Richland County's animal ordinance does not set a strict household cap for the unincorporated county, but every dog and cat over four months old must be licensed and rabies-vaccinated. Keeping enough animals to become a commercial operation triggers a Commercial Pet Breeder Permit. Columbia limits residents to three dogs.
In unincorporated Richland County, the animal code (Chapter 5, rewritten by Ordinance 025-24HR in 2024) focuses on licensing and welfare rather than a fixed numeric pet cap: under Sec. 5-2 every pet (dog or cat) over four months old must have a current county pet license and rabies vaccination. Once ownership crosses into breeding or commercial-scale keeping, the county requires a Commercial Pet Breeder Permit. Zoning under the Land Development Code can also limit animal-keeping in some residential districts. By contrast, the City of Columbia caps residents at three dogs, requiring a kennel license above that. If you keep many animals, confirm both licensing and any zoning limit for your parcel.
Failing to license each pet over four months is unlawful under Sec. 5-2; commercial-scale keeping without a Commercial Pet Breeder Permit, or excessive animals creating a nuisance, draws animal-control enforcement and fines.
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See how Columbia's pet limits rules stack up against other locations.
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