North Charleston, SC Animal Ordinances: Chickens & Livestock (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 4-8, hogs and swine prohibited
- Scope
- Citywide, all zoning districts
- Legal effect
- Automatically deemed a public nuisance
- Other livestock
- Cattle, horses, goats not banned here
Summary
Keeping any live hog or swine anywhere within North Charleston is banned outright and automatically treated as a public nuisance under the city's animal ordinance.
It shall be unlawful and shall be deemed a public nuisance for any person to keep any live hog or swine within the city.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 75).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 4-8 makes it unlawful - and automatically a public nuisance - for any person to keep a live hog or swine within the City of North Charleston. The animal code's definitions do list other domestic livestock such as cattle, horses, goats, and sheep as recognized 'domestic animals,' but the code carries no equivalent citywide ban for those species; hogs and swine alone are singled out for a full prohibition regardless of zoning district.
Violations & Fines
Keeping a live hog or swine anywhere in the city violates Sec. 4-8 and is automatically a public nuisance, exposing the owner to nuisance enforcement under Sec. 4-7 and impoundment under Sec. 4-14.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I keep a pig in North Charleston?
Does the ban cover other farm animals like goats or chickens?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Charleston
How North Charleston compares: Best Cities for Backyard Chickens·Compare North Charleston to another location·View the South Carolina animal ordinances overview
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Chickens & Livestock in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle chickens & livestock.