Sumter County, SC Landscaping Rules: Weed Ordinances (2026)

Sec. 22-103 defines weeds and rank vegetation as dense, uncultivated, herbaceous overgrowth over one foot in height, or briers and trailing vines exceeding ten feet in length, giving the county a specific numeric trigger rather than a vague overgrowth standard. Sec. 22-105 then splits the prohibition into two rules: the general rule bars such growth on any occupied or unoccupied lot within 100 feet of a residence other than the owner's, while a second, stricter rule applies flatly to any lot located in a residential zoning district, R-15, R-9, R-6, GR or RMF, regardless of how far the growth sits from a house.

That means a homeowner or vacant-lot owner inside one of those five residential districts cannot let grass or weeds pass the one-foot mark anywhere on the parcel, not just near a dwelling. Enforcement runs through the rest of Article V: Sec. 22-107 authorizes written notice by delivery, registered mail or posting, Sec. 22-108 gives 15 calendar days to cut the growth before a misdemeanor citation issues under the Sec. 1-8 general penalty, and a second violation within 12 months after compliance is charged again as a separate misdemeanor.

Sec. 22-109 lets the county Department of Public Works cut an owner's lot itself once the deadline passes and lien the property for the cost, while Sec. 22-110 lets an owner pay the county in advance to do the mowing on request.