Lancaster County, SC Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)

Section 6-7(a) requires an owner or custodian to keep a pet under restraint at all times. "Restraint" is defined in § 6-2 to include a leash, cage, bridle or similar device, containment inside a vehicle, a secure fence, or a working invisible fence system that is clearly marked with a permanent sign. Section 6-7(c) tightens this off the owner's own property: no pet may be off the land where the owner resides, or on other private property with that owner's consent, unless it is on a leash at all times.

Owners of dangerous animals face an added confinement duty under § 6-7(d): the animal cannot go unconfined on the owner's premises and must be kept indoors or in a securely enclosed, locked and clearly marked pen designed to prevent both public entry and the animal's escape; outside the enclosure the animal must be muzzled and on a leash or similar restraint controlled by someone at least eighteen years old. Section 6-7(h) carves out three exemptions from the leash requirement: hunting dogs actively engaged in hunting during hunting season under voice or electronic tracking supervision; assistance dogs actively assisting their owner under the same kind of supervision; and working or trained guard dogs actively working livestock or providing protection on the owner's or a consenting landowner's property, which may even cross an intersecting public right-of-way while so engaged. An animal not under restraint is "running at large" and is deemed a public nuisance under § 6-2 and § 6-11.