Qualifications
An entity that purchases, acquires, or imports from the outside of this State or who purchases or acquires from the manufacturer in this State alcoholic liquors.

• An applicant must be 21 years of age, be of good moral character, be a legal resident of the United States and if applying as a sole proprietor, must be a legal resident of South Carolina for 30 days prior to submitting an application to this department.
• The applicant must be the owner of the business seeking the license and must not previously have had a license revoked within the past five years.
• All principals, officers, agents, and employees listed on the license must be over the age of 21 and be of good moral character. A current criminal history background check of not more than 90 days old, on each principal, officer, and employee must accompany this application.
• Please check with the city and/or county authorities to insure you are in compliance with zoning laws and local business license requirements.
• Tax Liabilities: A license cannot be issued if the applicant or any principal has any outstanding tax liabilities with the SCDOR.
• Sign Posting:
1. An agent of the SC State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) must post and remove a sign at the proposed place of business.
2. This sign must remain posted for at least 15 days, and may be removed only by the SLED agent. If the sign disappears before the SLED agent removes it, contact the SCDOR or SLED immediately.
3. Licenses will not be issued until the afternoon of the fourth day after the sign is taken down by the agent; unless your published ad provides for a later date.
• Newspaper Advertisements:
1. A notice of application must be placed at least once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks in a newspaper approved by the department for your area.
2. This notice must:
• Be in the legal notices section of the newspaper or an equivalent section if the newspaper has no legal notices section;
• Be in large type, covering a space of one column wide and at least two inches deep; and
• State the type of license applied for and the exact location of the proposed business.
3. To complete your application, you must submit your Affidavit of Publication and a copy of the ad furnished by the approved newspaper office.

Requirements
An entity that purchases, acquires, or imports from the outside of this State or who purchases or acquires from the manufacturer in this State alcoholic liquors.

• Completed application (ABL-902), signed, dated and notarized
• Submit nonrefundable filing fees: $200.00
  LICENSE FEES SHOULD NOT BE SUBMITTED UNTIL LICENSE IS APPROVED.
• Submit an Affidavit of Publication from the newspaper running your ad. The affidavit must include a copy of your ad. If you just started your ad in the newspaper and have not received the ad and affidavit, you MUST include the receipt from the newspaper with your application. Forward the ad and affidavit as soon as the newspaper provides it to you. Your license cannot be issued until this is received.
• Must complete the ABL-946 (Consent and Waiver)
• Must attach copy of Articles of Incorporation, if applying as a corporation
• Must attach a Certificate of Authority to do Business in South Carolina, obtained from the Secretary of State's office, if applying as a foreign corporation.
• Must attach a copy of Articles of Organization and Operating Agreement, if applying as a Limited Liability Corporation.
• Must attach copy of partnership agreement, if applying as a partnership or Limited Liability Partnership.
• All principals must attach a criminal records check (CRC), not more than 90 days old.
• If the principal has lived in SC for more than 2 years, obtain the CRC from SLED at www.sled.state.sc.us or SLED Headquarters, Criminal Records Department, 4400 Broad River Rd., P.O. Box 21398, Columbia, SC 29221.
• If the principal has lived in SC less than 2 years, obtain a statewide CRC from previous state of residency AND a CRC from SLED.
• If principal is not a SC resident, obtain a statewide CRC from current state of residency.
• If you own the property, you must submit a copy of the deed or tax bill; if not, submit a copy of your lease
• Must attach completed residency status verification affidavit. Use Verification of Lawful Presence in the United States– Applicant and Principals (ABL-920) for each principal. Each principal, officer, owner, member, and/or partner MUST sign the form. If applicable, include his/her non-citizen alien registration number and attach a copy of all appropriate immigration documents

 Alcohol License Locations