Little River, SC
126 local rules on file · Pop. 11,711 · Horry County
Showing ordinances that apply to Little River, SC
Little River is an unincorporated community with a population of approximately 11,711 in Horry County, South Carolina. Because Little River is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal government or city code. Instead, Horry County ordinances apply directly to residential and commercial properties here. The rules below are the county-level regulations that govern your area. Nearby incorporated cities in Horry County may have different rules.
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🏡 Home & Property
🌿 Yard & Garden
🏠 Renting & Housing
🔊 Noise & Neighbors
🐾 Animals & Farming
🚗 Parking & Streets
💼 Business & Licensing
📋 Permits, Signs & Events
🌎 Environment & Utilities
🏠 Short-Term Rentals
Taxes & Fees
Some RestrictionsSouth Carolina levies a 7% state accommodations tax on transient lodging. On top of that, Horry County charges a hospitality fee/local accommodations tax of 3% of gross proceeds…
Night Caps
Few RestrictionsHorry County and its cities set no annual limit on how many nights a property may be rented short-term. The only threshold is duration: a stay becomes long-term (and tax-exempt) once…
Short-Term Rental Permits
Some RestrictionsBefore renting, unincorporated-county hosts register with Horry County's Business License office (BLHospitality@horrycountysc.gov) and open a Hospitality Fee / Local Accommodations Tax…
🔊 Noise Ordinances
Amplified Music & Outdoor Sound
Some RestrictionsOutdoor concerts, festivals, or fairs expected to draw 500 or more people in unincorporated Horry County require a county special-event permit under Section 13-34. Established…
Quiet Hours
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Horry County, playing a radio, stereo, instrument, or other sound device between 11:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. so it is audible 50 feet away is prohibited under Code Sec…
Barking Dogs
Some RestrictionsHorry County does not put a barking dog under its general noise chapter but under its animal code. Section 4-3 makes it unlawful for an owner to let any animal create a public…
Construction Hours
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Horry County, building construction, demolition, or repair is a prohibited noise except between 7:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. Inside a platted major residential…
Leaf Blower Rules
Few RestrictionsHorry County has no dedicated leaf-blower ordinance and generally exempts lawn-maintenance equipment from the noise article. However, Section 13-32(b)(7) prohibits nighttime operation…
Decibel Limits
Some RestrictionsHorry County has no industrial decibel cap, but Section 13-32(b)(9) prohibits nighttime noise from asphalt, concrete, aggregate, and paving-material plants (9 p.m.–7 a.m. in summer, 7…
Vehicle Noise
Some RestrictionsHorry County Code 13-32 bans discharging a vehicle, motorcycle, or engine exhaust into the open air except through an effective muffler, and prohibits unnecessary horn or…
🏊 Swimming Pools & Spas
Pool Permits
Some RestrictionsAn above-ground pool wall can act as the barrier only if it is at least 48 inches high all around. Any ladder or steps must be secured, locked or removable to block access when the…
Fencing & Safety Requirements
Some RestrictionsOutdoor pools must be enclosed by a barrier at least 48 inches high measured from the outside. Openings cannot pass a 4-inch sphere, and ground clearance is capped at 2 inches on…
🧱 Fence Regulations
Height Limits
Some RestrictionsEvery fence in unincorporated Horry County must permit emergency access to the enclosed area, keep vehicular sight lines clear at intersections and driveways, and honor the ten-foot…
Retaining Walls
Some RestrictionsHorry County's Zoning Ordinance treats walls alongside fences, so the eight-foot general height ceiling in Section 412 applies to freestanding walls. Structural retaining walls are…
Neighbor Fence Rules
Some RestrictionsHorry County sets no general side or rear property-line offset for fences, so a fence may sit on the shared line. But privacy fences in a front or corner side yard must be set back ten…
Material Restrictions
Few RestrictionsHorry County allows a wide range of fence materials. The Zoning Ordinance singles out split rail, uncluttered chain link and picket fences under 50 percent opacity for a front-yard…
Fence Permit Requirements
Some RestrictionsHorry County requires a building permit before installing any fence or wall taller than seven feet anywhere in the unincorporated county, per Zoning Ordinance § 412.B.1. Applicants…
🚗 Parking Rules
RV & Boat Parking
Some RestrictionsHorry County has no blanket ban on keeping an operable, licensed RV, boat or trailer on your own private lot in the unincorporated county. But a junked, wrecked or unregistered…
Overnight Parking
Some RestrictionsMyrtle Beach flatly bans camping, sleeping or living in any camper, van, bus or motor vehicle on public streets, and bars storing a vehicle on the street as dead storage for more than…
Driveway Rules
Some RestrictionsMyrtle Beach prohibits stopping, standing or parking in front of any public or private driveway, or so near it that you interfere with entering or leaving. Parking is also barred…
Abandoned Vehicles
Some RestrictionsHorry County's Junk, Debris and Common Nuisance Ordinance makes it unlawful to leave an inoperable vehicle, one sitting on public property over 72 hours, or one unattended on any…
Curb Color Rules
Some RestrictionsIn Myrtle Beach, parking alongside any curb painted yellow is prohibited, and no vehicle may park where official signs or markings bar it. Curb colors and traffic-control markings are…
