Animal Ordinances in Darlington County, SC (2026)
6 rules for unincorporated Darlington County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Darlington County has no backyard-flock ordinance; the only livestock-keeping standard in the code covers commercial and confined operations. Section 3-52 requires stockyards, slaughterhouses, commercial or confined poultry houses and commercial meat production centers to meet all SCDHEC and other state or federal agency requirements for the buildings, animal barns and waste lagoons involved.
Darlington County Confined Poultry House Rules
Some RestrictionsDarlington County Code § 3-52
Sec. 3-52. - Stockyards, slaughter houses, commercial/confined poultry houses, and commercial meat production centers. Such uses shall meet the following requirements: (1)All of the aforementioned uses must meet all SCDHEC (South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control) and State Code of Law requirements in effect at time application is submitted. These uses must also meet all ...
Dog Leash Laws
Code § 6-14(a) requires every dog cared for by an owner to be kept under restraint or control in unincorporated Darlington County, and any dog not so controlled is deemed unlawfully running at large; § 6-14(c) adds a leash requirement on school grounds, public rights-of-way and in shopping areas or similar public places.
Darlington County Dog At-Large and Leash Rule
Some RestrictionsDarlington County Code § 6-14(a), (c)
(a)All pets and animals cared for by an owner must be kept under restraint/control. Any animal not so controlled will be deemed unlawfully running at large. ... (c)No pet or animal cared for by an owner shall be permitted on school grounds, on public right-of-way, or in a shopping area or similar public place unless on a leash at all times or if assisting handicapped persons or under the contro...
Breed Restrictions
Darlington County does not restrict or ban any dog breed. Code § 6-21(a)(3) states an animal is not a "dangerous animal" solely by virtue of its breed or species; instead, an animal control officer or deputy may declare any dog dangerous only after an unprovoked attack or threatening act, triggering registration, confinement and insurance requirements under § 6-21.
Darlington County Dangerous Animal, No Breed Ban
Few RestrictionsDarlington County Code § 6-21(a)(3), (b), (f)(4)
(a)Animal control officers, Darlington County Sheriff's deputies, or other authorized law enforcement officers shall have the authority to determine if the animal is a dangerous animal based on this section:(1)As used in this article "dangerous animal" means an animal of the canine or feline family or wild animal:a.Which the owner knows or reasonably should know has a propensity, tendency, or d...
Cat Rules
Darlington County's animal control ordinance defines cats within "pet," requiring every cat to be kept under restraint or control, and Code § 6-14(f) separately requires any female cat in heat to be confined in a building, secure enclosure, veterinary hospital or boarding kennel so she does not create a nuisance.
Darlington County Cat-in-Heat Confinement Rule
Some RestrictionsDarlington County Code § 6-14(a), (f)
(a)All pets and animals cared for by an owner must be kept under restraint/control. Any animal not so controlled will be deemed unlawfully running at large. ... (f)Every female dog or cat in heat shall be confined in a building or secure enclosure or in a veterinary hospital or boarding kennel in such a manner so as not to create a nuisance.
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Darlington County does not require pet owners generally to sterilize their animals, but Code § 6-18(b) bars the county shelter from adopting out an unsterilized dog or cat unless the new owner signs an agreement to sterilize it, or the shelter officer grants a written waiver; an unaltered adopter instead pays a refundable $50.00 fee for a dog or $25.00 for a cat.
Darlington County Shelter Adoption Sterilization Rule
Some RestrictionsDarlington County Code § 6-18(b)
(b)No unsterilized animal shall be allowed to be adopted from the animal shelter unless the prospective owner has agreed to have the pet sterilized or unless this requirement is waived by special written permission of the shelter officer stating the reasons for such a waiver. If an unaltered pet is adopted, the prospective owner shall pay a $50.00 fee for dogs or a $25.00 fee for cats, which sh...
Microchipping
In unincorporated Darlington County, an impounded pet's owner pays a $25.00 microchip fee under Code § 6-17(a) when reclaiming a chipped animal from the county shelter, on top of a $25.00 base redemption fee and a $10.00 per-day boarding charge. The fee traces to S.C. Code § 47-3-55 and funds the shelter run by county animal control.
Darlington County Animal Microchip Redemption Fee
Light RestrictionsDarlington County Code § 6-17(a)
(a)The owner shall be entitled to resume possession of an impounded pet, except as herein provided in the cases of certain animals, and upon providing proper identification requirements and the payment of redemption fees. The redemption fees shall consist of a $25.00 base fee, a $10.00 per day boarding fee (for each day beyond a full day after the pet is impounded), a $15.00 rabies inoculation ...
All Darlington County ordinances
See every category we cover for Darlington County: parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Darlington County Ordinance Hub →