Local rules and regulations for York County, South Carolina. Population: 282,090.
Verified from official government sources
Select a topic to see York County's rules on that subject.
York County has no STR-specific noise rule; guests follow the county noise ordinance (§56.016), including the 60-decibel residential lot-line cap and the 11:00 p.m.–7:00 a.m. limit on…
No South Carolina statute sets STR parking rules. Unincorporated York County handles rental parking through its zoning ordinance; Rock Hill and Fort Mill attach parking conditions to…
South Carolina mandates no STR insurance statewide, and unincorporated York County requires none. Coverage is driven by lenders, HOA covenants, and platforms; SC cities like Charleston…
South Carolina requires no statewide STR permit. In unincorporated York County an STR must meet the zoning ordinance and hold a county business license; Rock Hill and Fort Mill run…
South Carolina sets no statewide STR occupancy cap. Unincorporated York County limits guests through its zoning ordinance and septic capacity; Rock Hill and Fort Mill set occupancy…
South Carolina imposes a 7% sales tax on transient accommodations under S.C. Code §12-36-920 (5% general sales plus the 2% state accommodations tax), on top of a York County business…
York County zones its unincorporated areas, so its development ordinance can regulate where residents store RVs, boats, and trailers in residential districts. On rural and agricultural…
No South Carolina statute bars parking a work truck or van at home, so the limits are local. York County zoning can restrict commercial vehicles in unincorporated residential…
Nothing in South Carolina law restricts installing a home EV charger. A charger at an unincorporated York County home simply needs an electrical permit and inspection to meet the…
York County zones its unincorporated areas, so residential districts carry driveway and access standards, and a new connection to a public road needs an encroachment permit. HOA…
South Carolina has no statewide overnight parking ban, and York County imposes no general rule against leaving a vehicle parked overnight at home or, usually, on an unincorporated…
Abandoned vehicles in York County are handled under the state traffic code. Once a vehicle is towed and taken into custody, S.C. Code 56-5-5630 requires written notice to the owner and…
Parking on public roads in York County follows the state traffic code. S.C. Code 56-5-2530 bars stopping or parking on sidewalks, in intersections, on crosswalks, in front of…
South Carolina has no good-neighbor fence law forcing cost-sharing. A boundary fence is the builder's own expense, and a neighbor owes nothing unless he agrees in writing. York County…
York County zones its large unincorporated area, so the county zoning ordinance—not a blank slate—sets fence height outside city limits. No South Carolina statute caps residential…
York County reviews fence work against its zoning ordinance and building codes through the Planning and Development department. Call SC 811 before digging. Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega…
York County enforces adopted building codes on unincorporated land, so a retaining wall above the code threshold—generally four feet—needs a permit and engineering. Cities enforce…
No South Carolina statute restricts residential fence materials. Wood, vinyl, chain-link, aluminum, and wrought iron are all lawful. York County zoning, city ordinances, and recorded…
York County enforces a residential pool barrier through the International Residential Code, Appendix G, adopted statewide by the South Carolina Building Codes Council. The barrier must…
Outdoor burning is legal in unincorporated York County under state rules, but S.C. Code 48-35-10 requires Forestry Commission notification before burning near woodlands, and drought…
South Carolina maps no regulatory wildfire hazard zones, and York County imposes no defensible-space or fire-hardening mandates. Wildfire risk is managed by the Forestry Commission…
Consumer fireworks are legal in York County. South Carolina permits their sale and use statewide, so unincorporated residents may buy and shoot them. Retailers need a state license…
Clearing brush by burning is allowed in unincorporated York County, but S.C. Code 48-35-10 makes it unlawful to burn woodland, brush, or grass without first notifying the South…
