Beaufort County, SC Animal Ordinances: Breed Restrictions (2026)

Under § 14-30, BCAS's director or a designee may make an initial breed determination for a Pit Bull upon contact with or impoundment of a dog, using BCAS's breed determination checklist; a technical deficiency against the Pit Bull standard defined at § 14-27 does not by itself defeat the determination. The owner, or any adult at the premises, receives written notice, or it is posted if no adult is present, and the dog must be spayed or neutered within ten days of that notice unless the owner documents one of the exemptions: the dog is under four months old, a veterinarian certifies spay/neuter would endanger its health (valid up to 12 months), the breed determination is under appeal, the owner has had the dog fewer than 30 days (with a ten-day grace period from notice), it is an assistance dog, or it is kept at a licensed breeding kennel.

Every restricted dog must also carry a BCAS-approved microchip for permanent identification. An owner may appeal the breed determination to the Beaufort County Magistrate Court within ten days of notice; if the appeal fails or is never filed, the determination becomes final and the owner has ten more days to comply and submit written proof to BCAS. An unlicensed Pit Bull found anywhere in the county may be temporarily detained for identification purposes, with kenneling costs charged to the owner, and an owner who relocates the dog outside the county must give BCAS the new address and phone number within 15 days of the county's notice.