Horry County, SC Homelessness & Encampment Rules: Encampment Sanitation (2026)
Key Facts
- Camping without permit
- unlawful countywide
- Permit issuer
- Parks and Recreation Department
- Max permit length
- 3 consecutive nights
- Penalty
- up to $250 fine or 30 days jail
- Covers
- parks, boat landings, road shoulders, rights-of-way
- No-gear sleeping outdoors
- still counts as camping
Summary
Horry County makes it unlawful to camp anywhere on county-owned property, from parks and boat landings to road shoulders and rights-of-way, without a camping permit from the Parks and Recreation Department first. Sec. 14-8, rewritten in 2026, caps any authorized stay at three consecutive nights and backs the ban with fines and jail time.
(a)It shall be unlawful for any person to camp on any property owned by the county, regardless of whether that person is camping alone or with one (1) or more other people, without first getting authorization from the department by way of a camping permit. This shall include the use of, but is not limited to, tents, recreational vehicles, vans, conversion vans, camper trailers, campers, motor homes, motorcycles or motor vehicles. It shall also include any person staying in such areas without the benefit of any kind of shelter from the natural elements.(b)The department shall create an application for a camping permit that shall request all necessary information from the applicant. The department may issue a permit to allow the applicant and others named on the application to camp on the premises of the specified county or public boat landing for no more than three (3) consecutive nights. The department retains the authority to rescind a previously issued camping permit.(c)A violation of the provisions of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not more than two hundred fifty dollars ($250.00) or not more than thirty (30) days in jail.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
Sec. 14-8 of the Horry County Code, rewritten by Ordinance No. ' The rule reaches tents, RVs, vans, camper trailers, motor homes, motorcycles and any other vehicle used for shelter, and it extends even further: Sec. 14-7 defines 'camping' to include 'persons remaining on the property of Horry County overnight and choose not to use any means of defense or protection from the natural elements,' so simply sleeping outdoors on county land without any gear is still camping under the ordinance. 'Property open to the general public' covers parks, playgrounds, parking lots, historic sites, roads, highways, the shoulders of roads and highways, and rights-of-way, which is the county's entire public footprint, not just designated campgrounds.
Sec. 14-6 states the county's purpose bluntly: the county's growing population and the lack of infrastructure to support camping on county property make it against the public interest to allow camping there without authorization. Where the Parks and Recreation Department does issue a permit, covering county property or a public boat landing, it can run for no more than three consecutive nights, and the department can rescind a permit it already granted.
Violations & Fines
Camping on county property without a permit, or staying past a permit's three-night limit, is punishable under Sec. 14-8(c) by a fine of up to $250 or up to 30 days in jail. The Parks and Recreation Department administers the permit system and can revoke a permit already issued, ending the authorized stay immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it illegal to sleep on Horry County property without a permit?
How long can a camping permit last in Horry County?
What happens if someone camps on county land without authorization?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Horry County
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