Horry County, SC Ordinances (2026)

Horry County is an NFIP participating coastal community regulated by Chapter 9 (Flood Damage Prevention and Control) of the County Code, with a comprehensive revision adopted by County Council in summer 2021. Construction in mapped FEMA Special Flood Hazard Areas along the Atlantic coast and county waterways must meet elevation, anchoring, and Elevation Certificate requirements. Coastal V/VE zones, AE zones, and unnumbered A zones each carry distinct building standards.

Every Grand Strand short-term rental needs a local business license. Unincorporated Horry County allows STRs broadly as a residential use, but the City of Myrtle Beach prohibits them in most traditional residential ("R") zones, permitting them only where zoning specifically allows.

Neither Horry County nor its cities require an STR to be the owner's primary residence. Investor-owned, non-owner-occupied rentals are allowed. Myrtle Beach controls STRs through zoning rather than residency: a parcel not already in an STR-permitted zone cannot be converted to that use.

Before renting, unincorporated-county hosts register with Horry County's Business License office (BLHospitality@horrycountysc.gov) and open a Hospitality Fee / Local Accommodations Tax account. Returns are filed on the county's monthly Accommodations Reporting Form, due the 20th of the month after each reporting period.

No Horry County or Grand Strand ordinance requires the host to be present during a stay; unhosted whole-home rentals are legal. North Myrtle Beach is moving toward a Responsible Local Agent rule — owners living within 30 miles may self-serve, otherwise a licensed property manager must be designated.

Horry County and its cities set no annual limit on how many nights a property may be rented short-term. The only threshold is duration: a stay becomes long-term (and tax-exempt) once the same guest occupies for 90 consecutive days, the line South Carolina uses to define a 'transient.'

Grand Strand cities regulate STR guest parking tightly. North Myrtle Beach requires hosts to report their compliant on-site spaces, which cap the vehicles allowed. Guests must not overhang pavement, block sidewalks or rights-of-way, and cannot park within 30 feet of an intersection where shoulder parking is allowed.

Horry County does not require short-term rentals to carry a specific insurance policy. The City of Myrtle Beach asks for proof of property insurance as part of its STR business-license process. Beyond that, adequate liability and flood coverage is the operator's own responsibility on this coastal, storm-exposed coast.

South Carolina levies a 7% state accommodations tax on transient lodging. On top of that, Horry County charges a hospitality fee/local accommodations tax of 3% of gross proceeds outside city limits, or 1.5% inside a city. Stays of 90+ consecutive days are exempt.

Horry County sets no STR-specific maximum-occupancy number; occupancy is limited by the building and property-maintenance code. Grand Strand cities set their own caps — in North Myrtle Beach the number of on-site parking spaces you report to the City is the maximum number of vehicles allowed.

Short-term rental guests must keep quiet overnight. North Myrtle Beach enforces quiet hours from 11:00 pm to 7:00 am, prohibiting any sustained or repetitive noise audible beyond the property line. Horry County and Myrtle Beach enforce parallel noise ordinances against disruptive STR gatherings.

In unincorporated Horry County, playing a radio, stereo, instrument, or other sound device between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. so it is audible 50 feet away is prohibited under Code Sec. 13-32. At all hours, excessive or unusually loud noise that disturbs others is unlawful.

Horry County does not put a barking dog under its general noise chapter but under its animal code. Section 4-3 makes it unlawful for an owner to let any animal create a public nuisance, which expressly includes creating excessive noise. Persistent barking can be cited to the owner.

Outdoor concerts, festivals, or fairs expected to draw 500 or more people in unincorporated Horry County require a county special-event permit under Section 13-34. Established amusement theme parks may run scheduled outdoor shows until 11:00 p.m. (12:30 a.m. on listed holidays) under Section 13-35(8).

In unincorporated Horry County, building construction, demolition, or repair is a prohibited noise except between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. Inside a platted major residential subdivision, the window narrows to 7 a.m.–7 p.m. weekdays, 8 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday, and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Sunday.

Horry County's noise ordinance does not set numeric decibel limits. Section 13-33 directs enforcement officers to use judgment and weigh factors such as volume, time of day, duration, zoning, and proximity to homes to decide whether a noise unreasonably disturbs others.

Horry County has no dedicated leaf-blower ordinance and generally exempts lawn-maintenance equipment from the noise article. However, Section 13-32(b)(7) prohibits nighttime operation of lawn-maintenance equipment (roughly 9 p.m.–7 a.m. in summer, 7 p.m.–7 a.m. in winter). Daytime yard work is not restricted.

