Animal Ordinances in Lancaster County, SC (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Lancaster County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Dog Leash Laws
In unincorporated Lancaster County, pets must be kept under restraint at all times, and off the owner's own land a pet may not go anywhere except on a leash, per Lancaster County Code § 6-7. Hunting dogs, assistance dogs and working livestock or guard dogs are exempt while actively performing under voice or electronic tracking control.
Lancaster County Leash and Restraint Rules
Some RestrictionsLancaster County Code § 6-7
(a)The owner/custodian shall keep his pet under restraint at all times. ... (c)No pet shall be permitted to be off the land where the owner resides, or on other private property with that property owner's permission, unless on a leash at all times. ... (h)Exemptions:(1)No hunting dog is required to be constrained by a leash while it is actually engaged in hunting game during hunting season and ...
Breed Restrictions
Lancaster County has no breed ban; instead it declares dogs "dangerous" case by case based on behavior under Lancaster County Code § 6-13. A dog with a probable-cause finding of dangerousness must be kept muzzled and leashed when attended, or in an escape-proof, signed enclosure when unattended.
Lancaster County Dangerous Dog Rules
Significant RestrictionsLancaster County Code § 6-13
(a)The animal control officer shall have the authority to determine if there is probable cause a dog is a dangerous animal as defined in this chapter. ... (c)If the dog is outdoors and attended, the dog shall be muzzled, on a leash no longer in length than three (3) feet, of sufficient tensile strength for the type of animal being controlled and under the control of the owner/custodian. (d)If t...
Exotic Pets
Lancaster County Code § 6-52 bans keeping, maintaining or possessing any exotic animal within unincorporated Lancaster County. Section 6-51 lists the covered species, including big cats, wolves, bears, hyenas, rhinoceroses, gorillas, elephants, large monitor lizards, crocodilians and any venomous reptile.
Lancaster County Exotic Animal Ban
Heavy RestrictionsLancaster County Code §§ 6-51, 6-52
Exotic animal means those species of animals that are exotic to humans. Exotic animals include, but are not limited to:(1)Class Mammalia.a.Order Artiodactyla (only hippopotamuses and giraffes).b.Order Carnivora (only those specified below).1.Family Felidae [(all species except domestic cats) this includes lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, lynx, ocelots, servals]. ... (3)Any venomous reptile. .....
Cat Rules
In unincorporated Lancaster County, every cat over four months old must wear an owner identification tag and a current rabies vaccination tag under Lancaster County Code § 6-6. Cats without tags may be impounded by Animal Control; the code separately defines an unowned feral or friendly cat as a "free roaming cat."
Cat ID Tag and Rabies Tag Rules
Some RestrictionsLancaster County Code §§ 6-2, 6-6
Cat. A domestic feline of either sex, except a free roaming cat. ... Free roaming cat. Any friendly or feral cat without an identifiable owner and home. ... It shall be unlawful for any dog or cat owner who resides in the county to fail to provide their dog or cat over four months of age with an identification tag indicating the owner's name, address, and telephone number. ... It shall be unlaw...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Lancaster County requires spaying or neutering as a condition of getting an impounded pet back or adopting one from the county shelter. Section 6-9(a)(2) makes it a redemption requirement, and § 6-10(b) requires an adopted unsterilized pet be sterilized within forty-five days, subject to listed exceptions.
Spay/Neuter Required for Shelter Pets
Some RestrictionsLancaster County Code §§ 6-9, 6-10
The spay or neuter procedure which shall be required prior to redemption if the pet is not spayed or neutered; ... No unsterilized pet, which has been impounded by animal services, shall be allowed to be adopted unless the owner agrees to have it sterilized within forty-five (45) days.
Microchipping
Lancaster County does not require every pet to be microchipped, but the animal shelter requires it in two situations: an owner redeeming an impounded pet must consent to microchipping at their own expense under § 6-8(b), and a dog declared dangerous must be microchipped at the owner's expense under § 6-13(d)(7).
Lancaster County Pet Microchipping Rules
Some RestrictionsLancaster County Code §§ 6-8, 6-9, 6-13
The owner shall also consent to have the animal microchipped at his expense. ... In the case of dogs, the cost of installing a microchip should one not already be present ... If a dog is found to be a dangerous animal by consent of the owner or by declaration of the magistrate after a hearing, the dog must be microchipped at the owner's expense.
Bird Protection
Sec. 24-3(3) makes it unlawful to kill, harm or harass any bird, along with mammals, reptiles and amphibians, in a Lancaster County park or recreation area, except under a permit issued by the parks and recreation department. Violators face a misdemeanor under Sec. 24-4.
Lancaster County Park Bird Protection
Significant RestrictionsLancaster County Code §§ 24-3(3), 24-4
(3)Killing, harming or harassing any mammal, bird, reptile or amphibian, except by permit issued by the department. ... Any person violating the provisions of this article shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction, shall be punished in accordance with section 1-10 of the Lancaster County Code of Ordinances.
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