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The Official Web Site of the State of South Carolina

Did you know that as of January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act enacted by Congress requires many companies to report beneficial ownership information to the US Treasury Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN)? Beneficial ownership information (BOI), as defined by FinCEN, is identifying information about the individuals who directly or indirectly own or control a company. Please review the BOI links on our website to see if you are required to report to FinCEN.

Cable Franchise

Under the South Carolina Competitive Cable Services Act (S.C. Code of Laws §58-12-300), the Secretary of State serves as the cable franchising authority for local governments. Please note that the Secretary of State’s Office is not authorized to investigate consumer complaints against cable companies. 

Pursuant to S.C. Code of Laws §58-12-360, the South Carolina Department of Consumer Affairs receives all complaints from customers against cable providers. All customer complaints regarding cable companies should be directed to:

The Department of Consumer Affairs
293 Greystone Blvd., Ste. 400
Post Office Box 5757
Columbia, SC 29210
(803) 734-4200
 

To apply for a certificate of franchise authority, an applicant must:

When a cable provider is applying for a state-issued certificate of franchise authority before the expiration of a local government issued franchise, the provider should also use the Cover Letter for an Application for a State-Issued Certificate of Franchise Authority (PDF). The cover letter should be attached to the Application for a State-Issued Certificate of Franchise Authority or an Amended Application for a State-Issued Certificate of Franchise Authority. The application with cover letter cannot be submitted more than 80 days before the expiration of the local government-issued certificate of franchise authority.

The following forms may be filed when changes are made to a certificate of franchise authority:

SC Secretary of State's Office
Attn: Cable Franchises
1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525
Columbia, SC 29201