Horry County has no industrial decibel cap, but Section 13-32(b)(9) prohibits nighttime noise from asphalt, concrete, aggregate, and paving-material plants (9 p.m.–7 a.m. in summer, 7 p.m.–7 a.m. in winter). Officers also weigh the area's zoning under 13-33 when judging industrial noise.

In unincorporated Horry County, amplified music from radios, instruments, and loudspeakers cannot disturb neighbors, and after 11:00 p.m. cannot be audible 50 feet away. Section 13-32(b)(3) separately bans broadcasting amplified sound over public streets for commercial advertising.

Horry County sets no aircraft-noise ordinance. Aircraft operations, flight paths, and noise near Myrtle Beach International Airport are regulated by the FAA under federal law, which preempts local noise rules. The county noise chapter governs ground activities, not aircraft in flight.

Horry County Code 13-32 bans discharging a vehicle, motorcycle, or engine exhaust into the open air except through an effective muffler, and prohibits unnecessary horn or signaling-device use. South Carolina law (S.C. Code 56-5-4970) also requires every motor vehicle to have a working muffler with no cutout or bypass.

Coastal South Carolina has no statewide defensible-space or brush-clearance requirement for homeowners like fire-prone western states. Horry County instead regulates land-clearing burns: that burning must be located at least 1,000 feet from public roadways or residential, commercial or industrial sites.

South Carolina broadly allows consumer (1.4G) fireworks statewide, so most unincorporated Horry County residents may use them on private property with the owner's permission. Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach ban discharge, sale and possession within city limits and on the beach.

Horry County follows the statewide 2021 South Carolina Residential Code, which requires smoke alarms in every sleeping room, outside each sleeping area, and on each additional story. In new and substantially remodeled homes the alarms must be interconnected and hard-wired with battery backup.

In unincorporated Horry County, backyard fire pits and recreational fires are permitted if contained, monitored and kept clear. The county requires the fire to sit at least 50 feet from any structure and at least 50 feet from any property line, and it must never be left unattended.

Horry County has no special propane-storage ordinance; it enforces the statewide 2021 SC Fire Code (International Fire Code Chapter 61) and NFPA 58. Practically, a standard 20-pound grill cylinder is fine outdoors, but propane containers may not be stored inside living spaces.

Unincorporated Horry County allows open burning of yard debris, but you must call the SC Forestry Commission (1-800-986-5404) before you light it. Only on-site vegetation, firewood and clean untreated lumber may be burned, with 50-foot setbacks and no active burn ban.

South Carolina and Horry County do not designate regulatory wildfire hazard zones (WUI zones) the way California does. There is no special building or vegetation code triggered by a wildfire map. The SC Forestry Commission tracks wildfire risk and issues burn bans, but zoning is advisory.

Backyard recreational fires are allowed in unincorporated Horry County when contained and supervised. The fire must stay 50 feet from structures and property lines, and Section 20-451 requires it be supervised and under control before you leave the area. No burning during a county burn ban.

Horry County has no blanket ban on keeping an operable, licensed RV, boat or trailer on your own private lot in the unincorporated county. But a junked, wrecked or unregistered recreation vehicle visible from a street or neighbor must be removed, enclosed or screened. Cities add stricter yard-storage rules.

Myrtle Beach flatly bans camping, sleeping or living in any camper, van, bus or motor vehicle on public streets, and bars storing a vehicle on the street as dead storage for more than 24 hours. There is no county-wide overnight ban on unincorporated roads, but sign-posted restrictions still apply.

Myrtle Beach prohibits stopping, standing or parking in front of any public or private driveway, or so near it that you interfere with entering or leaving. Parking is also barred within 15 to 30 feet of a driveway or curb cut, depending on the street's speed limit.

Horry County's Junk, Debris and Common Nuisance Ordinance makes it unlawful to leave an inoperable vehicle, one sitting on public property over 72 hours, or one unattended on any property more than seven days without the owner's consent. Derelict, unregistered or dismantled vehicles must be removed.

In Myrtle Beach, parking alongside any curb painted yellow is prohibited, and no vehicle may park where official signs or markings bar it. Curb colors and traffic-control markings are set by the city; residents may not paint public curbs themselves to reserve parking.

In Myrtle Beach, a vehicle parked at a curb must sit within 18 inches of the right-hand curb, facing the direction of traffic, and may never block the roadway to less than ten feet of clear travel width. Unincorporated county roads follow South Carolina state traffic law.

Myrtle Beach has no dedicated size cap on street parking, but no vehicle, however large, may be parked to leave less than ten feet of roadway clear for traffic. Large commercial trucks may occupy a metered curb only while loading, and must use a center lane where available.

