APPLYING FOR A BUSINESS LICENSE

       The City of Orangeburg requires every person engaged or intending to engage in any calling, business, occupation or profession in whole or in part within the limits of the city to pay an annual license as provided in the ordinance.

      A valid business location is required for all new businesses located in or doing business within the City Limits of Orangeburg. An application for business license will be taken at 979 Middleton Street. All new business license applicants must provide proof of identification. Before a license is issued, approvals by other divisions and state agencies may be required. The approvals required are dependent on the type of and the physical location of the business.

      You must display your business license in a visible place so that citizens can see your licenses. Contractors and Mobile businesses must have a copy of your licenses with you while working.

      New businesses pay license fees on projected gross income from the start of business date through December 31st of that year. State law mandates that fees be paid on gross income without deductions for expense incurred for costs such as rents, salaries, cost of goods and other operational expenses.

      A separate license is required for each place of business or kind(s) of businesses within one location. If you hire anyone to do work in your business (remodeling, security, painting, lawn maintenance, plumbing, electrical, etc); they must have a City of Orangeburg Business License. You may call our office to verify the status of a license if you plan to hire someone for a job at (803) 539-3750.

      Contractors wanting to operate within the City must provide the Business License office with a copy of their SC Contractor’s or Home Builder’s license prior to issuance of a Business License.  Contractors and Subcontractors are two different persons or entities engaged in two different business activities. Each is subject to a license tax based upon the gross income received. General Contractors are responsible for notifying their subs of business license responsibilities or either providing the City Revenue Collector with a list of your subs so they may be properly licensed to do business in the City of Orangeburg.

      If you have coin-operated machines in your business and you collect the money, you must have a license for these machines. You will be given a sticker to attach to your machine(s) for licensing purposes. If you do not collect the money for these machines; please contact our office with the company name so that we can properly license each machine. Any coin operated machine without a license will be subject to a penalty as well as removal from the business.

      A restaurant, grocery store, or business that handles food is required to obtain approval from the Department of Health and Environmental Control at (803) 536-9060.

      The ABC Licensing Department (803) 898-5864 is located at 301 Gervais Street in Columbia. You will need to obtain a permit from their office if you are planning to serve alcoholic beverages according to State Law.

      Signs are not permitted in the public right of way including utility poles. Any signs in the right of way will be removed. If you have any questions, please call our Zoning Department at (803) 533-6010.

      All licenses expire each March 31 and are up for renewal.

BUSINESS LICENSE RENEWAL

       All Business Licenses must be renewed by May 5th to avoid a penalty currently at 10% per month plus a $20.00 collector’s fee. If you do not receive your renewal form, please contact the Business License Division at (803)539-3750 or our website at www.orangeburg.sc.us. All renewal applications are subject to income verification. We have the authority to request a copy of your federal income tax return at anytime to verify your reported gross receipts. Please make sure that your gross is accurate otherwise; this may cause a delay in processing. Penalty rates can change at any time as approved by City Council

BUSINESS CHANGES CLOSURES

       If your business moves to another location or the activity of your business changes, you should notify the Business License Division immediately at (803) 539-3750. All changes must be pre-approved by Zoning before any changes (location, owner, name) can be assumed to be official. There is a fee of ($1.00) for any changes listed above. If you fail to notify our office within the ten days, before we visit or contact you, a ($20.00) collector’s fee will be applied.

      The SC Department of Revenue must be notified at (803) 898-5000 of any changes and a new retail license must be obtained with new changes. (If applicable)

      A business license will not be issued for the new location or activity until all requirements are met.

      If you close your business, your City of Orangeburg Business License must be closed out within thirty (30) days. We will need your gross receipts for that year through your last day of business in order to close out your license. If you sell your business, the same applies; you will need to close out your City of Orangeburg Business License. You also need to close your State Retail Tax License.