Dorchester County, SC Soliciting & Door-to-Door: Solicitor Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- License fee
- $25.00 annually
- Issuing office
- Clerk of court of common pleas
- Permitted hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Geographic scope
- Unincorporated areas only
- Farmer exception
- Own farm produce exempt
Summary
Peddlers selling door to door in unincorporated Dorchester County need a $25 annual county license from the clerk of court under Code § 8-136, and can only sell between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. under § 8-139. The rules do not apply inside any city or town, or to local farmers selling their own produce.
No person shall sell, offer for sale, cause to be sold, barter, peddle, solicit or take orders for sale of any goods, wares or merchandise of any kind or nature whatsoever beyond the corporate limits of any city or town in the county without first procuring a license therefor as provided in this article... Peddlers of merchandise in unincorporated areas in the county may only sell or offer for sale their wares during the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m.
Full Breakdown
Article IV of Chapter 8, adopted by Ord. No. 81-14 in 1981, requires anyone who sells, offers to sell, barters, peddles, solicits, or takes orders for goods, wares, or merchandise beyond any incorporated city or town's limits in the county to first obtain a license under § 8-135. 00 annually, obtained from the clerk of court of common pleas. Section 8-137 bars prorating or transferring a peddler's license and requires the peddler to show the license to any citizen who asks before offering goods for sale.
Two exceptions exist under § 8-138: the article does not apply within any incorporated city or town in the county, and it does not apply to a farmer selling farm produce that farmer raised individually or on land the farmer owns. , and § 8-140 requires peddlers to carry identification proving they are employed by the firm that obtained the license.
Violations & Fines
The article carries no dedicated penalty section, so a peddler who sells without a license, outside the 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. window, or without carrying required identification is subject to the county's general penalty under § 1-8: a fine of up to $500.00 or up to 30 days imprisonment, with each day of a continuing violation a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license to go door to door selling in unincorporated Dorchester County?
What hours can peddlers sell in Dorchester County?
Are farmers exempt from the Dorchester County peddler license?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dorchester County
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