Horry County, SC Business Licensing & Operations: Secondhand Dealers (2026)
Key Facts
- Precious metals permit issued by
- Local law enforcement
- Precious metals authority
- S.C. Code § 40-54-20
- Nonferrous metals permit issued by
- County sheriff (of residence)
- Nonferrous metals authority
- S.C. Code § 16-17-680
- Business license
- Withheld until permit is shown
Summary
Dealers who buy precious metals from the public, or who sell or transport nonferrous scrap like copper and aluminum to a recycler, need a state-mandated permit before Horry County will issue their business license, on top of any separate pawnbroker licensing.
A precious metals dealer must obtain a permit from local law enforcement to engage in the business of purchasing precious metals pursuant to S.C. Code § 40-54-20 before he can obtain a business license. A seller of transporter of nonferrous metals (e.g. copper and aluminum other than aluminum cans) to a secondary recycler must hold a valid nonferrous metals permit issued by the sheriff in his county of residence pursuant to S.C. Code § 16-17-680 before he can obtain a business license.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
5-99, part of the county's business license article, ties two secondhand-materials permits directly to the business license requirement. C. C. Code § 16-17-680. Both permits are conditions precedent: the county's finance office will not issue the underlying business license until the applicant shows proof of the law-enforcement permit. 5-99 targets the narrower trade in raw precious and scrap metals, where state law routes the permit through law enforcement rather than the finance department. A hawker or peddler selling goods door to door is exempted from the general business license under this same section but must instead hold the separate hawkers-and-peddlers license under Article III.
Violations & Fines
Obtaining or renewing a business license as a precious metals or nonferrous metals dealer without first securing the required law-enforcement permit is a violation of § 12.5-99, and under the general business license article's false-application provision, § 12.5-101, submitting a business license application without disclosing the missing permit is a separate unlawful act. The county's business license official can deny or revoke the license under §§ 12.5-100 and 12.5-110 for noncompliance with this and other regulatory conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get a Horry County business license to buy scrap copper without a permit?
Is a precious metals dealer the same as a pawnbroker in Horry County?
Who issues the precious metals dealer permit in Horry County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Horry County
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