Frequently Asked Questions

All sub/trade permit applications should be submitted via businesslicense@charleston-sc.gov. See Applications & Guidelines for further instructions under Trade Permits.

Try to enter only the street number and the name of the street without the street modifier or unit number, e.g. enter 1650 30, not 1650 30th Street. If your address is still not found, you are not in City of Charleston’s jurisdiction and found an error contact the Digital Services Specialist for assistance.

In the CSS portal, “Holds” are alerts or actual holds. Contact the Permit Center to confirm this and get information on how to lift hold.

Permit may not have been invoiced yet. Reach out to our Revenue Collections Division if your status is “Release for Insurance” or Invoiced and unable to pay.

Invoices may be paid on CSS homepage under the Pay Invoice if you know the invoice number. A customer is logged into CSS and sees the invoice but cannot pay it. The CSS/Contact is not on the invoice as a billable contact. Contact the Permit Center for assistance.

The status of a permit can be found by using the “Search Permits” tool located on the CSS homepage. Customers listed as an authorized contact on a permit may see additional details when they are logged into their CSS account. These details are found the “Reviews” tab, and include:

• Status of an individual review

• Date an individual review was completed

• Anticipated permit due date

Please view our guide before troubleshooting: How to Print a Permit Placard (PDF)

CSS allows printing for certain permits and doesn’t allow print function for business licenses or operational permits. If the permit has not been paid in full or is not in “Issued” status. If paid and printout not available for printing, contact our Revenue Collections Division for assistance.

Approval comments or permit placard documents are in Attachments on the permit detail page. If you do not see the documents needed contact the Digital Services Specialist for assistance.

Any additional submissions after the initial submittal should be emailed to permits@charleston-sc.gov as there is no subsequent notification system. An email is required as notification for your documents to be reviewed and processed.

Documents submitted through CSS must be reviewed and accepted by staff before they are fully processed into our system. They will not be available to be viewed through CSS. Documents will be made available online to be viewed by applicant and the general public once they have been approved. If a document has been approved, but you cannot locate it in the portal, please email permits@charleston-sc.gov to see if the document can be made available online.

There are two areas to look. One way, click on Permit number > Review tab > Click arrow to expand the review > Comments. The second way will be located under the Permit number>Attachments tab.