South Carolina · Sales tax registration
South Carolina retail license, done for you.
Register through MyDORWAY and the Department of Revenue issues a Retail License. One thing to know before you take it: South Carolina law requires you to surrender the license if you go 24 consecutive months without sales, so a license held speculatively does not simply sit there.
Last updated:
Who you are dealing with
South Carolina Department of Revenue
- Handles:
- Retail License and the sales and use tax account behind it
- System:
- MyDORWAY
- Form:
- Apply through MyDORWAY. The account is later closed either in MyDORWAY under Close a Tax Account, or by ticking the closed box on a return
- Phone:
- 844-898-8542
South Carolina Department of Revenue, sales tax registration
State fee. South Carolina charges for a Retail License. We confirm the current amount with the Department of Revenue before filing and pass it through at cost rather than quoting a figure that may have changed.
Our fee. $180 per state, flat. State fees are passed through at cost.
When you have to register
You need the license before making taxable retail sales. The less obvious trigger is at the other end: 24 consecutive months without sales requires surrender under South Carolina law, whether or not you intended to stop.
What comes next
Not applicable to an application. Worth knowing at the start: returns run through the closing date, the ST-3 is the state return with the ST-389 schedule of local taxes alongside it, and the dormancy rule can force a closure you did not plan.
How long it takes
South Carolina does not publish a turnaround we could confirm. MyDORWAY is the route we use because it leaves a record.
What we do
We work out which accounts you need, submit each registration, and hand you the account numbers, rates, and deposit schedules your payroll system asks for. One flat price per state, and any state fee passed through at cost. You keep the client. We never email them.
What makes South Carolina harder than average
- A dormant license is not a free option. Twenty four consecutive months without sales requires surrender under state law. Businesses that pause, or that register early in case they need it, run into this without ever deciding to close.
- The local schedule travels with the return. The ST-389 Schedule of Local Taxes accompanies the ST-3, and South Carolina's local rates are why it exists. A filing without it is incomplete.
- There is a fee, which is less common than not. Most states issue a sales permit free. South Carolina charges, so budget for it as a pass-through rather than assuming zero.
- If you also run payroll here, the year-end rule bites. A withholding account open for any part of the year requires the annual WH-1606 rather than a fourth quarter WH-1605. Two South Carolina accounts means two separate quirks.
How South Carolina compares
If South Carolina is one of several states on the list, the order you register in changes what each one asks for.
Questions and answers
What happens if I stop selling but keep the license?
After 24 consecutive months without sales, South Carolina law requires you to surrender the Retail License. Dormancy forces the issue even where you never decided to close.
Is there a fee for a Retail License?
Yes. South Carolina charges, unlike most states. We confirm the current amount with the Department of Revenue before filing and pass it through at cost.
What will I file after registering?
The ST-3, the State Sales and Use Tax Return, with the ST-389 Schedule of Local Taxes alongside it.
How do I close it later?
In MyDORWAY under the More tab, Close a Tax Account, or by ticking the permanently closed box on a return and entering the closed date. Returns are required through that closing date.
What do you need from me to start?
The legal name and FEIN, entity type, South Carolina locations, what you sell, and the date taxable sales begin.
Also in South Carolina
Agency details verified 2026-08-03
About the provider
Regcrest LLC is a document preparation and filing service based in Allentown, Pennsylvania, founded in 2026. It prepares and files state payroll and sales tax registrations, account closures, and resale certificates on behalf of the businesses that instruct it, and works behind accounting firms, bookkeepers, and payroll providers as well as directly with businesses.
Regcrest LLC is not a CPA firm and not a law firm. It gives no tax or legal advice. It files in all 50 states, and publishes a full page for the 29states it has verified against the agency's own material so far, each one showing the date it was checked. For anything that turns on your specific situation, ask a licensed accountant or attorney.