South Carolina’s ABL-946 form, titled “Consent and Waiver,” is a one-page disclosure that every principal of a business applying for a retail beer, wine, or liquor-by-the-drink license must sign and submit alongside the main ABL-901 application. Each owner, corporate officer, LLC member, manager, partner, nonprofit officer, fiduciary, or publicly traded agent fills out their own copy. The South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) will not process the license application until it has one ABL-946 for every principal listed.
Who Has to Fill Out a Separate Form
The form lists eight principal types, and each person checks the one that matches their role:
- Owner — sole proprietors or individual owners.
- Corporate officer — any officer of a corporation applying for a license.
- Partner — general partners in a partnership.
- Member (LLC) — members of a limited liability company.
- Manager (LLC) — managers who may or may not hold an ownership stake.
- Nonprofit officer — officers of a nonprofit applying for a private club liquor-by-the-drink license.
- Fiduciary — anyone acting in a fiduciary capacity for the business.
- Publicly traded agent — the designated agent for a publicly traded company.
If an LLC has five members, five ABL-946 forms go in the package. One missing form stalls the whole application.
Eligibility Each Signer Must Meet
SCDOR screens every principal individually, so each person signing an ABL-946 needs to clear the state’s eligibility standards before putting pen to paper.
For beer and wine permits, every applicant must be at least 21, a legal U.S. resident, and a South Carolina resident with a principal place of abode in the state for at least 30 days before the application date.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 61 Chapter 4 – Alcoholic Beverages, Beer and Wine The 30-day residency rule applies to liquor license applicants too, with an added requirement that the person be “of good repute.”2South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 61 Chapter 6 – Alcoholic Beverage Control Act If the applicant is an entity rather than a sole proprietor, the 30-day clock runs from the date the entity registered with the South Carolina Secretary of State, not from when the owners personally moved to the state.3South Carolina Department of Revenue. ABL-901 Application for Retail Beer, Wine, and Liquor
Prior license trouble can disqualify you outright. A beer or wine permit cannot be issued if the applicant had a permit revoked within two years before the application date; for liquor licenses, the lookback period is five years. A conviction under South Carolina’s alcoholic beverage control statutes automatically revokes any existing beer, wine, or liquor license, and a first offense bars the person from a new license for one year. A second offense extends that bar to two years.2South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 61 Chapter 6 – Alcoholic Beverage Control Act
What to Gather Before You Start
Pull everything together for each principal before opening the PDF. Hunting for a Social Security Number or a court disposition mid-form is how applications slip by weeks.
- Business identifiers: the exact legal entity name as registered with the Secretary of State, the Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN), and any SCDOR file number the business already has.
- Personal identification: full legal name, Social Security Number, date of birth, and the date you became a South Carolina resident. The form requires a home address — P.O. boxes are not accepted.4South Carolina Department of Revenue. Consent and Waiver ABL-946
- Ownership percentage, or your corporate title if you are an officer without an ownership stake.
- Criminal history details. If you have any convictions in South Carolina or elsewhere, you need to attach a written explanation with dates and dispositions.
- License revocation history. If you, or any organization where you were a principal, has ever had a beer, wine, or liquor license revoked or suspended in any state, that also requires a written explanation.4South Carolina Department of Revenue. Consent and Waiver ABL-946
- Criminal record check (CRC) less than 90 days old. If you have lived in South Carolina for two years or more, get it from SLED at sled.sc.gov. If you have been in the state for less than two years, you need a statewide CRC from your previous state of residence in addition to one from SLED.3South Carolina Department of Revenue. ABL-901 Application for Retail Beer, Wine, and Liquor
The SSN is not optional. South Carolina Regulation 117-201 requires anyone making a return to SCDOR to provide identifying numbers, and 42 U.S.C. 405(c)(2)(C)(i) authorizes the state to use Social Security Numbers for tax administration.4South Carolina Department of Revenue. Consent and Waiver ABL-946
Walking Through the Form
Download the current version from the SCDOR’s ABL forms page at dor.sc.gov. The form is a single page, but the entries have to match the rest of your application exactly.
