's Business License Application Instructions page states: "If you are planning on being open after 12:00 midnight, Horry County Police Dept. requires that you obtain a Pre-clearance letter before we can issue a zoning compliance or apply for a Special Exception." State alcohol licenses are separate state records.

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 coffee shops and food trucks; 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 coffee shops and food trucks; what it involves is set out on the coffee shops page.

The other 4 local permits 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 restaurant compare with other businesses in Horry County?

The closest match is a coffee shop, which shares 3 of these permits. A restaurant also needs Late Night Establishment Preclearance Letter (alcohol on premises, midnight to 6 a.m.). A coffee shop needs nothing here that a restaurant does not.

Permits particular to each business type in Horry County, SC, compared with a restaurant
BusinessIts own permitsShared with a restaurantOnly a restaurant needsOnly it needs
Coffee shops3310
Food trucks3221
Auto repair shops1041
Childcare centres1041
Contractors and trades2042
Fitness studios0040
Retail stores0040
Salons and barbers2042
Veterinary clinics1041

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.

  1. Horry County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 19 - Taxation, Service, User Fees and Uniform Service ChargesHorry County Council (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  2. Hospitality FeeHorry County Government · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  3. Horry County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 12.5, Article VII. - Late Night Establishment PreclearanceHorry County Council (Municode) · primary source · retrieved 2026-10-19
  4. 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.