Backyard fire pits are legal across unincorporated York County. South Carolina requires no state permit for a recreational fire, but S.C. Code 48-35-10 requires you to notify the…
Backyard chickens and livestock are common across rural west and south York County, though the county zoning ordinance governs where they are kept and how many. South Carolina law…
York County Animal Control enforces the county's at-large and nuisance-dog rules across unincorporated land. Statewide, South Carolina requires every pet be vaccinated against rabies…
No South Carolina statute and no York County ordinance ban feeding wildlife generally. State game rules restrict baiting deer, and feeding that draws nuisance or rabies-vector animals…
Beekeeping is legal across York County and protected as agriculture by state law. S.C. Code Section 46-45-20 counts honeybees and honeybee products among agricultural facilities…
South Carolina bars selling wild carnivores as pets. S.C. Code Section 47-5-50 provides no carnivores that normally are not domesticated may be sold as pets in the State, reaching…
South Carolina has no statewide breed ban, and its dangerous-dog law is behavior-based. S.C. Code Section 47-3-710 states an animal is not dangerous solely by virtue of its breed or…
No South Carolina statute and no York County ordinance limits pruning trees on your own established lot in the unincorporated county. You may trim freely. Cities regulate right-of-way…
South Carolina sets no statewide lawn-watering ban. In York County, restrictions come from your water provider and the Catawba-Wateree drought plan, triggered when SC DNR declares…
You may remove trees on your own established lot in unincorporated York County without a permit. The county's tree code applies to new development and subdivisions, not existing…
Rainwater harvesting is legal and unregulated across York County. No South Carolina statute limits collecting rain, and the county has no ordinance. Rain barrels and cisterns for the…
No South Carolina statute or York County ordinance restricts native or drought-tolerant planting. You may replace lawn with native Piedmont species, pollinator beds, or meadows. Only…
No South Carolina statute and no York County ordinance governs artificial turf on an existing lot. You may install it freely. HOA covenants are the main limit, and lots near Lake Wylie…
York County abates rank weeds and overgrowth in unincorporated areas as a public nuisance under Chapter 56, acting on complaints rather than patrols. Cities enforce their own weed…
York County treats overgrown grass and weeds in unincorporated areas as a public nuisance under Chapter 56, acting on complaints. Rock Hill, Fort Mill, Tega Cay, and Clover run their…
South Carolina lets you sell approved home-produced foods from a York County home as a home-based food production operation with no SCDHEC permit or inspection. Products must be…
Caring for children for pay in a York County home falls under South Carolina DSS oversight. A family childcare home for no more than six unattended children must register with DSS…
A home occupation sign in unincorporated York County is limited by the Unified Development Ordinance, which caps size and placement so the residence still reads as a home. State law…
York County requires a home occupation permit before you run a business from a residence in unincorporated areas. The home occupation is an accessory use under the county's Unified…
A home occupation in unincorporated York County may not change the residential character of its neighborhood, so customer and delivery traffic stays at ordinary residential levels and…
York County requires a tree removal permit only for grand trees on land being developed or subdivided, under Land Development Code Section 154.200. An owner on an existing lot needs…
York County protects "grand trees," its version of heritage trees, on land being developed under Land Development Code Section 154.200. Thresholds run from 24-inch DBH for most species…
When a grand tree is removed during development in unincorporated York County, Section 154.200 requires mitigation: extra tree-save area at 150 square feet per inch of DBH, replanting…
An above-ground pool in York County needs the same Residential Swimming Pool Permit and 48-inch barrier as an in-ground pool. The pool wall can serve as the barrier only where it meets…
Every pedestrian gate in a York County pool barrier must open outward, be self-closing, and self-latching under the 2021 ISPSC Section 305.3. Where a house wall forms the barrier, a…
