Richland County, SC Animal Ordinances: Wildlife Rescue Permits (2026)
Key Facts
- Who qualifies
- Wildlife rescue organizations only (§ 5-13(b)(4))
- Condition
- Must hold federal, state, or local permits
- No local permit created
- County recognizes outside permits, issues none itself
- Without a permit
- Treated as an ordinary § 5-13(a) violation
- Other exceptions
- Zoos, licensed circuses, vet hospitals (same subsection)
Summary
A wildlife rehabber can legally hold species the county otherwise bans as pets. Section 5-13(b)(4) exempts a "wildlife rescue organization" from the Section 5-13(a) prohibited-animals list, but only if it holds the appropriate federal, state, or local licenses and permits.
The prohibitions contained in subsection (a) shall not apply in the following circumstances: ... (4) The keeping of such animals by a wildlife rescue organization with appropriate federal, state, and/or local licenses and/or permits obtained from applicable regulatory bodies.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-24: This supplement is current through Ordinance No. 033-25HR).
Full Breakdown
Section 5-13(a) bans keeping, harboring, or owning nonhuman primates, venomous reptiles, bears, raccoons, bats, non-domesticated Carnivora, and a dozen other wildlife categories anywhere in unincorporated Richland County. S. Fish and Wildlife or USDA), state (South Carolina Department of Natural Resources), or local authorization for the specific species it holds gets no protection from Section 5-13(a), and an Animal Care Officer can treat its animals the same as any other prohibited pet. The other three subsection (b) exceptions, for public zoos and museums, licensed circuses, and licensed veterinary hospitals, sit alongside this one but serve different operators; only paragraph (4) is written for rescue and rehabilitation groups specifically.
Richland County's own animal ordinance does not create a separate county wildlife-rescue permit or registration process; it simply recognizes permits issued by other regulatory bodies as sufficient to lift the local ban.
Violations & Fines
An organization holding a Section 5-13(a) animal without the federal, state, or local permit required by subsection (b)(4) is treated as an ordinary violator of the prohibited-animals list: an Animal Care Officer can pursue a search warrant and seizure under Section 5-14, and the operator can be cited under Chapter 5 the same as an individual illegally keeping the same species as a pet.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Richland County issue its own wildlife rescue permit?
Can a rescue group legally keep a raccoon or venomous snake it's rehabilitating?
What happens if a rescue's permit lapses?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Richland County
Compare Richland County to another location·View the South Carolina animal ordinances overview
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