Animal Ordinances in Spartanburg County, SC (2026)
7 rules for unincorporated Spartanburg County, South Carolina.
Verified from official government sources
Chickens & Livestock
Much of unincorporated Spartanburg County is rural and historically unzoned, so keeping chickens and small livestock is broadly allowed. South Carolina's Right to Farm Act protects established agricultural operations from nuisance claims. Check zoning where the parcel is zoned, and city limits set their own rules.
Backyard Chickens & Livestock in Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code Ann. § 46-45-10
The policy of the State is to conserve, protect, and encourage the development and improvement of its agricultural land and facilities for the production of food and other agricultural products.
Dog Leash Laws
Unincorporated Spartanburg County requires every pet be kept 'under restraint' at all times under County Code § 6-18(a), defined by § 6-2 as leashed, under a handler's direct control, confined to the owner's own property, or secured in a parked vehicle. A pet that isn't is deemed running at large and can be impounded, with fines that climb on repeat offenses.
Dogs Must Be Under Restraint in Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsSpartanburg County Code § 6-18(a); § 6-2
All pets must be kept under restraint as defined by this chapter. Any pet not so restrained will be deemed running/roaming at large in the unincorporated area of the county... Under restraint - As related to pets, controlled by means of a chain, leash or other restraining device, or sufficiently near the owner or handler to be under the direct control and obedience to the commands of the owner ...
Breed Restrictions
Spartanburg County and South Carolina impose no breed-specific ban. State law is expressly breed-neutral: a dog is not dangerous solely because of its breed. Dangerous-dog status is based on the individual animal's behavior, and such dogs face strict confinement, registration, and insurance rules.
Dog Breed Restrictions & Dangerous Dogs in Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code Ann. § 47-3-710(C)
An animal is not a 'dangerous animal' solely by virtue of its breed or species.
Exotic Pets
Spartanburg County bans keeping any venomous reptile or 'wild or exotic animal' anywhere in the unincorporated county under County Code § 6-21, covering species like monkeys, raccoons, ocelots, bobcats and wolves. South Carolina law separately bars selling wild carnivores as pets statewide under § 47-5-50. Violating the county ban is a misdemeanor punishable by up to $500 in fines or 30 days in jail.
Wild and Exotic Pets Banned in Spartanburg County
Heavy RestrictionsS.C. Code Ann. § 47-5-50; Spartanburg County Code § 6-21
(A) No carnivores, which normally are not domesticated, may be sold as pets in this State. A carnivore kept by an individual must not be allowed to run at large and then returned to confinement. A normally wild animal indigenous to this State, if held captive for a period of time, may be released to the wild. This section does not apply to domesticated ferrets... It shall be unlawful for any pe...
Pet Limits
Spartanburg County addresses animal hoarding through its Ordinance O-25-02 welfare provisions and South Carolina's cruelty statute (§ 47-1-40), which makes it unlawful to ill-treat animals or deny necessary food and shelter. Neglecting many animals in unsanitary conditions can bring seizure and criminal charges.
Animal Hoarding & Cruelty in Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code Ann. § 47-1-40(A)
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.
Cat Rules
Every cat and dog over four months old in unincorporated Spartanburg County must carry a current rabies vaccination and a serially numbered metal tag, under South Carolina's Rabies Control Act and County Code § 6-8. The tag comes from the vaccinating veterinarian along with the certificate and must stay on the pet's collar or harness at all times. A cat found without one can draw an animal control citation.
Rabies Tags Required for Cats in Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsS.C. Code Ann. § 47-5-60
A pet owner must have his pet inoculated against rabies at a frequency to provide continuous protection of the pet from rabies using a vaccine approved by the department and licensed by the United States Department of Agriculture... With the issuance of the certificate, the licensed veterinarian shall furnish a serially numbered metal license tag bearing the same number and year as the certific...
Mandatory Spay/Neuter
Spartanburg County does not force pet owners to spay or neuter, but County Code § 6-18 fines an unneutered pet caught running at large roughly twice as much as a neutered one, and § 6-16 blocks the shelter from adopting out an unaltered stray unless a veterinarian recommends waiving that rule. Neutering a cited pet before trial can drop the fine to the lower, neutered-pet tier.
Unneutered Pets Draw Higher Fines in Spartanburg County
Some RestrictionsSpartanburg County Code § 6-18(b)
The owner or keeper of an un-neutered pet allowed to run at large is guilty of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction for a first offense, shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $50.00 plus court costs. Upon conviction for a second offense, the owner of keeper shall be subject to a fine not exceeding $100.00 plus court costs. Upon conviction for a third or subsequent offense, the owner or keeper ...
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