Environmental Rules in Dorchester County, SC (2026)
5 rules for unincorporated Dorchester County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Stormwater Management
Before disturbing land anywhere in Dorchester County, you must submit a stormwater management and sediment control plan to the county and obtain a permit under S.C. Code § 48-14-30(A). Skipping that step risks a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per day under § 48-14-140, pursued by Dorchester County Public Works.
Dorchester County Stormwater Permit Rules
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code Ann. § 48-14-30
(A) Unless exempted, no person may engage in a land disturbing activity without first submitting a stormwater management and sediment control plan to the appropriate implementing agency and obtaining a permit to proceed. (B) Each person responsible for the land disturbing activity shall certify, on the stormwater management and sediment control plan submitted, that all land disturbing activitie...
Erosion Control
South Carolina treats erosion and sediment as regulated pollution. Any land-disturbing activity in Dorchester County that changes natural cover and can cause erosion needs an approved sediment control plan once one acre or more is disturbed.
Dorchester County Erosion & Sediment Control
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code § 48-14-20
"Land disturbing activity" means any use of the land by any person that results in a change in the natural cover or topography that may cause erosion and contribute to sediment and alter the quality and quantity of stormwater runoff.
Coastal Development
Anyone filling, dredging, draining or building in a South Carolina coastal critical area within Dorchester County, such as the tidal marsh and creek banks along the Ashley and Edisto Rivers, needs a state permit first under S.C. Code § 48-39-130(C). The law bars any change from a critical area's July 1, 1977 use without department approval, backs that with criminal and civil penalties, and allows only a short, specific list of exemptions.
Dorchester County Coastal Critical Area Permits
Significant RestrictionsS.C. Code Ann. § 48-39-130(A), (C)
(A) Ninety days after July 1, 1977, no person shall utilize a critical area for a use other than the use the critical area was devoted to on such date unless he has first obtained a permit from the department. ... (C) Ninety days after July 1, 1977 no person shall fill, remove, dredge, drain or erect any structure on or in any way alter any critical area without first obtaining a permit from th...
Flood Zones
Any development inside a FEMA-mapped special flood hazard area in Dorchester County needs a development permit before work starts, under Dorchester County Code § 18-5, and the county's Flood Insurance Study dated July 18, 2017 fixes where those hazard areas sit under § 18-4. Building, filling, or grading without that permit violates Chapter 18 and can draw a misdemeanor charge.
Dorchester County Floodplain Development Permit Rules
Significant RestrictionsDorchester County Code §§ 18-4, 18-5
This chapter shall apply to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of Dorchester County as identified by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in its Flood Insurance Study, dated July 18, 2017 with accompanying maps and other supporting data that are hereby adopted by reference and declared to be a part of this chapter. ... A development permit shall be required in c...
Flood Elevation Requirements
New homes and substantial improvements inside a Dorchester County flood zone must sit at least two feet above base flood elevation, the county's freeboard standard under Dorchester County Code § 18-52(1), and basements are banned outright. Solid foundation walls used to reach that height need flood openings sized to equalize hydrostatic pressure automatically.
Dorchester County Base Flood Elevation Rules
Some RestrictionsDorchester County Code § 18-52(1)
(1)Residential construction. New construction and substantial improvement of any residential structure (including manufactured homes) shall have the lowest floor elevated no lower than two feet above the base flood elevation. No basements are permitted. Should solid foundation perimeter walls be used to elevate a structure, flood openings sufficient to automatically equalize hydrostatic flood f...
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