Mount Pleasant, SC Animal Ordinances: Pet Limits (2026)

Mount Pleasant's zoning code, Chapter 156, regulates dog-keeping through its accessory use framework rather than a standalone pet-limit ordinance. Section 156.436, the Accessory Use Table (Table 156.436-1), lists "Private kennel for not more than three dogs" as an accessory use tied to a dwelling. Because the district column reads "Dwelling," the use is only recognized where a residential dwelling already exists on the lot, and because the zoning permit column reads "Yes," a resident must obtain a zoning permit from the Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Department before operating a private kennel for that many dogs.

The table sits within Subpart 4.2 of Subchapter C, Part 4 of the zoning code, introduced at § 156.435, which states that accessory uses and structures are allowed in the locations specified in § 156.436 only if the use complies with applicable use conditions elsewhere in that subpart. Private kennels are grouped with stables and other minor residential accessory structures, distinguishing them from commercial kennels tied to an animal boarding facility, day care, or shelter under § 156.352, which must keep overnight animals indoors. The code does not print a separate numeric cap on ordinary household pet ownership outside the private-kennel classification; the three-dog threshold in Table 156.436-1 functions as the operative ceiling once a resident's dog-keeping rises to the level of a private kennel.