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Beaufort County, SC Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Feeding wildlife
Unlawful in passive parks, Sec. 91-105(6)
Also barred
Disturbing, molesting, or removing wildlife
Definition of wildlife
All non-human wild creatures, Sec. 91-3
Exception
Written county authorization or approved research
Enforcing agency
Beaufort County Sheriff's Office, Sec. 91-4(7)
Max penalty
$500 fine or 30 days, Sec. 91-200

Summary

Beaufort County bans feeding any wildlife in its designated passive parks, a rule folded into a broader natural-and-cultural-resources section that also bars disturbing, molesting, or removing wildlife, animals, birds, or eggs without written county authorization.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Beaufort County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

It shall be unlawful for any person to do any of the following in any passive park unless specifically permitted by the appropriate authorization received from the county administrator or his/her designee...(6)Natural and cultural resources:...In any way disturb, molest, or remove any wildlife, animal, bird, or egg located above, upon or below the surface of the park grounds or to allow any privately owned animal to do so unless specifically authorized in writing...Feed any wildlife.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 55 Update 1 | Community Development Code: Supplement 16).

Full Breakdown

Sec. 91-105 opens by declaring it unlawful to do any of the listed acts in a passive park unless the county administrator or a designee has specifically authorized it in writing. " The same subsection also prohibits removing, destroying, or harassing animals and plants except for county-authorized research, introducing plants or animals onto park land without authorization, and picking flowers, nuts, berries, or fruit or damaging plants and trees without authorization or an approved land-management activity. "Wildlife" is defined under Sec. 91-3 as all living creatures that are not human and wild by nature, endowed with sensation and voluntary motion, including quadrupeds, mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, and mollusks, so the feeding ban reaches everything from deer and geese to raccoons and turtles.

Sec. 91-106(7) separately allows leashed dogs in most passive parks except where posted otherwise, but owners must clean up after their own pets, keeping the feeding ban distinct from ordinary pet management. The Beaufort County Sheriff's Office holds enforcement authority over these Article II regulations under Sec. 91-4(7).

Violations & Fines

Sec. 91-200 makes any violation of the passive-parks chapter, including feeding wildlife under Sec. 91-105(6), a misdemeanor. A conviction carries a fine the court sets of up to $500.00, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both, and each day the violation continues counts as a separate offense under the same section.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I feed deer or ducks in a Beaufort County passive park?
No. Sec. 91-105(6) states flatly that it is unlawful to "feed any wildlife" in a designated passive park unless the county administrator or a designee has specifically authorized the activity in writing. The ban covers all wild birds and animals, not just deer or waterfowl.
Does the ban also cover touching or catching wildlife?
Yes. The same subsection, Sec. 91-105(6), also bars disturbing, molesting, or removing wildlife, animals, birds, or eggs on park grounds, and prohibits letting a pet do so, unless the county has authorized it in writing or the activity is county-sanctioned research.
What counts as wildlife under this rule?
Sec. 91-3 defines wildlife as all living, non-human creatures that are wild by nature and capable of sensation and voluntary motion, expressly including quadrupeds, mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, reptiles, crustaceans, and mollusks found in the passive park.
What is the penalty for feeding wildlife in a passive park?
Sec. 91-200 makes any violation of the passive-parks chapter a misdemeanor, with a court-set fine of up to $500.00, up to 30 days imprisonment, or both. Each day the violation continues is treated as a separate offense under that section.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Beaufort County

All Beaufort County rules

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