Cable Franchise Authority

Under the South Carolina Competitive Cable Services Act (S.C. Code of Laws §58-12-300), the Secretary of State serves as the central franchising authority. As of May 23, 2006, (the effective date of the act), no municipality or county may issue a cable franchise pursuant to §58-12-30. All cable franchises must be issued by the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State strongly recommends that any applicant review the governing statute as many changes were made to the process.

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

  1. Submit two copies of the Application for a State-Issued Certificate of Franchise Authority.
  2. Submit two copies of the Affidavit in Support of a State-Issued Certificate of Franchise Authority, signed by an officer or general partner and notarized.
  3. Include the application fee of $110. 
Special Note

Cable providers who wish to apply for a State-Issued Certificate of Franchise Authority prior to the expiration of their local government issued certificate of franchise authority, may do so by attaching the Cover Letter for an Application for a State-Issued Certificate of Franchise Authority to their application.  The cover letter and application may be submitted no more than 80 days prior to the expiration of the local government issued certificate of franchise authority.  Upon receipt of the application with cover letter, the Secretary of State’s Office will follow its normal procedure in processing the application.  A State-Issued Certificate of Franchise Authority will not be issued by the Secretary of State’s Office until the day following the expiration date of the local government issued certificate of franchise authority.  This new process will help prevent the lapse of time between the local government and state-issued certificates of franchise authority, and ensure that the cable provider is providing service under a valid certificate as required by federal law.

Contact Us

(803) 734-0367

Edgar Brown Building
1205 Pendleton Street, Suite 525
Columbia, SC 29211

Post Office Box 11350
Columbia, SC 29211

To read the statute governing state-issued cable franchises, please follow the link below:

http://www.scstatehouse.net/code/t58c012.htm

The Municipal Association of South Carolina’s Website (www.masc.sc) provides listings of each municipality in South Carolina that may assist with the application process for a State-Issued Certificate of Franchise Authority.

Search all State-Issued Cable Franchise Certificates by Provider and Service Area  **SEARCH IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION.  PLEASE CHECK BACK SOON FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.**

Consumer Complaints Against Cable Providers

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

The Department of Consumer Affairs
3600 Forest Drive, 3rd Floor
Post Office Box 5757
Columbia, SC 29250

(803) 734-4200
(800) 922-1594  


To obtain the forms for Cable Franchises, follow the link below:
Cable Franchise Forms