Goose Creek Business License: OpenGov, Home Occupations and STR Permits

If you run a business inside Goose Creek, South Carolina, you will likely need a City of Goose Creek business license. The city accepts these applications only electronically through OpenGov, and home-based businesses and short-term rentals (STRs) each need their own separate permit. This guide covers what to gather, the order to do things in, what the city charges for the 2026-27 license year, and the mistakes that send applicants back to the start.

Disclaimer: This article is informational content, not legal or tax advice. Fees, rules and deadlines change, so confirm every figure with the agency named before you commit money. For complex situations, including choice of entity and tax treatment, consult a qualified attorney or CPA.

Start With the Right Expectations

South Carolina has no statewide general business license. Registering with the Secretary of State is not a business license, and most cities and only nine counties levy local business license taxes. Those nine counties are Beaufort, Charleston, Dorchester, Horry, Jasper, Marion, Orangeburg, Richland and Sumter. Berkeley County itself has no business license, so a Goose Creek business deals with the city, not the county.

What to Gather Before You Apply

• An EIN from the IRS. Use the same legal name and address on every filing.
• Your entity paperwork if you formed an LLC or corporation, such as the filed Articles and, for a corporation, your Form CL-1 filing.
• A business address inside city limits, plus a plain description of what you will do there.
• Zoning approval for that address and use. Zoning comes first (see Step 3 below).
• An estimate of your receipts for the license year, because the Class 1 fee is built on business volume. Ask the city which measure it uses.
• Your state tax account through the SCDOR Business Tax Application on MyDORWAY, plus your Retail License number if you sell tangible goods.
• For an STR: the lot address and the name and phone number of the person who will answer for the property.

Step-by-Step: Getting Your Goose Creek License

1. Confirm your entity type first. Sole proprietors and general partnerships do not file organizing documents with the Secretary of State at all. An LLC files Articles of Organization for $110 through Business Entities Online at https://businessfilings.sc.gov/, and documents filed online are returned within 24 to 48 business hours. An LLC must keep a South Carolina registered agent with a street address, and that agent's name and address must appear on the formation document. An LLC that is not taxed as a corporation files no annual report. A corporation files Articles of Incorporation for $110 together with Form CL-1, which carries a one-time $25 initial License Fee due within 60 days of doing business in South Carolina. If you need to hold a name while you prepare, the state reserves names for 120 days, nonrenewable, for $25.
2. Set up your tax identity. Get your EIN from the IRS, then register through the SCDOR Business Tax Application at https://dor.sc.gov/. South Carolina has no state DBA filing. If you operate under a trade name, list it on your local business license, the EIN application and the SCDOR application. There is no separate DBA filing.
3. Get zoning approval before you file the license. Zoning decides whether your use is allowed at your address, and the license application follows that decision. Describe the activity in plain terms, since zoning reviews the use itself. Start this step early, because it is the most likely place for an application to stall.
4. Create your OpenGov account and choose the right application. Goose Creek accepts applications electronically only, so do not plan to mail or hand-deliver paperwork. Find the business license page on the City of Goose Creek's official website and follow its link to OpenGov. File the general business license for your main operation. Home occupations and STR units each have their own application, so do not combine them.
5. Calculate the license fee. For the 2026-27 license year, the Class 1 rate is $30 on the first $2,000, plus $2.00 for each additional $1,000. The per-$1,000 rate declines above $1 million, so confirm the exact step with the city if your estimate is high. As an illustration, an estimate of $50,000 would cost $30 on the first $2,000 plus $96 on the remaining $48,000, or $126 before any other adjustment. If your business is located outside Goose Creek (a non-resident business), the fee is doubled. Ask the city how it defines residency for this purpose.
6. Plan for the hospitality and accommodations taxes if they apply. Goose Creek levies a 2% hospitality tax and a 1% accommodations tax. If you sell prepared food and beverages, expect the 2% hospitality tax. If you rent lodging, including an STR, expect the 1% accommodations tax. Confirm with the city which tax covers your sales and how and when you report it.
7. Add the state permits your business needs. If you sell tangible goods, get a Retail License from the SCDOR. It is a one-time, nonrefundable $50 fee per location, applied for through the Business Tax Application on MyDORWAY, and sellers of taxable goods collect the state's 6% sales tax. Retail food permits come from the South Carolina Department of Agriculture, not DHEC. Contractors should know that commercial contractor licenses start above $10,000 and residential specialty registration starts above $500. Confirm both thresholds with the state's contractor licensing authority before you bid on work.
8. Submit and pay. Pay through OpenGov, save the confirmation, and watch your email for questions from the city. The city's processing time is not stated here, so ask the license office when to expect a decision.
9. File a home occupation license separately if you work from home. A home occupation needs its own license on top of your general license, and it also depends on zoning approval. Ask zoning which activities, client visits, signage and employees are allowed at a residence before you invest in the space.
10. Apply for an STR unit permit if you rent a home short term. The STR unit permit costs $100 per year, and the city allows one permit per lot. You must maintain an agent who responds within one hour. Confirm with the city whether the STR permit sits alongside your general license and whether the 1% accommodations tax applies to your rental.
11. Calendar your renewal. Goose Creek, like every South Carolina licensing city and county, uses a May 1 to April 30 license year, and renewals are due April 30. Renewals run through localblrenewal.com, operated by the SC Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office.

Tips and Common Mistakes

• Do not treat the Secretary of State filing as your license. Registration creates or confirms your entity. It does not authorize you to operate in Goose Creek.
• Do not assume Berkeley County issues your license. Berkeley County has no business license, so a city address needs the city's license.
• Start zoning before you spend money on the rest. A zoning problem can hold up the entire application.
• Match your names everywhere. Use identical business names and addresses on the Secretary of State filing, the EIN, the SCDOR account and OpenGov.
• Calendar the CL-1 deadline. A corporation has 60 days from doing business to file Form CL-1 and pay the $25 initial License Fee.
• Budget for the non-resident doubling. If your business is located outside the city, the Class 1 fee doubles.
• Plan coverage for the one-hour agent rule. An STR permit requires an agent who responds within one hour, so a slower response does not meet the condition.
• Keep your registered agent current. An LLC needs a South Carolina agent with a street address, and a change of agent is made by filing a statement of change with the Secretary of State.

What Results to Expect

A complete, accurately filed application should move through the city with fewer follow-up questions. Once the license is issued, you should be able to display it for the license year it covers. Your annual costs should be easier to predict if you estimated receipts carefully and budgeted for the state Retail License, any hospitality or accommodations tax, and the STR permit. Results depend on the accuracy of your filings, the zoning decision and the city's own timing, so none of these outcomes is guaranteed.

Where to Get Help

If you are unsure whether your business is a home occupation, an STR or a general operation, call the city before you file. The South Carolina Small Business Development Centers at https://www.scsbdc.com/ can help you think through structure and paperwork. For tax treatment, the choice between an LLC and a corporation, or any arrangement that crosses jurisdictions, talk with a CPA or attorney who works with South Carolina businesses.