New law extends deadline to renew county business licenses

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Richland County business owners have until May 1 to renew their business licenses. 

A new state law requiring cities, towns and counties to standardize business license practices extended the license expiration period past the county’s previous date of the end of 2021. License renewal forms will be mailed to business owners in April and are due by May 1, according to a news release from the county. 

“We are excited to implement the changes required by S.C. Act 176 to make doing business in South Carolina easier by streamlining the business license process,” Zachary Cavanaugh, director of business services for Richland County, said in the release. “The business license renewal process will begin in April instead of January, which will be one of the major differences businesses will notice.”

Renewals will still be based on income from either the 2021 calendar year or the preceding fiscal year, according to the release. Every business, including home-based ones, needs a license to operate legally. 

More information, including an online calculator, can be found at the county’s Business Service Center website at www.richlandcountysc.gov/bsc. The center can be reached at 803-576-2287 or bsc@richlandcountysc.gov.