Sumter County, SC Ordinances (2026)

Unincorporated Sumter County bans open burning on or within 200 feet of any residential property except under the narrow conditions in County Code Section 16-72. A permitted fire must…

Unincorporated Sumter County requires a development permit before any work begins in an area of special flood hazard, under Code Chapter 18. The chapter covers every FEMA-mapped flood…

Commercial, industrial and other nonresidential buildings in Sumter County's mapped flood hazard areas must have their lowest floor two feet above base flood elevation, same as homes…

Unincorporated Sumter County requires a stormwater permit before any land disturbing activity and funds county-wide drainage upkeep through a stormwater utility fee. Sumter County Code…

Any land disturbing activity in unincorporated Sumter County must follow the erosion and sediment control standards of Sumter County Code § 14-19 et seq., adopted to stop excessive…

Unincorporated Sumter County preserves historic sites through a nine-member County Historical Commission created under Sumter County Code § 2-273. The commission can acquire, restore…

In unincorporated Sumter County, residents recycle through the county's manned convenience centers, defined in Sec. 20-23 as solid waste collection and recycling centers. Only…

Unincorporated Sumter County has no residential curbside pickup: households take household solid waste to county-provided greenboxes or manned convenience centers under Code Section…

Dumping litter or debris in unincorporated Sumter County carries a $100 to $200 fine plus three hours of public service under Code Section 20-255. Two Sheriff's-department litter…

Before hurricane season floods a special flood hazard area, Sumter County requires new and substantially improved homes there to have the lowest floor elevated at least two feet above…

Before starting construction, alteration, or repair on any building or structure in unincorporated Sumter County, Sec. 8-24 requires a permit from the Sumter City-County Building…

Sumter County inspects construction through a building inspection team inside the Sumter City-County Building Department. Sec. 8-27 gives the Building Director and his representatives…

Sumter County adopted the 2005 National Electrical Code by Sec. 8-148, effective January 1, 2008, as one of the county's mechanical codes. Sec. 8-152 bars any electrical construction…

Sumter County adopted the 2006 International Plumbing Code by Sec. 8-148, effective January 1, 2008, as one of the county's mechanical codes. Sec. 8-152 bars any plumbing construction…

In unincorporated Sumter County, anyone who places a campaign sign, poster, or other item of campaign advertising must remove it within 30 days after the final election vote that the…

In unincorporated Sumter County, juveniles under 17 may not remain in public places or business establishments from 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, or from 12:01 a.m…

It is unlawful to enter a Sumter County park, ball field, golf course, tennis court, or other recreational facility while it is closed to the public. A facility counts as closed once…

In unincorporated Sumter County it's unlawful to drink alcohol, beer, or wine on any street, road, sidewalk, park, or other public property unless inside an enclosed building…

Sumter County Code § 28-6 makes it unlawful to loiter in a public place for drug activity or to menace passersby, but only after a law enforcement officer first warns the person and…

Short-term rentals of a private residence in unincorporated Sumter County are exempt from the county's accommodations fee if the home has fewer than six sleeping rooms used as…

Unincorporated Sumter County imposes a 3 percent accommodations fee on gross proceeds from renting rooms, campground spaces, or other lodging to transients by hotels, motels, inns, bed…

Sumter County treats overgrown weeds, rank vegetation and debris on any occupied or unoccupied lot in the unincorporated area as a public nuisance once it stands within 100 feet of a…

In unincorporated Sumter County, a public officer appointed by the County Administrator can order an owner to repair a dangerous or unsanitary dwelling or, if repair costs exceed half…

Unincorporated Sumter County caps weeds and rank vegetation at one foot tall on any lot in a residential zoning district, R-15, R-9, R-6, GR or RMF, regardless of distance from a…

Unincorporated Sumter County residents can trigger an unfit-dwelling investigation by filing a written petition signed by at least five county residents with the public officer, or the…

For dwellings in unincorporated Sumter County, including rental units, Sec. 22-129 lets the county's public officer declare a home unfit for human habitation when conditions are…

Anyone going door-to-door in unincorporated Sumter County to sell products, magazines or other items must first get an identification card from the county under Sec. 26-2, co-signed by…

Every business operating in unincorporated Sumter County pays an annual business license tax based on a classification tied to its NAICS code. Sec. 26-45 computes the tax from the…

In unincorporated Sumter County, letting an animal bark, whine, or howl in an excessive, unwarranted, and continuous fashion so it repeatedly annoys neighbors or interferes with their…

Unincorporated Sumter County's noise ordinance does not reach airport and airplane noise. Sumter County Code § 14-134(d) lists 'airport and airplane noise' among the activities…

Unincorporated Sumter County bans operating any 'sound device,' from speakers to engines, loud enough to disturb people in nearby homes at any hour. Sumter County Code § 14-134(a)…

Unincorporated Sumter County presumes noise is unlawful between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. if it comes from a sound device within 50 feet of a home. Sumter County Code § 14-134(b)…

In unincorporated Sumter County it is unlawful for a dog owner to let a dog run at-large off the owner's own property, and unlawful to let a female dog run at-large while in heat…

Sumter County has no cat-specific licensing or at-large ordinance; the dog-control article expressly excludes cats. Instead, Sec. 6-85 and Sec. 6-86 fold cats into "pet," meaning any…

Unincorporated Sumter County exempts routine farm work from its noise-nuisance ordinance. Sumter County Code § 14-134(d) states the noise article does not apply to 'the conduct of…

Unincorporated Sumter County exempts most lawfully established businesses from its noise ordinance, but not bars and restaurants serving alcohol on-site. Sumter County Code § 14-134(d)…