Rock Hill, SC Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Feeding (2026)

South Carolina addresses wildlife feeding through state law rather than a Rock Hill-specific ordinance. The primary feeding-ban statute is S.C. Code § 50-11-440, which makes it unlawful for any person to feed or entice with food any black bear (Ursus americanus), with limited exceptions for authorized personnel and permitted facilities; violations carry up to a $500 fine or 30 days imprisonment. The companion statute § 50-11-430 prohibits hunting bears over bait or attempting to hunt bears with bait, with harsher fines and license-suspension consequences. Bears are not commonly resident in York County (resident populations are concentrated in the Upstate mountains and the Coastal Plain), but the feeding ban applies statewide because bears do move across the state and feeding habituates them to human food. The historical statewide deer-baiting ban under § 50-11-65 and related provisions was largely removed by Act 2 of 2013 for private lands in Game Zones 1 and 2, so deer feeding on private property is no longer prohibited statewide; baiting still cannot be used on Wildlife Management Areas under SCDNR rules. Rock Hill does not maintain a separate ordinance banning feeding of raccoons, coyotes, geese, or feral cats, but feeding that attracts nuisance wildlife, creates rodent harborage, or generates accumulations of food and feces is citable under Rock Hill Chapter 6 (Animals) general nuisance authority and Chapter 20 (Offenses) provisions. SCDNR conservation officers handle the bear-feeding ban and other wildlife violations in cooperation with York County Sheriff's Office and Rock Hill Police.