Beaufort County, SC Code Violation Reporting: Common Violations (2026)

30 (Specific Violations) enumerates conduct that constitutes a violation of the Development Code, lettered A through O. The most commonly cited categories include developing or occupying land or a structure without first obtaining the required permits or development approvals (items A and B), subdividing land without the necessary approvals (item E), excavating, grading, cutting, clearing, or otherwise disturbing land without a permit (item G), and removing existing trees without first obtaining the appropriate permits (item H). Item I addresses clearcutting in anticipation of development: if an owner clears property under a claimed forestry exemption and then applies for a development permit on any part of it within two years, a rebuttable presumption arises that the clearing was done to dodge development standards, and the applicant bears the burden of proving otherwise by clear and convincing evidence.

Sign violations are covered separately, installing or altering a sign without a permit (item J) and failing to remove a sign whose permit has lapsed (item K). 20 makes clear that any failure to comply with a Development Code standard, or with the terms of an issued permit, is punishable under Article 9, and that violations run with the land, so a sale or transfer does not erase them. B.