How to get a short-term rental permit in Horry County, SC (2026)
Horry County requires Horry County Business License, renewed annual. Here's how to get and keep it.
Permit at a glance
| Permit required | Yes |
|---|---|
| Permit name | Horry County Business License |
| Renewal | Annual |
Step by step
- 1
Confirm your property is eligible
Confirm the property's zoning allows short-term rentals. The Horry County Zoning Ordinance (updated July 1, 2026) contains no 'short-term rental' or 'vacation rental' use category or restriction; a full-text search of the 345-page ordinance found none. Its Lodging & Transient Accommodations Use Chart (Section 204.2) regulates only boarding houses, bed & breakfasts, hotels/motels and campgrounds, and the Resort Housing (RH) district is expressly intended for uses 'reliant on the transient population.' In practice, renting a dwelling short-term is treated as a residential use allowed county-wide, subject only to business licensing and taxes. Note: this applies to unincorporated areas only - municipalities inside the county (Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, etc.) have separate, stricter STR zoning.
- 2
Apply for the Horry County Business License
Submit the Horry County Business License application to Horry County. Fee is based on gross rental income, not a flat amount. Under the rate schedule effective January 1, 2024, the minimum fee for the first $50,000 of gross income is $30-$60 depending on the business's NAICS rate class (1-7), plus roughly $1.07-$1.43 per additional $1,000 of gross income; minimums and rates are multiplied by 200% for nonresidents with no fixed place of business in the county. The county did not publish which rate class applies to short-term rentals, so the exact minimum could not be pinned down. Zoning approval is required before the license is issued.
- 3
Register for occupancy taxes
Register to collect and remit the applicable lodging/occupancy taxes for Horry County. Some are collected automatically by the booking platform and some you may need to remit yourself.
- 4
Renew on schedule
The permit renews annual — set a reminder so it never lapses, since operating on an expired permit typically triggers fines.
STR rules change without warning.
Get an email the moment Horry County changes its short-term rental rules — plus renewal reminders before your permit expires.
Watch Horry County for changes →Free monthly digest · same-day alerts from $5/mo · cancel anytime
Keep going
Verified July 12, 2026. Informational only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Permit requirements and fees change; confirm current requirements with Horry County before applying.