10 county-level rules, plus city-specific rules for 1 city in Greenville County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Greenville County's Zoning Ordinance (Use Condition 29) permits up to eight chickens as an accessory use on single-family and duplex lots in most residential districts. Roosters are prohibited and chickens must stay confined to the property.
Greenville County Zoning Ordinance § 6:2, Use Condition 29
(29) Chickens ... subject to the following conditions: A. No more than eight (8) chickens shall be permitted on a single property. B. Roosters are prohibited. C. Chickens shall be confined to the back yard of the property and shall not be allowed to roam off the owner's property.
In unincorporated Greenville County, dogs may not run at large. County Code § 4-18(1) makes it unlawful to allow an animal to run off property the owner owns, rents, or controls. Off-property dogs must be leashed and under physical control.
Greenville County has no breed-specific ban. Its dangerous-dog law is behavior-based: a dog becomes "dangerous or vicious" by its actions (attacking or a known propensity to attack), not by breed, and must then be kept in a proper enclosure and licensed.
Greenville County's zoning and animal codes set no specific beekeeping rule — there is no hive count, setback, or permit for bees in the county code. Beekeeping is treated as an agricultural activity protected under South Carolina's Right to Farm Act (§ 46-45-70).
SC Code § 46-45-70
No established agricultural facility or any agricultural operation at an established agricultural facility is or may become a nuisance, private or public, by any changed conditions in or about the locality of the facility or operation.
Greenville County Code § 4-20 bans keeping any wild, dangerous, or vicious animal as a pet without an annual permit from Animal Control. "Wild animals" include big cats, bears, primates, venomous snakes, and constrictors over five feet; ordinary pet-store exotics are exempt.
Greenville County's code has no blanket ban on feeding wild animals like deer or birds. It does bar keeping wild animals as pets without a § 4-20 permit, and general nuisance and sanitation rules apply if feeding attracts vermin or creates unsanitary conditions.
Livestock and horses are limited by zoning. In R-15, R-20, and ESD-PM districts, horses need at least 1.5 acres with one head per half-acre; in the R-20A district livestock shelters must sit at least 100 feet from property lines. Most residential districts do not allow larger farm animals.
Greenville County Zoning Ordinance § 6:2, Use Condition 14(A)
The minimum lot area upon which horses and ponies may be kept in the R-15, R-20, and ESD-PM districts is 1-1/2 acres. Not more than one head of livestock shall be permitted for each 1/2 acre of lot area except in the R-S district.
Greenville County Code § 4-11 defines animal hoarding and § 4-19 makes hoarding or collecting animals a form of cruelty. Collecting animals without humane care, or in filthy conditions that endanger their health, is a misdemeanor and can result in forfeiture of the animals.
Greenville County's animal code sets no numeric cap on the number of dogs or cats a household may keep. There is no per-home pet limit in Chapter 4; instead, care, sanitation, and anti-hoarding standards govern how many animals you can properly maintain.
Cats in unincorporated Greenville County must be vaccinated against rabies and carry proof; County Code § 4-14 requires a rabies certificate and tag for every dog or cat. There is no county cat leash or licensing scheme beyond rabies and cruelty/hoarding standards.
1 cities in Greenville County have their own animal ordinances rules. Each link goes to that city's dedicated page with code citations.
See every category we cover for Greenville County — parking, noise, fences, fires, animals, pools, and more.
Greenville County Ordinance Hub →