Business Information at the Top
Enter the legal entity name exactly as it appears on your Secretary of State registration, the business FEIN, and the SCDOR file number if one has already been assigned. These identifiers link your ABL-946 to the ABL-901, so even a small discrepancy between the two can cause processing delays.
Principal Information
Each principal fills in their full legal name, home address, date of South Carolina residency, date of birth, SSN, percentage of ownership, and checks one of the eight principal-type boxes. If you are an LLC manager who also holds an ownership interest, choose the category that best reflects your primary role.
Two yes-or-no questions follow. The first asks whether you, or any organization where you were a principal, has ever had a beer, wine, or liquor license revoked or suspended in any state. The second asks whether you have ever been convicted of a crime in South Carolina or elsewhere. A “yes” to either requires a separate written explanation with the details.4South Carolina Department of Revenue. Consent and Waiver ABL-946 A past conviction does not automatically disqualify you, but failing to disclose one will. SCDOR runs background checks through SLED and will catch omissions.
Consent, Waiver, and Signature
The bottom of the form is what gives it its official name. By signing, you consent to SCDOR verifying whether you owe any delinquent taxes, penalties, or interest, and you waive your rights under SC Code Sections 12-54-240 and 30-2-1, which otherwise restrict the department from sharing your tax information. SCDOR cannot issue a license to anyone with delinquent taxes, so the waiver is how it confirms you are clear.4South Carolina Department of Revenue. Consent and Waiver ABL-946
The signature line carries a perjury declaration. You affirm that everything on the form is true, correct, and complete, and you acknowledge that a misstatement or concealment of fact is grounds for revoking the license. No notary is required; your signature under penalty of perjury is enough.4South Carolina Department of Revenue. Consent and Waiver ABL-946
What Goes With It in the Package
ABL-946 does not stand on its own. It is one piece of the ABL-901 application, and SCDOR will not act on it in isolation. According to the ABL-901 checklist (revised April 2026), a complete application requires:
- ABL-901, the main application, signed and dated.
- ABL-946 for each principal.
- ABL-920, a supplementary form.
- A criminal record check for every principal, less than 90 days old.
- The receipt and affidavit from a newspaper advertisement run in an approved paper for three consecutive weeks within the last 90 days.
- Either the ABL-977 or proof of location (lease, deed, or tax bill; assignment of lease if subleased).
- A Retail Sales License number, available at dor.sc.gov/register.
LLCs, LLPs, and general partnerships also submit their operating or partnership agreement. Corporations need the ABL-919 Articles of Incorporation issued by the South Carolina Secretary of State.3South Carolina Department of Revenue. ABL-901 Application for Retail Beer, Wine, and Liquor
How to Submit
The fastest route is SCDOR’s free online portal, MyDORWAY, at mydorway.dor.sc.gov, which integrates the ABL-946 and supporting documents into your existing business account.5South Carolina Department of Revenue. Alcohol Beverage Licensing
For paper filing, mail the complete package to SCDOR, ABL Section, PO Box 125, Columbia, SC 29214-0907. You can also email it to ABL@dor.sc.gov.3South Carolina Department of Revenue. ABL-901 Application for Retail Beer, Wine, and Liquor
After You Submit
SCDOR processes applications within six to eight weeks after receiving a complete package.3South Carolina Department of Revenue. ABL-901 Application for Retail Beer, Wine, and Liquor That assumes every form is correct and every supporting document is included. A missing ABL-946 or an expired criminal record check pushes you back to the start of the queue. During the review, SCDOR runs background checks on every principal, uses your waiver to verify tax compliance, and confirms the proposed location meets proximity requirements. If clarification is needed, the department reaches out through MyDORWAY or by mail.
Updating the Form Later
ABL-946 is not a one-time filing. If your business changes officers or ownership after licensing, SCDOR expects updated forms. For nonprofit organizations renewing a license, any change to officers requires submitting meeting minutes reflecting the changes along with a new ABL-946 and ABL-946R.6South Carolina Department of Revenue. License Directory