Dorchester County, SC Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)
Key Facts
- Curfew
- No discharge 10 p.m. to 10 a.m.
- New Year's exception
- Allowed 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Jan 1
- July 4th exception
- Allowed 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. July 5
- Neighbor's property
- Discharge onto it banned at all times
- Penalty
- Fine up to $100.00 per violation
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 17-26, November 20, 2017
Summary
Dorchester County limits when fireworks may be set off in the unincorporated county. Ordinance § 28-7 bans discharging ICC Class C consumer fireworks between 10:00 p.m. and 10:00 a.m., with later hours allowed on New Year's Eve and July 4th, and it fines violators up to $100 per offense.
(a)The discharge of fireworks (ICC Class C "Common Fireworks") as that term is defined in S.C. Code Ann. § 23-15-10 within unincorporated Dorchester County is declared a public nuisance and infraction and is prohibited after 10:00 p.m. and before 10:00 a.m. the following day except as set forth in subsections (b) and (c) below.(b)On New Year's Eve day beginning at 10:00 a.m. the discharge of fireworks shall be permitted until 1:00 a.m. New Year's Day.(c)On July 4th, the discharge of fireworks shall be permitted from 10:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m. on July 5th.(d)The discharge of fireworks onto neighboring private property without permission from the property owner is strictly prohibited at all times.(e)Persons or businesses offering the sale of fireworks to the public shall post a notice in a conspicuous place visible to such purchases that the discharge of fireworks is prohibited except during the times set forth above. This notice shall be obtained from the county business license office at such time as application is made to the county for a business license.(f)Any violations of this section shall be subject to a fine of not more than $100.00.
Full Breakdown
Section 28-7, adopted by Ordinance No. C. § 23-15-10, to be a public nuisance and infraction in unincorporated Dorchester County. the following day. on July 5th. Outside those two extended windows, nighttime discharge is prohibited countywide regardless of the day of year. The ordinance also protects neighboring property owners directly: subsection (d) makes it unlawful at all times, with no time-of-day exception, to discharge fireworks onto a neighbor's private property without that owner's permission. Retailers face their own duty under subsection (e): any person or business selling fireworks to the public must post a conspicuous notice, obtained from the county business license office when applying for a business license, telling purchasers that discharge outside the permitted hours is prohibited.
00 under subsection (f). The section does not create a jail penalty, unlike many other misdemeanors in Chapter 28's general offenses article, and it does not regulate the sale or licensing of fireworks itself, which remains governed at the state level.
Violations & Fines
Discharging fireworks outside the permitted hours, firing them onto a neighbor's property without permission, or selling fireworks without posting the required hours notice each draws a fine of up to $100.00 under § 28-7(f). Each incident is treated as a separate infraction, and the county business license office supplies the notice retailers must display.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time can I legally set off fireworks in Dorchester County?
Can I shoot fireworks onto my neighbor's yard?
What fine applies for illegal fireworks discharge?
Does the county regulate what fireworks can be sold?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dorchester County
How Dorchester County compares: Cities Where Fireworks Are Banned or Heavily Restricted·Compare Dorchester County to another location·View the South Carolina fire regulations overview
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