Colleton County, South Carolina
Unincorporated Colleton County, SC vacation rental requirements
We found no county short-term rental permit in unincorporated Colleton County’s code. Stays pay 12%: 9% state-collected plus the county’s 3% local accommodations tax.
Checked against official sources November 6, 2026Download checklist (PDF)Free. A printable version of this guide to tick off, with the official sources.
We found no short-term rental rules in the county code in November 2026. Bed and breakfast inns are a separate, owner-occupied conditional use. Ask the county about zoning and a business license.
Your licensing checklist
In order: the state, the county, then the town.
State of South Carolina
Get a retail license for direct bookings
If you take bookings yourself, you need a SCDOR retail license for each rental property and must file and pay electronically through MyDORWAY. If you rent only through a property manager or an online travel company that takes the payment, they remit the state tax and you don’t need a license. Rent no more than one week a quarter and you can file once a year instead.Source
Know what the platform collects
Airbnb collects the 5% sales tax, 2% accommodations tax, and the local sales taxes the state collects, on its bookings. It also collects some county and city accommodations taxes, but only in the places it lists. Everything else is yours to file.Source
Register for local taxes
Many counties and cities charge their own accommodations tax (up to 3%), a hospitality tax, or a beach preservation fee. They collect these directly, so you register with the county or city even if a platform pays your state tax.Source
Check your property tax rate
A home that is your legal residence keeps the 4% assessment ratio only if it is rented out 72 days or less a year. Rent it more and it is taxed as a 6% rental property. Ask your county assessor.Source
Then your county and city
Business licenses, rental permits, and zoning are where South Carolina towns differ most. Pick your area.
Colleton County, South Carolina
Register for the county accommodations tax
File the county tax with Colleton County by the 20th. You can file quarterly if you owe $25–$50 a month, or once a year if you owe under $25.Source
Then your town or area
Pick your area.
Colleton County (unincorporated areas)
Register for state and local taxes
The state-collected tax on stays here is 9% (state sales and accommodations tax plus local sales taxes). Airbnb collects it on its bookings; for direct bookings, get a SCDOR retail license and file through MyDORWAY. File the 3% Colleton County local accommodations tax with the county by the 20th of each month. Airbnb doesn’t list it as a tax it collects.Source
Ask about zoning and a business license
Ask the Colleton County (unincorporated areas) whether zoning allows a short-term rental at your address and whether you need a business license. Check your HOA rules too.
Sources
- Accommodations tax · South Carolina Department of Revenue
- Collection and remittance by Airbnb in South Carolina · Airbnb
- Revenue Ruling #15-4: vacation rentals of a residence · South Carolina Department of Revenue
- Code section · Colleton County (Municode)
- Code section · Colleton County (Municode)
A plain-language summary to help you prepare, not legal advice. Rules and fees change; confirm with the office before you apply. Spot something out of date? Email hello@licensedrental.com.