Darlington County, SC Code Violation Reporting: How to Report (2026)

Section 22-51 of the Darlington County Code sets the reporting mechanism for nuisance violations under Chapter 22: a citizen or county agent completes a nuisance complaint form and submits it to the county administrator or a designee, who then investigates and, if warranted, notifies the property owner by certified mail at the owner's last known address, with a copy to any tenant if the owner does not occupy the property. That notice gives the owner or tenant 30 days from the mailing date to remove the nuisance.

If the complaint involves a suspected health hazard, the administrator must first contact the state department of health and environmental control to verify the hazard before sending the notice. A separate track under § 22-51(b) applies to unsolicited printed material: the administrator notifies the distributor by certified mail to remove the complaining resident from all distribution lists. An owner who disputes the notice can appeal in writing to the administrator within 15 days under § 22-52; the administrator must respond within 15 days of receiving the appeal, and a denied appeal still carries a fresh 30-day removal window.

If a sheriff's deputy or an individual the administrator has authorized in writing personally witnesses a violation, § 22-54 lets that officer issue a uniform summons directly, without going through the complaint-and-notice process first.