Myrtle Beach only allows a vehicle to sit on a street when parking is incidental to its actual use; storing dealer, garage or commercial vehicles on the street is prohibited. Commercial trucks may pull to the curb only while actively loading or unloading, using a center lane where one exists.

In Myrtle Beach, a designated loading zone may be used only for the expeditious unloading, delivery, pickup or loading of material during the hours the loading rules are in effect. Passenger zones are limited to loading and unloading passengers. Parking for any other purpose is prohibited.

Neither Horry County nor Myrtle Beach imposes a specific residential electric-vehicle charging or EV-parking ordinance. Homeowners install home chargers under the adopted electrical code and building permits; public charging follows the property owner's rules and South Carolina utility and building regulations.

In unincorporated Horry County, the Zoning Ordinance caps fences and walls at eight feet in residential and most zoning districts. A twelve-foot limit applies only in the listed agricultural, commercial, and industrial districts.

Horry County's Zoning Ordinance regulates front-yard fences by opacity rather than banning specific materials. Low-opacity fences (split rail, uncluttered chain link, picket under 50 percent opacity) placed in front or corner side yards are exempt from the ten-foot setback.

Every fence in unincorporated Horry County must permit emergency access to the enclosed area, keep vehicular sight lines clear at intersections and driveways, and honor the ten-foot front privacy-fence setback. Height is capped at eight feet in residential districts.

The Horry County Zoning Ordinance requires a building permit for any fence taller than seven feet. Shorter residential fences generally do not need a fence permit, but must still meet setback, height and sight-line rules.

Horry County's Zoning Ordinance treats walls alongside fences, so the eight-foot general height ceiling in Section 412 applies to freestanding walls. Structural retaining walls are additionally governed by the adopted building code, which requires a permit above a set retained height.

Horry County sets no general side or rear property-line offset for fences, so a fence may sit on the shared line. But privacy fences in a front or corner side yard must be set back ten feet from lines abutting a road right-of-way or shared drive.

Horry County allows a wide range of fence materials. The Zoning Ordinance singles out split rail, uncluttered chain link and picket fences under 50 percent opacity for a front-yard setback exemption, while solid privacy fences trigger the ten-foot front setback.

Horry County has no ordinance specifically targeting backyard smokers or oyster roasts. At a single-family home they are allowed, but heavy, drifting smoke can trigger the county's nuisance provisions, and at apartments the same open-flame balcony restrictions as grills apply.

For single-family homes, gas and charcoal grills are unrestricted. But under the adopted SC Fire Code, charcoal burners and open-flame cooking devices may not be operated on combustible balconies or within 10 feet of combustible construction at apartments and condos, unless the building is sprinklered.

Horry County's single-family residential dimensional standards do not set a maximum lot-coverage percentage. Building bulk is controlled through minimum setbacks, minimum lot size and buffer requirements, while impervious surface is regulated separately through stormwater rules.

The Horry County Zoning Ordinance caps principal building height at 35 feet across the single-family residential districts (SF6 through SF40) and General Residential. Freestanding fences and walls are limited separately to eight feet in these districts.

Horry County's Zoning Ordinance sets minimum front, side, rear and corner-side setbacks by district. In the common SF6 single-family district a house needs a 20-foot front, 7.5-foot side, 15-foot rear and 11.25-foot corner-side setback; larger-lot districts require more.

South Carolina law makes it unlawful to possess, breed, or sell a large wild cat, non-native bear, or great ape, with narrow exceptions. This state ban applies throughout Horry County; the county sets no additional exotic-pet ordinance.

Horry County's animal chapter and zoning code set no specific beekeeping ordinance. Hives are treated as an agricultural use tied to your zoning district, and South Carolina's Right to Farm Act protects established, lawful apiaries from nuisance suits.

Horry County has no breed-specific ordinance, and South Carolina bars local breed bans. Any dog can be declared "dangerous" based on its behavior, and a dangerous animal must be kept securely confined on the owner's premises.

Horry County requires no cat license but does require identification by collar tag, microchip, or other means. People who feed or shelter community (free-roaming) cats are not treated as the owner, so TNR caretakers are exempt from owner duties.

In unincorporated Horry County, raising animals and livestock is allowed only where the zoning district permits it and only if the parcel meets the minimum lot size in Zoning § 205. Larger animal-production facilities trigger SCDHEC permits.

Horry County sets no numeric limit on the number of dogs or cats per household. Instead it relies on the public-nuisance standard, and anyone offering 25 or more dogs or cats for sale in a year is a regulated "breeding operation."

Unincorporated Horry County has no citywide leash mandate, but it is unlawful to let a dog run at large off property you own, rent, or control. A dog off-premises must be leashed or under the owner's physical control.