A hot tub or spa in York County is regulated like a pool under the 2021 ISPSC, needing the county permit and a barrier. A safety cover listed and labeled to ASTM F1346 can stand in…
A residential pool in York County must sit behind a barrier at least 48 inches high, under the 2021 International Swimming Pool and Spa Code South Carolina enforces. Openings in the…
York County Planning & Development Services issues the residential swimming pool permit for unincorporated pools. Every in-ground or above-ground pool needs the permit, a site plan…
York County publishes no food-truck vending-zone map. Where a truck may set up in unincorporated areas depends on the parcel's zoning district and the owner's permission. Cities set…
A food truck working in York County needs a SCDHEC retail food establishment permit and must run from an approved commissary. Each city it serves, including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and…
Because York County has no curbside program, bin placement means how you use the convenience centers. Household waste goes inside the fenced center or into a designated roadside…
South Carolina has no mandatory recycling law, so recycling in York County is voluntary. The county's convenience centers accept common recyclables free of charge, and residents choose…
York County provides no residential curbside garbage collection. Residents of the unincorporated area haul household waste to sixteen county convenience and recycling centers. South…
Illegal dumping of bulky trash, appliances, or construction debris on roadsides and vacant land is a crime in South Carolina. The Litter Control Act sets escalating fines by weight…
A detached shed over 200 square feet in unincorporated York County needs a building permit; a shed of 200 square feet or less needs only a zoning compliance application. Setbacks apply…
York County allows an accessory dwelling unit subordinate to the main home on the same lot. It needs a building permit under the 2021 SC Residential Code, zoning review, and, off…
Converting a garage to living space in York County is a change of occupancy needing a building permit under the 2021 SC Residential Code. Adding a bathroom or bedroom on septic…
A carport in unincorporated York County is a roofed accessory structure. Over 200 square feet it needs a building permit under the 2021 SC Residential Code; at 200 square feet or less…
A tiny house in York County is a legal dwelling only if built to the 2021 SC Residential Code, which adopts Appendix AQ for homes 400 square feet or less. A tiny house on wheels is…
Measurable snow is rare in Piedmont York County, and neither the county nor its towns require property owners to shovel snow from sidewalks. Ice and snow removal is left to owners'…
Vacant lots in York County must be kept from becoming overgrown or a dumping ground. Owners are responsible for cutting excessive weeds and grass and clearing debris and illegal…
Where towns provide carts, residents must store garbage and recycling bins out of street view except on collection day. York County's rules focus on keeping waste contained so it does…
York County requires garage and yard sales to maintain property appearance. Items must be displayed neatly and removed promptly after the sale ends.
York County's home-rule authority lets it order dilapidated and derelict structures cleaned up or demolished. Overgrown, junk-filled, and abandoned properties in the unincorporated…
York County zones its unincorporated areas. Under Zoning Code Section 155.058, single-family RSF-40 and RSF-30 lots keep a 50-foot front setback on major roads, 25 feet on minor roads…
York County limits impervious surface, not just building footprint. Zoning Code Section 155.059 caps agricultural and single-family lots at 50% impervious cover, duplex through…
York County caps building height by district. Under Zoning Code Section 155.058, base residential districts allow up to 50 feet; multi-family tops out at 40 feet, townhouses at 60…
Rules vary by town. Fort Mill requires a free permit from code enforcement at least five days before a yard sale. Rock Hill issues free yard-sale permits through Customer Service. The…
Fort Mill caps yard sales at four permits per person each year, with every sale limited to two days. Rock Hill and the other towns manage frequency through their own permit systems.
