Lancaster County, SC Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Tag age threshold
- Required once cat is over 4 months old
- Required tags
- Owner ID tag and current rabies vaccination tag
- Untagged cat
- May be impounded by animal control
- Hold period
- 5 calendar days at the shelter
- Rabies inoculation
- Required within 30 days of ownership
- Free roaming cat
- Feral/friendly cat with no owner, exempt
Summary
In unincorporated Lancaster County, every cat over four months old must wear an owner identification tag and a current rabies vaccination tag under Lancaster County Code § 6-6. Cats without tags may be impounded by Animal Control; the code separately defines an unowned feral or friendly cat as a "free roaming cat."
Cat. A domestic feline of either sex, except a free roaming cat. ... Free roaming cat. Any friendly or feral cat without an identifiable owner and home. ... It shall be unlawful for any dog or cat owner who resides in the county to fail to provide their dog or cat over four months of age with an identification tag indicating the owner's name, address, and telephone number. ... It shall be unlawful for the owner of any dog or cat in the county not to have the dog or cat wear the identification tag and rabies tag. Dogs and cats not wearing such tags may be impounded.
Full Breakdown
" For owned cats, § 6-6(a) makes it unlawful for a cat owner residing in the county to fail to provide the cat, once it is over four months old, with an identification tag showing the owner's name, address and telephone number, and requires a current rabies vaccination tag as well. Section 6-6(b) separately makes it unlawful for an owner not to have the cat wearing the rabies tag issued by the administering veterinarian; a cat found without a displayable rabies tag may be impounded.
Cats are also folded into Chapter 6's general framework: they must be inoculated against rabies within thirty days under § 6-31, and an unsterilized cat impounded by animal services cannot be adopted out under § 6-10 unless the new owner agrees to have it sterilized within forty-five days. The chapter is enforced only in unincorporated Lancaster County and in any municipality that has a written agreement with the county for animal control services, per § 6-16(a). Lancaster County does not require an annual cat license or registration fee separate from the tag requirement described above.
Violations & Fines
Failing to tag a cat, or failing to keep its rabies tag on, is a violation animal control officers may address by impoundment or by issuing a notice of violation under §§ 6-6, 6-16(f). A cat picked up without tags is held five calendar days under § 6-8(a); redeeming it requires paying the impoundment and boarding fee, any microchip fee, and outstanding citations, and bringing the cat into full compliance with tag and rabies requirements before release. A conviction for violating Chapter 6 is a misdemeanor punishable as set out in § 1-10, per § 6-17(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a license for my cat in unincorporated Lancaster County?
What is a "free roaming cat" under Lancaster County's code?
What happens if animal control picks up my untagged cat?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lancaster County
Compare Lancaster County to another location·View the South Carolina animal ordinances overview
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