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

20 (Complaints Regarding Violations) opens complaint filing to any person, not just neighbors or affected property owners. A complaint must state fully the alleged violation and the basis for it and is filed with the Code Enforcement Department, which maintains a record of every complaint received. 30, and to take action to abate or correct the violation once confirmed. C. Code Section 30-4-40. 30 authorizes a Code Enforcement Department member, upon presenting proper credentials, to enter any property to check compliance, generally during normal business hours unless the department determines an emergency justifies inspecting at another time.

40 requires the department to notify the responsible party in writing by mail or hand delivery, stating the property's address and legal description, the specific Code provisions violated, the deadline to correct the violation, and the penalty for failing to do so. 50 lays out what follows a missed deadline: where severe conditions threaten health, safety, or the environment, the county may enter and abate the violation itself at the violator's expense; otherwise, the Code Enforcement Department issues a Uniform Summons Ticket returnable in the appropriate Beaufort County court. 10 places overall enforcement responsibility with the County Administrator or a designee.