Simpsonville's Animal Ordinances: The Rules That Matter

Every city handles animal ordinances a little differently. In Simpsonville, South Carolina, there are 10 distinct rules that residents and property owners should be aware of. Some are stricter than what neighboring cities enforce, and others are more relaxed. Here is what you need to know.

Dog Leash Laws

Simpsonville requires all dogs to be leashed and under control whenever off the owner's private property. Leashes may not exceed 12 feet. Letting a dog run at large beyond your land is unlawful and owners must remove pet excrement.

Key details: Leash required off property: Yes (Sec. 6-7). Max leash length: 12 feet. Running at large: Prohibited (Sec. 6-41). Impound kennel fee: $35.00 plus $5/day. Clean-up required: Yes, off own property.

Misdemeanor; fined per Sec. 1-9. Impounded at-large dogs incur a $5.00/day penalty plus a $35.00 kennel fee (Sec. 6-43); unclaimed after 5 days, disposed of.

Wildlife Feeding

Simpsonville has no ordinance directly banning wildlife feeding, but Sec. 6-2 and Sec. 6-84's nuisance rules apply if feeding attracts pests, odors, or vermin. The city is also a designated bird sanctuary where harming any bird life is unlawful.

Key details: Direct feeding ban: None in city code. If it causes nuisance: Abatable (Sec. 6-2, 6-84). Bird sanctuary: Citywide (Sec. 6-6). Harming birds: Unlawful. Deer/bear feeding: SC DNR rules.

Nuisance conditions from feeding are abatable under Sec. 6-2/6-84, a misdemeanor per Sec. 1-9. Harming protected bird life violates the Sec. 6-6 bird sanctuary provision.

Animal Hoarding

Simpsonville tackles hoarding through its four-animal cap (Sec. 6-84), cruelty rules (Sec. 6-4), and unsanitary-conditions nuisance provisions. Keeping animals in filth or too many for the space is a misdemeanor, and animal control can obtain a search warrant and seize animals.

Key details: Animal cap: 4 per lot <1 acre. Unsanitary conditions: Public nuisance (6-84(c)(5)). Cruelty/neglect: Unlawful (Sec. 6-4). Seizure: By search warrant (Sec. 6-86). State cruelty law: S.C. Code 47-1-50.

Cruelty and unsanitary-hoarding conditions are misdemeanors (Sec. 6-4, 6-84) punished per Sec. 1-9, plus liability for the city's shelter, food and vet costs (Sec. 6-87). Animals may be seized under warrant.

Beekeeping

Simpsonville's animal code sets no beekeeping-specific rules. Bees fall under the general nuisance standard of Sec. 6-2, which bars keeping any animal that creates a nuisance for neighbors. Parcel zoning governs whether hives are allowed; check with Planning & Codes.

Key details: Beekeeping ordinance: None in city code. City hive permit: Not required by code. Governing standard: Sec. 6-2 nuisance. Zoning check: Planning & Codes. State registration: Clemson/SC Agriculture.

No beekeeping-specific penalty. Hives that create a nuisance can be abated under Sec. 6-2, a misdemeanor punished per Sec. 1-9.

Chickens & Livestock

Simpsonville has no chicken-specific ordinance, but Sec. 6-2 makes it unlawful to keep any fowl or domestic animal so as to become a nuisance through noise, odors, flies or filth. Coops must be kept clean and sanitary and cannot disturb neighbors.

Key details: Chicken-specific ordinance: None; treated as fowl. Nuisance standard: No noise, odor, flies, filth. Coop condition: Clean and sanitary required. Animal cap (<1 acre): 4 animals (Sec. 6-84). Governing section: Sec. 6-2.

Keeping fowl as a nuisance is unlawful under Sec. 6-2; misdemeanor punished per Sec. 1-9. Each continuing day may be treated as a separate offense.

Livestock

Simpsonville's animal code has no livestock-specific ordinance, but Sec. 6-2 bars keeping any domestic animal or fowl as a nuisance and requires stables, barns and houses to stay clean with no manure buildup. Whether livestock is allowed on a lot is a zoning question.

Key details: Livestock ordinance: None; general Sec. 6-2 rule. Nuisance standard: No odor, flies, filth. Barn/stable condition: Clean, no manure buildup. Running at large: Prohibited (Sec. 6-2(b)). Zoning decides allowance: Land Development Ordinance.

Keeping livestock as a nuisance or letting it run at large violates Sec. 6-2; misdemeanor punished per Sec. 1-9, with each continuing day a separate offense.

Pet Limits

Simpsonville caps animals at four per lot under one acre. Sec. 6-84 declares it a nuisance to keep more than four animals on any real-estate lot smaller than one acre, except for licensed veterinarians and boarding businesses. Exceeding the limit is a misdemeanor.

Key details: Pet limit: 4 animals. Applies to lots: Under 1 acre. Governing section: Sec. 6-84(a). Exceptions: Vets, boarding businesses. Continuing violation: Each day separate.

Exceeding four animals on a sub-one-acre lot is a misdemeanor (Sec. 6-84(a)) punished per Sec. 1-9. Each day of a continuing violation is treated as a separate offense.

Breed Restrictions

Simpsonville does not ban any dog breed. Instead it regulates dangerous dogs by behavior: Sec. 6-85 makes it unlawful to keep any 'vicious' animal, defined by attack propensity rather than breed. Confinement, seizure, and destruction can follow a vicious determination.

Key details: Breed ban: None. Regulation basis: Behavior (vicious animal). Vicious defined in: Sec. 6-81. Confinement pen: 6-ft sides or secure top. State backstop: S.C. Code 47-3-750.

Owning or harboring a vicious animal is a misdemeanor punished per Sec. 1-9 (Sec. 6-87). The court cannot waive the fine by letting the owner surrender the animal, and the animal may be seized pending trial.

Exotic Pets

Simpsonville's code defines 'animal' to include any wild or domesticated nonhuman vertebrate, so wild and exotic animals fall under the same control, vicious-animal, and nuisance rules. South Carolina's state exotic-pet ban (S.C. Code 47-2-10 et seq.) also applies within the city.

Key details: Exotics covered by code: Yes (Sec. 6-81 definition). Wild animals: Included as 'animal'. State exotic ban: S.C. Code 47-2-10 et seq.. Vicious-animal rules: Apply (Sec. 6-85). Enforcement: Animal control officer.

Keeping a vicious or nuisance exotic is a misdemeanor punished per Sec. 1-9 and may trigger seizure. Violations of the state exotic-animal ban carry separate state penalties.

Cat Rules

Simpsonville does not require cats to be leashed, but cats count toward the four-animal-per-lot limit and must not become a nuisance. Animal control may, but is not required to, impound felines. Cats must be vaccinated against rabies under South Carolina law.

Key details: Cat leash required: No. Counts toward pet limit: Yes (4 per lot <1 acre). Feline impoundment: Optional (Sec. 6-82(e)). Rabies vaccination: Required (S.C. 47-5-60). Nuisance standard: Applies (Sec. 6-2).

A cat kept as a nuisance or beyond the four-animal cap is a misdemeanor per Sec. 6-84/Sec. 1-9. Rabies-vaccination failures are enforced under S.C. Code Title 47, Ch. 5.

The Bottom Line

Simpsonville's animal ordinances rules are a mixed bag. Some areas are strict, others are relaxed, and the details matter. The best approach is to check the specific rule that applies to your situation rather than assuming Simpsonville is broadly strict or permissive.

All of the above reflects Simpsonville's municipal code as of our last review. If you need specifics on fines, exemptions, or filing requirements, the detailed ordinance pages linked above have the full breakdown.