York County, SC Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Owned cat definition
- § 55.01 excludes free-roaming/feral cats
- Minimum hold period
- 5 days at the animal shelter
- Illegal release penalty
- $50 first offense, up to $100 later
- Reclaim requirement
- Owner 18+, rabies proof, impound fee
- Mandatory microchip
- Implanted on every reclaimed cat
Summary
York County treats owned cats differently from free-roaming cats. Code § 55.01 defines a CAT as 'a domestic feline of either sex, except a free roaming cat,' while a FREE ROAMING CAT is 'any friendly or feral cat without an identifiable owner and home.' Owners of cats face fines for dodging quarantine or impoundment under § 55.21(B).
(2) Release or take out of impoundment or quarantine without proper authority any dog or cat or resist county or municipal shelter personnel engaging in the capture and impoundment or quarantine of a dog or quarantining of a cat; (3) Any person who violates the provisions of this section § 55.21(B), is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, must be fined $50 for a first offense and not more than $100 for each subsequent offense.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-49: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 3925, passed 6-16-25).
Full Breakdown
The county's animal ordinance, codified at Chapter 55 and last amended by Ordinance 3519 in 2019, splits cats into two legal categories. 01. That distinction matters because owned cats carry the same quarantine and impoundment duties as dogs. 21(B) makes it unlawful for a cat owner or keeper to release or take a cat out of impoundment or quarantine without authority, or to resist shelter personnel who are capturing, impounding or quarantining the cat. 34, which runs from $75 (first occurrence, unsterilized) up to $300 for a fourth or later occurrence.
30(C). York County does not operate a separate cat-licensing program; free-roaming and feral cats fed by community caretakers who don't claim ownership fall outside these owner obligations entirely.
Violations & Fines
Releasing a cat from impoundment or quarantine without authority, or resisting shelter personnel handling a cat, is a misdemeanor under § 55.21(B)(3): a $50 fine for a first offense and up to $100 for each later offense. A cat impounded and not reclaimed within five days under § 55.21(G) may be euthanized, adopted out, or transferred to a rescue group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does York County require cat owners to license their cats?
Are feral or community cats regulated the same as pet cats in York County?
What happens if I take my cat out of county quarantine without permission?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in York County
Compare York County to another location·View the South Carolina animal ordinances overview
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