DoorWorthy

Who needs an unemployment insurance account, new hire reporting and workers’ compensation in South Carolina?

Issued by South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce; South Carolina New Hire Reporting Center (DSS); South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission, at step 6 of 6 in the opening sequence: before the first hire.

Every kind of business in South Carolina

The South Carolina table lists this for every kind of business.

Register with DEW online as soon as you have an employee. Workers’ compensation insurance is required once the business regularly employs four or more people; part-time, seasonal and family workers all count, and a business with under $3,000 of payroll in the prior year is exempt. Report each new hire within 20 days of the first day of work.

Checked Oct 21, 2026 against the agency’s page.

Step 6 of 6: Before the first hire

  1. Set up the business
  2. Register for tax
  3. Approve the space
  4. Get the permits for your kind of business
  5. Alcohol permits
  6. Before the first hire

Issued by South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce; South Carolina New Hire Reporting Center (DSS); South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Sources and dates

Department of Employment and Workforce 2026 tax rate information and press release; newhire.sc.gov (Code of Laws 43-5-598); Workers’ Compensation Law, Code of Laws 42-1-360. Checked against the agency’s page on the date shown; cities add their own fees.

Questions about opening here.