Lancaster County, SC Animal Ordinances: Microchipping (2026)
Key Facts
- Redemption microchip
- Required at owner's expense, § 6-8(b)
- Dangerous dog microchip
- Required at owner's expense, § 6-13(d)(7)
- Who pays
- Microchip fee borne by the pet owner
- Fee handling
- Collected by animal services, sent to treasurer
- Universal chip mandate
- None for owned pets generally
Summary
Lancaster County does not require every pet to be microchipped, but the animal shelter requires it in two situations: an owner redeeming an impounded pet must consent to microchipping at their own expense under § 6-8(b), and a dog declared dangerous must be microchipped at the owner's expense under § 6-13(d)(7).
The owner shall also consent to have the animal microchipped at his expense. ... In the case of dogs, the cost of installing a microchip should one not already be present ... If a dog is found to be a dangerous animal by consent of the owner or by declaration of the magistrate after a hearing, the dog must be microchipped at the owner's expense.
Full Breakdown
Under § 6-8(b), when the owner of an impounded animal appears during the five-day holding period to redeem it, the owner must pay the applicable impoundment and boarding fee and the microchip fee, and must also "consent to have the animal microchipped at his expense" as a condition of release; the animal is not released until the owner has fully complied. " A separate, distinct microchipping duty attaches to dogs found to be dangerous animals: under § 6-13(d)(7), if a dog is found dangerous either by the owner's written consent or by a magistrate's declaration after a hearing, the dog must be microchipped at the owner's expense as part of the confinement and identification requirements that also include escape-proof kennel standards and warning signage under § 6-13(d).
Microchipping is administered by the Lancaster County Animal Shelter as part of its impoundment and redemption process under Chapter 6, Article I, and the fee is collected by animal services and turned over to the county treasurer under § 6-9(d), with the amount set as part of the annual county budget ordinance.
Violations & Fines
A pet owner who refuses to consent to microchipping cannot complete redemption of an impounded animal under § 6-8(b), so the animal remains at the shelter and boarding fees continue to accrue; failure to redeem within the allotted time results in forfeiture of the animal to the shelter under § 6-8(b). For a dog declared dangerous, failing to have the dog microchipped as required by § 6-13(d)(7) is a Chapter 6 violation punishable as a misdemeanor under § 1-10, per the general penalty clause in § 6-17(b).
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Lancaster County require every pet to be microchipped?
Who pays for microchipping an impounded pet in Lancaster County?
Must a dangerous dog be microchipped in Lancaster County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lancaster County
Compare Lancaster County to another location·View the South Carolina animal ordinances overview
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