Georgetown County, SC Environmental Rules: Flood Zones (2026)

Georgetown County's Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance, adopted as Appendix C, Part II of the County Code, governs development inside every mapped Special Flood Hazard Area (SFHA) in the unincorporated county. Article I, Section D ties the ordinance directly to FEMA's mapping: it applies to all areas of special flood hazard within the jurisdiction of Georgetown County as identified by FEMA in its Flood Insurance Study, dated June 18, 2025, and any newly annexed SFHA is automatically pulled in as well. Before anyone can build, fill, grade, or otherwise develop inside one of those zones, Section E requires a Development Permit in conformance with the provisions of the ordinance prior to the commencement of any development activities.

Compliance runs through the Building Official, who serves as the county's local floodplain administrator and reviews permit applications, plot plans, and elevation certifications under Article III. Property owners who build in a flood hazard area must also sign a Non-Conversion Agreement, recorded with the Register of Deeds, promising not to finish or convert any low, flood-prone enclosure into living space. Enforcement is a straight misdemeanor: Section J makes violation of the provisions of the ordinance or failure to comply with any of its requirements, including violation of variance conditions, punishable upon conviction by a fine not more than $500.00 or imprisonment not more than 30 days, or both, with each day a violation continues treated as a separate offense.

The floodplain administrator can also issue stop-work orders, revoke a permit for a substantial departure from approved plans, and refer a case to the Building Code Board of Appeals, whose decisions may be appealed to the Circuit Court.