Deerbank Capital Group, a small-business funding service in Conway, South Carolina, explains how Horry County owners work out whether the City of Conway, SC, another city or the county licenses their business, which renewal and permit records to keep, and why a funding partner may ask for them. Fees and rules are for each office to confirm.
At a glance
- City of Conway, SC share of its main ZIP's land
10.2% (Census ZCTA-place relationship, 2020)
- Employer establishments, Horry County, SC
10,550 (CBP 2023)
- Who sets license rules
Each city and the county, by ordinance
City, County or Another Town: Start With the Address
A business license in Horry County, SC comes from the government whose limits the business sits in. Inside the City of Conway, SC, that is the city; inside Myrtle Beach, SC or North Myrtle Beach, SC, those cities license their own businesses; in unincorporated land, Horry County, SC does. The county had 10,550 employer establishments in 2023 (County Business Patterns), spread across all of those jurisdictions.
A mailing address does not settle it. ZIP 29526 carries the USPS name Conway, SC, yet the City of Conway, SC covers only 10.2% of that ZIP's land (Census ZCTA-to-place relationship file, 2020). With 1,302 employer establishments in ZIP 29526 in 2023 (ZIP Code Business Patterns), a Conway, SC address can sit inside or outside the city.
Three Ways to Check Which Office Covers an Address
- Look at the property tax bill: it lists the taxing districts, including any city.
- Enter the address in the Census Bureau's public geocoder, which reports the incorporated place an address falls in.
- Call the city's and the county's license offices with the address and ask which one covers it.
Horry County, SC Business License Cost: Records Partners Review
License fees in South Carolina are set locally, and many are figured from the business's gross receipts, so the cost depends on revenue and business class rather than a single price. A partner does not need the fee itself; it may ask for the current license and the gross receipts figure reported on it, because that figure should match the business's own books and tax returns.
Conway, SC Business License Renewal: Paperwork Worth Keeping
- The license certificate for the current year.
- The renewal application, with the gross receipts figure you reported.
- Proof of payment.
- Any letters about classification or penalties.
- Licenses from other cities where the business works.
Keep these in the same folder as tax returns and bank statements. When a partner asks for 'the business license', it will want the current certificate; when it compares revenue, the renewal figure helps.
City of Conway, SC Business License Before You Apply for Funding
Inside the City of Conway, SC, a new business, a change of ownership or a move to a new address means dealing with the city before the doors open. If the funding is for a new location or a purchase, start the license process alongside the funding request; a partner may hold money until the license issues.
Horry County, SC Hospitality Tax Form Before You Apply for Funding
Restaurants and lodging businesses file hospitality or accommodations tax returns as well as holding a license. Horry County had 977 full-service and limited-service restaurant employers (our sum) and 177 hotel and motel employers in 2023 (County Business Patterns). A partner reading a restaurant or motel request may compare those returns with bank deposits; the hospitality and accommodations tax guide explains the records.
Horry County, SC Construction Permits: A Short Checklist
- Confirm which jurisdiction covers the job site.
- Get the permit before work starts; the permit number goes on inspections.
- Keep inspection sign-offs and the final approval.
- For contractors, keep the license for each city you work in.
- Keep permits with the job's contract and draw records.
Construction employers numbered 1,182 in Horry County in 2023 (County Business Patterns); the zoning and building permits guide goes further.
City of Conway, SC Building Permits: Paperwork Worth Keeping
For a build-out inside the City of Conway, SC, keep the permit, the approved plans, inspection results and the certificate of occupancy where one is issued. A partner funding the build-out may release money in stages tied to those documents, and a landlord may ask for them too.
Why a Funding Partner Asks for the License
Partners confirm the business exists and is allowed to operate where it says it does. A license in the business's legal name, at the address on the bank statements, answers both questions at once. A mismatch, such as an old address or a different entity name, adds a round of questions. For running costs while a new license is pending, see working capital; county figures are on the Conway, SC page, and the other guides are on the resources page.
A Worked Address Check for a Conway, SC Mailing Address
Illustration only, invented business: a bakery with a Conway, SC mailing address in ZIP 29526 wants to expand. In this invented example the owner checks the property tax bill, finds no city district listed, and confirms with the county that the site is unincorporated. The license, the expansion permit and the funding request all then point to the county office, and the owner notes it in the request so the partner reads the right documents.
Moving Between Towns or Opening a Second Site
A business moving from unincorporated Horry County, SC into a city, or opening a second site in Myrtle Beach, SC, needs a license from the new jurisdiction. The old license does not carry over. Build that step into the plan before the funding request for the new site.
By Deerbank Capital Group · Updated
