Greenwood County, SC Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)

In Greenwood County's AG-3 agricultural district, Greenwood County Code § 6-3-32.5(b)(2) states that keeping or raising animals, fish, birds or poultry for sale is not a permitted use; it is only allowed as a conditional use if the standards in the code are met. Section 6-3-32.5(c)(4) sets those standards for "animal and livestock keeping": the lot must contain a minimum of five acres, the keeping area must be fenced, and any electrified fence must be marked. That conditional use requires review and approval before animals can be kept, unlike the county's less restrictive AG-1 and AG-2 agricultural districts, where § 6-3-31(b)(2) and § 6-3-32(b)(2) list "keeping or raising for sale animals, fish, birds or poultry" as a permitted use alongside general farming, so a resident on AG-1 or AG-2 land does not need the same five-acre conditional use approval that AG-3 requires.

Related agricultural conditional uses in AG-3 carry their own acreage and buffer rules: riding stables and boarding also require a minimum of five acres, and a veterinary office, animal hospital, boarding facility or clinic must maintain a 100-foot buffer along any property line adjoining a residential use or zone for its kennel runs and outdoor animal storage areas. Because zoning district assignment determines whether backyard chickens or livestock are permitted outright or require conditional use approval, unincorporated Greenwood County residents should confirm their parcel's district with the Building and Planning Department before acquiring animals.