Yard sales in York County's towns are daytime events tied to short permit windows. Fort Mill limits each sale to two days, and sales are expected to run during normal daylight hours to…
Recreational drone flights in York County follow federal FAA rules under 49 U.S.C. 44809: register drones over 250 grams, pass TRUST, stay below 400 feet, keep visual line of sight. SC…
Commercial drone operators in York County follow FAA 14 C.F.R. Part 107: hold a Remote Pilot Certificate, register the aircraft, fly below 400 feet, keep line of sight. SC Code…
Unincorporated York County requires no rental registration, but its cities do. Rock Hill mandates that every single-family and multi-family rental register with the city and pass…
South Carolina has no just-cause eviction rule, and York County cannot add one. Under S.C. Code §27-40-710 a landlord ends a tenancy for unpaid rent with a five-day written notice…
Rent control is illegal across York County. South Carolina Code §27-39-60 bars every county and municipal corporation from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any ordinance that…
York County administers its own Flood Damage Prevention ordinance, Chapter 151, to keep the county in the National Flood Insurance Program. A floodplain development permit is required…
Coastal development rules do not apply in York County. It sits in the inland Piedmont on the North Carolina border in the Charlotte metro, so South Carolina's Coastal Zone Management…
South Carolina treats erosion and sediment as regulated pollution. Any land disturbance in unincorporated York County that changes the natural cover and can cause erosion is a land…
South Carolina has no statewide grading permit. In unincorporated York County, earthwork disturbing one acre or more needs the state stormwater permit, while smaller grading is…
Disturbing one acre or more anywhere in unincorporated York County requires a state stormwater and sediment control permit before ground breaks. The Department of Environmental…
Unincorporated York County has no countywide juvenile curfew. The curfews are municipal: the City of York bars anyone 17 or younger from public places 9 PM to 6 AM, with work and…
York County parks close at night. Hours run 7 AM to 8 PM November through February and 7 AM to 9 PM March through October. Approved programs may run later but never past 10 PM.
York County sets no foot-candle limit on light spilling onto a neighbor's yard, and South Carolina has no light-trespass statute. Relief comes from HOA covenants or a common-law…
York County has no dark-sky ordinance for private homes. New development must submit a master lighting plan under Zoning Code Section 155.079, and illuminated outdoor-recreation uses…
Rooftop solar in unincorporated York County needs a county building and electrical permit plus an interconnection agreement with the serving utility. Wiring must meet the National…
South Carolina has no solar access law. Unlike Texas, Florida, or California, no statute stops a homeowners association in York County from restricting or banning rooftop solar. A…
York County's zoning code regulates garage-sale signs on private property by size and placement, and no county permit covers a sign in the state right-of-way. S.C. Code §57-25-10 makes…
No South Carolina statute and no York County ordinance regulate holiday lights, inflatables, or yard displays on private property. A homeowner decorates without a county permit; HOA…
South Carolina gives political signs no protection on private property — repeated bills failed — so York County's zoning code and each city regulate them content-neutrally. S.C. Code…
Yelling, shouting, and singing on public streets are barred 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m., and residential noise can't exceed 60 decibels at the lot line, under York County Code §56.016.
York County Code §56.016 bars piledrivers, pneumatic hammers, hoists, and other loud building equipment between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. in residential blocks; daytime tools must stay…
York County Code §56.016 makes it unlawful to keep any animal whose frequent or long-continued noise disturbs the comfort or repose of neighbors; animal control treats it as a public…
York County allows leaf blowers, lawnmowers, and garden tools between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 p.m. as long as they stay under 85 dB(A) at the nearest residence, under York County Code…
York County Code §56.016 bans radios, loudspeakers, and sound-amplifying devices played so loud they unreasonably disturb people nearby; residential noise can't exceed 60 decibels at…
York County keeps no do-not-knock registry. A posted "No Soliciting" or "No Trespassing" sign carries legal force: a solicitor who enters or stays after that notice commits trespass…
Door-to-door sellers in York County's municipalities, including Rock Hill, Fort Mill, and York, must hold a solicitor or peddler permit. Everywhere in the county, state law gives…
There are no cannabis dispensaries to zone in York County. South Carolina has no medical or recreational program, and selling marijuana is a crime under S.C. Code Section 44-53-370. No…
Growing marijuana at home is a crime everywhere in South Carolina, including York County. The state has no medical or recreational program. Cultivating plants is manufacturing and…
These cities are located within York County and may have their own ordinances.
These communities are in unincorporated York County. County ordinances apply directly to these areas.
Ordinance data for York County is sourced from the following official government references. Click any topic above for detailed citations.