Horry County's large-animal rules require livestock owners to provide veterinary care, sufficient food and water, and clean, drained containment. Livestock may be kept only where zoning allows and the parcel meets the § 205 minimum lot size.

Horry County bans feeding domestic or migratory waterfowl in residential areas because large flocks contaminate ponds and cause erosion. You also may not create conditions that let waterfowl congregate. Wildlife-management facilities on 5+ acres are exempt.

Horry County has no standalone animal-hoarding ordinance, but its care standards and South Carolina's cruelty law reach hoarding conditions. Depriving animals of necessary food, water, shelter, or vet care is illegal, and neglected animals can be seized.

Rainwater harvesting is legal in Horry County. Neither the county nor South Carolina restricts capturing rooftop rainwater in barrels or cisterns for landscape use, and the state actively promotes rain barrels for stormwater and conservation. Simple outdoor rain barrels need no county permit.

It is unlawful in Horry County to remove a Specimen Live Oak with a trunk 24 inches DBH or greater without authorization. Removal generally needs a variance from the Zoning Board of Appeals, and mitigation (replacement trees or a fee in lieu) applies.

Horry County has no ordinance banning or specifically regulating residential artificial turf; it is treated as a landscaping surface. Installation is generally allowed on private lots. Stormwater and drainage rules, city codes, and HOA covenants may still control how and where turf is placed.

Horry County does not require a permit to prune most private trees, but it is unlawful to injure a Specimen Live Oak (24-inch DBH or larger). During development, preserved trees must be protected inside their dripline root-protection zone under the zoning ordinance.

Uncultivated weeds and grass exceeding twelve inches are 'unsightly growth' and a common nuisance under Horry County's Junk, Debris and Common Nuisance Ordinance (Chapter 10). The county can notice, abate, and lien the property for the cost of clearing overgrown vegetation.

Horry County allows backyard composting and offers residents subsidized compost bins and rain barrels through the Solid Waste Authority. A home compost pile must not become a nuisance under Chapter 10, meaning no odors, vermin, or unsightly debris that would draw enforcement.

In unincorporated Horry County, uncultivated grass and weeds over twelve inches are 'unsightly growth' and a common nuisance under the county's Junk, Debris and Common Nuisance Ordinance (Chapter 10). Owners in platted major residential subdivisions must keep lots clear or face county abatement.

Horry County sets no countywide lawn-watering schedule, and South Carolina has no statewide mandatory outdoor-watering restriction. Your water utility governs. Grand Strand Water & Sewer Authority serves most unincorporated areas and may request voluntary odd/even conservation during declared droughts.

Horry County does not require homeowners to plant native or drought-tolerant species. Its landscape and tree-preservation standards apply mainly to non-residential and multifamily development. Native plantings are encouraged, and the county's Live Oak protections favor keeping mature native trees.

Horry County requires authorization to remove a Specimen Live Oak (24-inch DBH or larger): normally a Zoning Board of Appeals variance, or zoning compliance if a certified arborist confirms the tree is dying. Mitigation follows, either replacement trees or a $150-per-tree fee, doubled for live oaks.

Outdoor pools must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high measured from the outside. Openings cannot pass a 4-inch sphere, and ground clearance is capped at 2 inches on grass, 4 inches on solid surfaces.

A building permit and Horry County Code Enforcement inspections are required for residential pools. The pool cannot be used until all applicable inspections pass; permits run 180 days and renew with each inspection.

Pedestrian gates must open outward, self-close and self-latch. Doors and windows with direct pool access need water-hazard alarms. Community and HOA pools follow DHEC Reg. 61-51, which requires a four- to six-foot fence.

An above-ground pool wall can act as the barrier only if it is at least 48 inches high all around. Any ladder or steps must be secured, locked or removable to block access when the pool is not in use.

Spas and hot tubs follow the same ISPSC barrier rules as pools, but a hot tub is exempt from the fence requirement if it has a lockable safety cover that complies with ASTM F1346.

A home occupation in unincorporated Horry County may display just one sign. It must be non-illuminated and no larger than two square feet, keeping the property looking residential.

Home occupations are allowed as an accessory use in most residential zones if clearly incidental to the home. No more than 35 percent of the dwelling's floor space may be used, and the activity cannot change the home's residential character.

Most home businesses in unincorporated Horry County must get zoning compliance from Planning & Zoning before applying for a county business license. Home occupations may employ no more than two non-residents on site.

South Carolina, not Horry County, governs home-based food. Non-potentially hazardous foods can be sold with no permit or license, but each product must carry the state consumer advisory label.

