Animal Ordinances in Horry County, SC (2026)
12 rules for unincorporated Horry County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
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.
Livestock Must Get Adequate Care and Fit the Zoning
Some RestrictionsHorry County Code § 4-23(a)
As defined by S.C. Code § 47-4-20 "livestock" mean all classes and breeds of animals, domesticated or feral, raised for use, sale, or display, must be provided adequate veterinary care includes an annual exam by a veterinarian, recommended vaccinations, preventative teeth and hoof care.
Dog Leash Laws
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.
Dogs Must Stay on Your Property or Be Controlled
Some RestrictionsHorry County Code § 4-3(d)(1)
No person responsible for an animal, with the exception of TNR program cats, shall allow his animal to run at large off of property owned, rented or controlled by him.
Breed Restrictions
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.
No Breed Bans; Dangerous Dogs Regulated by Behavior
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code § 47-3-720
No person owning or harboring or having the care or the custody of a dangerous animal may permit the animal to go unconfined on his premises.
Beekeeping
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.
No County Beekeeping Rule; State Farm Law Applies
Some RestrictionsS.C. 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.
Exotic Pets
South Carolina law, not a Horry County ordinance, controls exotic pets here: S.C. Code § 47-2-30(A) makes it unlawful to import, possess, purchase, breed, or sell a large wild cat, non-native bear, or great ape anywhere in the state, including online sales. Anyone who legally owned such an animal before January 1, 2018 may keep it for its life only if registered with the county animal control authority.
South Carolina Bans Big Cats, Bears, Apes as Pets
Heavy RestrictionsS.C. Code § 47-2-30(A)
(A) Except as otherwise provided in this chapter, it is unlawful for a person to import into, possess, keep, purchase, have custody or control of, breed, or sell within this State, by any means, a large wild cat, non-native bear, or great ape, including transactions conducted via the Internet.
Wildlife Feeding
Horry County Code § 4-33 makes it unlawful to feed, or to cause a congregation of, domestic or migratory waterfowl in residential areas of the county, a rule adopted to stop ducks, geese and swans from fouling neighborhood lakes and ponds. The Horry County Police Department enforces it under Chapter 4's misdemeanor penalty, and a five-acre wildlife-management exemption is the only carve-out.
Horry County Bans Feeding Waterfowl in Residential Areas
Heavy RestrictionsHorry County Code § 4-33(a)-(b)
(a)No person shall feed, cause to be fed or provide food for domestic or migratory waterfowl in residential areas of Horry County.(b)No person shall create or foster any condition, or allow any condition to exist or continue, which results in a congregation or congestion of domestic or migratory waterfowl in residential areas of Horry County.
Pet Limits
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.
No Hoarding Ordinance; Care Standards and State Cruelty Law Apply
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code § 47-1-40(A)
A person who knowingly or intentionally overloads, overdrives, overworks, or ill-treats an animal, deprives an animal of necessary sustenance or shelter, inflicts unnecessary pain or suffering upon an animal ... is guilty of a misdemeanor.
Cat Rules
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.
Cats Need ID; Community-Cat Caretakers Are Not Owners
Some RestrictionsHorry County Code § 4-14(b)
A person providing food, water, shelter, or other care for a community cat shall not be considered the owner, keeper, or custodian of the cat(s) for any purposes in this chapter.
Microchipping
Horry County does not license dogs or cats, but every owner must equip pets with visible identification, a collar tag, microchip, or another viable method, under County Code Sec. 4-8. Community-cat caregivers are exempt. Animal control agents enforce compliance, and violations fall under Chapter 4's general misdemeanor penalty.
Horry County Pets Need ID: Collar Tag or Microchip
Some RestrictionsHorry County Code § 4-8
No license shall be required of dogs, cats or other small domestic animals. However, the county requires dog and cat owners to provide a means of identification for these animals, either through a collar tag, microchip, or other viable means. A person providing food, water, shelter, or care to community cats shall not be considered the owner of those cats and shall not be required to comply wit...
Pet Store Rules
Horry County Code § 4-12(j) makes it unlawful for any pet store in the unincorporated county to sell, display, or otherwise dispose of a dog or cat. Stores may only host adoption events for a licensed shelter or qualifying rescue charging a nominal fee, with no ownership stake or space fee to the store. Violators risk business-license revocation on top of Chapter 4 penalties.
Horry County Bans Retail Pet-Store Sales of Dogs, Cats
Heavy RestrictionsHorry County Code § 4-12(j)
(j)Restrictions on the sale of animals.(1)It shall be unlawful for any pet store, as defined within this section, or any other employee, manager, agent, or other person affiliated with such pet store, to display, sell, deliver, offer for sale, barter, giveaway, or otherwise dispose of any dog or cat within the unincorporated areas of the county.(2)A pet store or other commercial establishment m...
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
In unincorporated Horry County, veterinary clinics and animal hospitals are classified as "Animal Services" under the zoning ordinance's Animal Facilities Use Chart. The use needs a conditional-use permit in most districts, including RE, AG2, AG3, LFA, FA, CFA, the HC/NC/CC/RCS/TRS group, RE1/RE2 and OPI/PR1/RC, and is permitted outright only in RE3/RE4 and the LI/MA1/MA2/HI industrial group.
Horry County: Zoning Rules for Vet Clinics
Some RestrictionsHorry County Zoning Ordinance §§ 204.4, 902(B)-(C)
B.The raising, care and handling of animals and livestock. The raising, care and handling of animals, where allowed by district, must meet the minimum lot size requirements listed in § 205.C.Animal boarding facilities.[1.]AG3, HC, NC, CC, RCS, TRS, RE1, RE2, OPI, PR1, & RC zoning districts. No outside boarding of animals.
Bird Protection
Horry County's only codified bird-protection ordinance covers a single 114-acre park: Section 14-36 makes it unlawful to trap, hunt, molest, or attempt to molest any bird, wild fowl, or game within the Vereen Memorial Historical Gardens in Little River. Violators face up to a $200 fine or thirty days in jail under the park's own penalty section.
Horry County: No Hunting Birds in Vereen Gardens
Heavy RestrictionsHorry County Code § 14-36
It shall be unlawful for any person to trap, hunt, molest, or attempt to molest in any manner any bird, wild fowl, or game within the Vereen Memorial Historical Gardens.
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