Charleston, SC Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

Section 5-8(a) makes it unlawful to keep or maintain livestock in the city without a livestock permit and the required permit fee; the lot must be at least 1 acre, and livestock must be kept at least 150 feet from any dwelling other than the keeper's own. Section 5-8(b) covers poultry and fowl separately: keeping them without a permit and fee is unlawful, and the housing must sit at least 50 feet from any neighboring dwelling unless the resident within that 50 feet gives written permission.

Free-roaming poultry or fowl are not permitted under any circumstance, meaning birds must be contained even with a valid permit. The section is explicit that roosters, defined as male chickens, cannot be owned, kept, possessed, or lodged anywhere within city limits, full stop, regardless of permit status. This rooster ban was carried forward when the city overhauled its animal ordinance chapter in 2025: an August 19, 2025 amendment repealed the prior version of this section, which had covered swine and poultry together, and replaced it with the current livestock/poultry structure.

Because the permit is issued by the animal control division rather than by right, a would-be keeper needs approval and payment before placing any animal on the property, not just compliance with the acreage and setback numbers.