Public Notice Guide: Alcohol and Alcoholic Beverages


Beer, Ale, Porter and Wine

Notice of retail permits
61-4-520

If a retail permit is applied for in terms of the sale of beer or wine a notice of application must be published once a week for three consecutive weeks. The advertisement needs to be in the form of a notice and be placed in a newspaper within the proposed area the business will be located. The S.C. Department of Revenue will decide which newspaper based on circulation figures. Only if a newspaper is published in the county and historically places these types of notices can an exception be made. The notice must be placed in the legal notices section, be a column wide, at least two inches deep with large type, state the type of license and the exact location of the proposed business. If seen fit by the department the same notice may be used for an alcohol liquor license.

Section
Notice
Where
When
61-4-520
A notice of a retail permit for the sale of beer or wine
A newspaper closest to where the proposed business will be unless otherwise specified
At least once a week for three consecutive weeks

Exact wording:

“(7)(a) Notice of application has appeared at least once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper most likely to give notice to interested citizens of the county, city, or community in which the applicant proposes to engage in business. The department shall determine which newspapers meet the requirements of this section based on available circulation figures. However, if a newspaper is published in the county and historically has been the newspaper where the advertisements are published, the advertisements published in that newspaper meet the requirements of this section. The notice must: (i) be in the legal notices section of the newspaper or an equivalent section if the newspaper has no legal notices section; (ii) be in large type, covering a space of one column wide and at least two inches deep; and (iii) state the type license applied for and the exact location of the proposed business.”

Notice of application for the licensing of alcohol and alcoholic beverages
61-6-180

If an application has been made by retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers for the licensing of alcohol and alcoholic beverages then an advertisement must be made. The advertisement needs to be in the form of a notice and be placed in a newspaper once a week for three consecutive weeks within the proposed area the business will be located. The S.C. Department of Revenue will decide which newspaper based on circulation figures. Only if a newspaper is published in the county and historically places these types of notices can an exception be made. The notice must be placed in the legal notices section, be a column wide, at least two inches deep with large type, state the type of license and the exact location of the proposed business. If seen fit by the department the same notice may be used for a beer or wine permit. This does not however apply to the renewal of a license to engage in the same business at the same location.

Section
Notice
Where
When
61-6-180
Notice of the application for an alcohol and alcoholic beverage license in terms of retailers, wholesalers, and manufacturers
A newspaper that is located in the proposed area of business and determined by the S.C. Department of Revenue unless otherwise specified
At least once a week for three consecutive weeks

Exact wording:

“(A) A person who intends to apply for a license under this article or Article 7 of this chapter must advertise at least once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper circulated nearest to the proposed location of the business and most likely to give notice to interested citizens of the county, city, and community in which the applicant proposes to engage in business. The department must determine which newspapers meet the requirements of this section based on available circulation figures and the proposed location of the business. However, if a newspaper is published in the county and historically has been the newspaper where the advertisements are published, the advertisements published in that newspaper meet the requirements of this section. The notice must be in the legal notice section of the paper or in an equivalent section if the newspaper has no legal notice section, be in large type, cover a space one column wide and not less than two inches deep, and state the type of license applied for, and the exact location at which the proposed business is to be operated. An applicant for a beer or wine permit and an alcoholic liquor license may use the same advertisement for both if the advertisement is approved by the department.”

Notice of application for license of alcoholic liquors by the drink
61-6-1820

2005 Act No. 139, Section 25, provides as follows: “This act establishes a license to sell alcoholic liquors by the drink. All statutes and regulations applicable to minibottle licenses or permits or applications for licenses or permits apply to licenses or permits for alcoholic liquors by the drink. All minibottle licenses or permits in effect before the effective date of this act are considered to be licenses or permits to sell alcoholic liquors by the drink after the effective date of this act through the expiration of the license or permit.”

If an application has been made in terms of the licensing for the use of alcoholic liquors by the drink an advertisement must be made. The advertisement needs to be in the form of a notice and be placed in a newspaper once a week for three consecutive weeks within the proposed area the business will be located. The S.C. Department of Revenue will decide which newspaper based on circulation figures. Only if a newspaper is published in the county and historically places these types of notices can an exception be made. The notice must be placed in the legal notices section, be a column wide, at least two inches deep with large type, state the type of license and the exact location of the proposed business. If seen fit by the department the same notice may be used for a beer or wine permit.

Section
Notice
Where
When
61-6-1820
A notice of an application for the license of alcoholic liquors by the drink
A newspaper that is located in the proposed area of business and determined by the S.C. Department of Revenue unless otherwise specified
Once a week for three consecutive weeks

Exact wording:

“(4) Notice of application has appeared at least once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper most likely to give notice to interested citizens of the county, municipality, or community in which the applicant proposes to engage in business. The department shall determine which newspapers meet the requirements of this section based on available circulation figures. However, if a newspaper is published in the county and historically has been the newspaper where the advertisements are published, the advertisements published in that newspaper meet the requirements of this section. The notice must: (a) be in the legal notices section of the newspaper or an equivalent section if the newspaper has no legal notices section; (b) be in large type, covering a space of one column wide and at least two inches deep; and (c) state the type license applied for and the exact location of the proposed business. An applicant for a beer or wine permit and an alcoholic liquor license may use the same advertisement for both if it is approved by the department.”

Notice of application for a temporary permit for the use of alcoholic liquors
61-6-2010

The S.C. Department of Revenue may issue a temporary permit upon a referendum vote to allow the possession, sale and consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink. The referendum is to be held at the next general election and a notice of this referendum and its results must be published in a newspaper found in that county or city. The notice shall be placed at least seven days prior to the referendum.

Section
Notice
Where
When
61-6-2010
A notice of a referendum and its results to allow the possession, sale and consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink
A newspaper published in the county or city
At least seven days prior to the referendum and the results posted in conclusion of the referendum

Exact wording:

“C)(1) A permit authorized by this section may be issued only in those counties or municipalities where a majority of the qualified electors voting in a referendum vote in favor of the issuance of the permit. The county or municipal election commission, as the case may be, shall conduct a referendum upon petition of at least ten percent but not more than seven thousand five hundred qualified electors of the county or municipality, as the case may be. The petition form must be submitted to the election commission not less than one hundred twenty days before the date of the referendum. The names on the petition must be on the petition form provided to county election officials by the State Election Commission. The names on the petition must be certified by the election commission within sixty days after receiving the petition form. The referendum must be conducted at the next general election. The election commission shall cause a notice to be published in a newspaper circulated in the county or municipality, as the case may be, at least seven days before the referendum. The state election laws shall apply to the referendum, mutatis mutandis. The election commission shall publish the results of the referendum and certify them to the South Carolina Department of Revenue…”

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.