North Charleston, SC Animal Ordinances: Dog Leash Laws (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Sec. 4-5(a)-(b), restraint requirement
- Leash requirement
- Leash, chain, or heel-and-muzzle control
- Where it applies
- Streets, sidewalks, parks, uninvited private property
- Impoundment
- Sec. 4-14(1), at-large animals may be seized
Summary
Dogs in North Charleston must be on a leash or chain, or at heel and muzzled, whenever they're on a street, sidewalk, park, or private property without the owner's consent.
It shall be unlawful for the owner of any animal to fail to keep such animal under restraint or to permit such animal to run at large upon the streets and public ways of the city. Any dog, while on a street, sidewalk, public way or in any park, public square, or other public space, or upon any private property without the consent of the owner, shall be secured by a leash or chain of sufficient tensile strength to restrain the particular dog, or shall be at heel and securely muzzled.
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. 4-5 makes it unlawful for an owner to let any animal run at large on the city's streets or public ways. Any dog on a street, sidewalk, public way, park, public square, or other public space - or on private property without the owner's consent - must be secured by a leash or chain strong enough to restrain it, or be at heel and securely muzzled. Owners must also keep their animals from becoming a public nuisance.
Violations & Fines
Letting a dog run loose off its owner's property without a leash, chain, or muzzle-and-heel control violates Sec. 4-5(a)-(b); animal control or police can impound an at-large dog under Sec. 4-14(1).
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to leash my dog in North Charleston?
What happens if my dog gets loose?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in North Charleston
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Dog Leash Laws in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Charleston County handle dog leash laws.