Sumter County, SC Animal Ordinances: Cat Rules (2026)

Article III of Chapter 6, Rabies Control, is where cats are actually regulated in unincorporated Sumter County. Sec. 6-85 defines "pet" as "only domesticated species of carnivores," a definition that covers cats even though Article II's dog-control provisions define "dogs" as members of the canine family and do not reach cats. Sec. 6-86(a) makes it unlawful to own, keep, or harbor a pet for longer than 60 days unless it has been inoculated against rabies, and subsection (b) requires the owner to have the pet reinoculated every year.

A licensed veterinarian must issue a state board of health certificate under subsection (c) recording the pet's name, breed, color, markings, age, and sex, plus a serially numbered metal tag under subsection (d) that must stay attached to the cat's collar or harness at all times. Subsection (e) requires the owner keep a valid immunization certificate available for inspection, subsection (f) requires a lost tag be replaced without delay, and subsection (g) lets a certificate transfer to a new owner when a cat changes hands.

Subsection (i) makes it unlawful for the owner of any pet that has not been inoculated as required to allow it to run at-large, which is the closest thing this article has to an at-large rule for cats. A cat that bites a person must be confined at least ten days for observation under Sec. 6-89, with the county health department or animal control officer permitted to examine it during that period.