Public Notice Guide: Professions and Occupations

Plumbers and Plumbing

Notice of a public hearing (In counties over 150,000)
40-49-230

A notice of a public hearing held for the purpose of adopting rules and regulations in the county and by the power of the governing body of any municipality, incorporated community or water, sewer or public service district. The notice shall be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least once a week for three successive weeks.

Section
Notice
Where
When
40-49-230
A notice of a public hearing for the purpose of adopting rules and regulations in the county
A newspaper of general circulation in the county
At least once a week for three successive weeks

Exact wording:

“Whenever the governing body of any such county shall determine that such rules and regulations are necessary in any area or section of the county or whenever the council, commission or other governing body of any municipality, incorporated community or water, sewer or public service district in the county shall determine that such rules or regulations are necessary in the territory comprised within its limits, it shall hold a public hearing, after notice thereof (describing the area or section) shall have been published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county at least once a week for three successive weeks, for the purpose of considering the necessity of such rules and regulations, the type, coverage and contents thereof and the exact extent of the area or section proposed to be covered thereby.”

Notice of copies of rules and regulations
40-49-240

In counties over 150,000, a notice, stating where copies can be found of rules and regulations in regards to plumbing and sewerage, must be published by the governing body that has the power of decision making over the rules and regulations in the county. The notice must be placed in a newspaper of general circulation in the county.

Section
Notice
Where
When
40-49-240
A notice stating where copies can be found of rules and regulations in regards to plumbing and sewerage in counties over 150,000
A newspaper of general circulation in the county
When copies are available and/or provided

Exact wording:

“Whenever rules and regulations shall have been provided and prescribed hereunder, the governing body providing and prescribing them shall forthwith cause to be printed a sufficient number of copies thereof to furnish a copy to anyone applying therefor and shall cause to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county notice stating in substance that such rules and regulations have been provided and prescribed and giving the place at which copies thereof may be obtained.”

Labor and Employment

Occupational Health and Safety

Notice of a hearing on occupational safety and health standards
41-15-220

In terms of occupational safety and health standards, the Director of the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation needs to place a notice of a public hearing for the purpose of reviewing regulations. The notice shall state the time, place, and date of the hearing along with a description of the regulation. It should be published in at least three newspapers, at least one of which has circulation in upper, middle, and lower South Carolina, once a week for three weeks. The notice must also be published in the State Register.

Section
Notice
Where
When
41-15-220
A notice of a public hearing for the purpose of a regulation in terms of occupational safety and health standards. The notice shall state the time, place, and date of the hearing along with a description of the regulation
At least three newspapers, at least one of which has circulation in upper, middle, and lower South Carolina. Also must be published in the State Register
Once a week for three weeks

Exact wording:

“(A) Before the promulgation, modification, or revocation of a regulation issued pursuant to this article, the Director shall conduct a public hearing at which all interested persons, including employer and employee representatives, must be provided an opportunity to appear and present their comments orally or written, or both. Notice of the hearing must be published in the State Register and in at least three newspapers, at least one of which has circulation in upper, lower, and middle South Carolina, once a week for three weeks. The notice must contain the date, time, and place of the hearing and a brief description of the proposed regulation.”

Private Personnel Placement Services

Application for a license
41-25-30

A person must have a license to engage in the private personnel placement service business. To apply, an application must contain verification from a newspaper of the greatest circulation in the county that a public notification containing the information required in the application has been included in the newspaper on at least one occasion before the filing. If the application is not in compliance the application must be denied and the business must be notified to cease operation and make public notification of closure of the service in the newspaper of the greatest circulation in the county.

Section
Notice
Where
When
41-25-30
A verification that a public notification contains the required information for the application, and a notice from the business to the public if the application is denied
A newspaper with the greatest circulation in the county
On at least one occasion before the filing

Exact wording:

“(C) Each application must be written and in a form prescribed by the Secretary and must contain:

…(8) a verification from a newspaper of the greatest circulation in the county of the applicant’s location that a public notification containing the information required in the application has been included in the newspaper on at least one occasion before the filing;”

“​​If compliance is not met within the specified time, the Secretary shall deny license renewal, return the license fee, and notify that business to cease operation and make public notification of closure of the service in the newspaper of the greatest circulation in the county in which it is located.” Part G

Economic Development

Industrial development projects
41-43-100

The authority, aka the South Carolina Jobs – Economic Development Authority (a state-owned enterprise), has the power to issue or refund any bonds on certain projects as long as a public hearing is held. A notice needs to be placed in a newspaper of general circulation in the county where the project is located prior to the date of the public hearing.

Section
Notice
Where
When
41-43-100
A notice of a public hearing held for the purpose of the issuance and refunding of bonds for industrial development projects
A newspaper of general circulation in the county where the project is located
Before the date of the public hearing

Exact wording:

“The authority may issue bonds pursuant to this section after a public hearing is held as required by federal law to enable interest on such bonds to be excluded from gross income for federal tax purposes. Notice of any required public hearing must be provided to the public and to the clerk of the county council or clerk of the municipal council in the county or municipality in which the project is or will be located at the times and in the manner permitted or required by federal tax law. Additionally, a copy of the public hearing notice must be published by the authority in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the project is located before the date of the public hearing, if such public hearing is required by federal law; provided, however, the notice posted by the authority as required by federal law shall control for the purpose of compliance with any federal law and not the notice published in the newspaper where the project is located.”

Find out more about public notices

SCPA offers a compendium of public notice/legal advertising laws including exact wording and details on when and where an ad has to be run. Organized by topic, this resource is the best way to navigate our state’s public notice laws.