Home daycare is regulated by South Carolina, not Horry County. A family childcare home caring for no more than six children must register with the state; larger operations need a license.

Garbage cans and receptacles must be kept out of sight and off public ways. In Myrtle Beach, refuse receptacles may not be stored in front of a building or dwelling except on the collection day. Horry County unincorporated residents use hauler carts and Solid Waste Authority drop-off centers.

In unincorporated Horry County, owners and occupants may not let garbage, debris, or rubbish pile up in a way that creates a health hazard, unsanitary conditions, fire hazards, odors, or rodent harborage. Exposed household appliances must be removed or screened within seven days.

Horry County Code Sec. 10-19(a) bars any owner, agent, or occupant from letting a lot serve as a mosquito breeding place, refuge for rats and snakes, collecting place for debris, trash or litter, or a fire hazard. Ditches, ponds, and pipes must be kept clear of litter, weeds, and brush.

Myrtle Beach defines rank growth as grass over 12 inches tall and declares it a public nuisance the owner must abate. Unincorporated Horry County sets no fixed grass-height number but requires ditches and lots be kept clear of weeds and brush under Sec. 10-19.

The City of Myrtle Beach requires no permit for a residential yard sale but limits residents to four sales per year, one per quarter, in residential areas only. Unincorporated Horry County has no standalone garage-sale ordinance; sales are treated as a temporary use under the zoning ordinance.

Horry County Code Sec. 10.5-22 requires every person to arrange removal of solid waste from their property, either through a hauler service or by self-hauling to the designated facility. The Horry County Solid Waste Authority operates the county collection system; cities like Myrtle Beach run their own curbside service.

Myrtle Beach collects up to two cubic yards of bulk waste placed curbside in a segregated pile on the regular collection day. Yard waste and bulk must be kept separate. Horry County residents self-haul large items and construction debris to Solid Waste Authority facilities.

Recycling in unincorporated Horry County is voluntary. Sec. 10.5-20 encourages all persons to separate recyclables from other waste and place them in suitable containers to be collected and processed. The Solid Waste Authority provides recycling drop-off, and Myrtle Beach offers curbside recycling.

Horry County Code Sec. 10-16(a) makes it unlawful to throw or dump garbage, refuse, junk, appliances, tree limbs, or any solid waste anywhere in the unincorporated county except at a permitted landfill. Violations are misdemeanors carrying fines of $200-$500 and up to 30 days in jail.

In Myrtle Beach, all items for collection must be at the curb within five feet of the pavement edge by 6:00 a.m. on the pickup day, and no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the evening before. Roll carts must be returned to the rear or side of the structure by 11:00

One small accessory structure (200 square feet or less) at a single-family home may sit as close as 5 feet from a side or rear property line. Larger or additional sheds must meet the full district setbacks, and none may sit in an easement.

Horry County has no separate garage-conversion ordinance. Converting a garage into a separate dwelling triggers the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules: one unit per parcel, conditional-use approval, and an owner-occupied main home, plus a building permit.

One accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is allowed per parcel as a conditional use in any district that permits a single-family detached home. The main house must be owner-occupied, and the ADU must meet single-family dwelling standards.

Under the Horry County Zoning Ordinance, garages, carports and gazebos may be located in any yard as long as all district setback requirements are met. A carport does not merge two buildings into one for setback purposes.

Horry County's zoning ordinance defines a tiny home as a detached single-family dwelling under 750 square feet, and permits tiny homes on foundations only in a specific mixed residential district (Appendix B, Section 752). Most residential districts have minimum floor-area rules that exclude very small dwellings.

Garage-sale signs are temporary ground signs. Horry County allows one temporary ground sign per property (up to 6 square feet on a single-family lot), set back at least 5 feet from the road right-of-way and all property lines, and out of sight triangles.

Horry County treats yard signs (including political signs) as personal expression signs. There is no limit on how many you may display, provided each is 3 square feet or less per side. No permit is required for these signs.

Horry County has no dedicated dark-sky or sea-turtle lighting ordinance, but Zoning Ordinance Section 410 requires brighter fixtures to be full-cutoff or shielded so light is not aimed skyward, onto roadways, or into neighbors' windows. Grand Strand residents are also urged to keep beachfront lights out during turtle season.

Horry County Zoning Ordinance Section 410 caps light spillover: no activity may cause illumination exceeding one (1) footcandle across any residential lot line in a residential district. Lighting that substantially interferes with a neighbor's use of their property is prohibited.

Horry County parks are open from dawn until dusk unless a special event is scheduled. Being in a county park after closing hours can be treated as trespassing, and posted hours at each park control.