Street Parking Limits
Some RestrictionsIn Myrtle Beach, a vehicle parked at a curb must sit within 18 inches of the right-hand curb, facing the direction of traffic, and may never block the roadway to less than ten feet of…
Commercial & Oversized Vehicles
Some RestrictionsMyrtle Beach only allows a vehicle to sit on a street when parking is incidental to its actual use; storing dealer, garage or commercial vehicles on the street is prohibited…
Loading Zones
Some RestrictionsIn Myrtle Beach, a designated loading zone may be used only for the expeditious unloading, delivery, pickup or loading of material during the hours the loading rules are in effect…
Preferential Parking Districts
Some RestrictionsHorry County's zoning ordinance names one formal parking district: the Garden City Parking District, carved out of the Garden City Overlay Zone. It isn't a residents-only permit…
🐔 Animal Ordinances
Beekeeping
Some RestrictionsHorry County's animal chapter and zoning code set no specific beekeeping ordinance. Hives are treated as an agricultural use tied to your zoning district, and South Carolina's Right to…
Breed Restrictions
Some RestrictionsHorry County has no breed-specific ordinance, and South Carolina bars local breed bans. Any dog can be declared "dangerous" based on its behavior, and a dangerous animal must be kept…
Cat Rules
Some RestrictionsHorry County requires no cat license but does require identification by collar tag, microchip, or other means. People who feed or shelter community (free-roaming) cats are not treated…
Dog Leash Laws
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Horry County has no citywide leash mandate, but it is unlawful to let a dog run at large off property you own, rent, or control. A dog off-premises must be leashed or…
Chickens & Livestock
Some RestrictionsHorry County's large-animal rules require livestock owners to provide veterinary care, sufficient food and water, and clean, drained containment. Livestock may be kept only where…
Pet Limits
Some RestrictionsHorry County has no standalone animal-hoarding ordinance, but its care standards and South Carolina's cruelty law reach hoarding conditions. Depriving animals of necessary food, water…
Pet Store Rules
Heavy RestrictionsHorry County Code § 4-12(j) makes it unlawful for any pet store in the unincorporated county to sell, display, or otherwise dispose of a dog or cat. Stores may only host adoption…
Microchipping
Some RestrictionsHorry County does not license dogs or cats, but every owner must equip pets with visible identification, a collar tag, microchip, or another viable method, under County Code Sec. 4-8…
Bird Protection
Heavy RestrictionsHorry County's only codified bird-protection ordinance covers a single 114-acre park: Section 14-36 makes it unlawful to trap, hunt, molest, or attempt to molest any bird, wild fowl…
Wildlife Feeding
Heavy RestrictionsHorry County Code § 4-33 makes it unlawful to feed, or to cause a congregation of, domestic or migratory waterfowl in residential areas of the county, a rule adopted to stop ducks…
Exotic Pets
Heavy RestrictionsSouth Carolina law, not a Horry County ordinance, controls exotic pets here: S.C. Code § 47-2-30(A) makes it unlawful to import, possess, purchase, breed, or sell a large wild cat…
Veterinary Clinic Zoning
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Horry County, veterinary clinics and animal hospitals are classified as "Animal Services" under the zoning ordinance's Animal Facilities Use Chart. The use needs a…
🌿 Landscaping Rules
Tree Removal & Heritage Trees
Heavy RestrictionsIt is unlawful in Horry County to remove a Specimen Live Oak with a trunk 24 inches DBH or greater without authorization. Removal generally needs a variance from the Zoning Board of…
Tree Trimming
Some RestrictionsHorry County does not require a permit to prune most private trees, but it is unlawful to injure a Specimen Live Oak (24-inch DBH or larger). During development, preserved trees must…
Weed Ordinances
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Horry County, uncultivated grass and weeds over twelve inches are 'unsightly growth' and a common nuisance under the county's Junk, Debris and Common Nuisance…
💼 Home Business
Cottage Food Operations
Heavy RestrictionsHorry County's home occupation ordinance flatly bars the two uses that cover most cottage food sales: "Restaurants or Taverns" and "Retail Sales On-site." A resident baking, canning or…
Signage Rules
Some RestrictionsHorry County limits every home-based business to one sign: nonilluminated, no more than two square feet, and mounted flat against a wall of the principal dwelling. County Code Sec…
Home Daycare
Significant RestrictionsHorry County has no separate zoning license for home daycares; South Carolina law controls them directly. A "family childcare home" is a residence where a resident operator cares for…
Zoning & Home Occupation Permits
Some RestrictionsHorry County lets most residential parcels run a home occupation under Section 927, but caps it at 35% of the dwelling's floor space, limits it to one or two businesses per residence…
🏗️ Accessory Structures
Shed & Carport Rules
Some RestrictionsOne small accessory structure (200 square feet or less) at a single-family home may sit as close as 5 feet from a side or rear property line. Larger or additional sheds must meet the…
Garage Conversions
Some RestrictionsHorry County has no separate garage-conversion ordinance. Converting a garage into a separate dwelling triggers the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) rules: one unit per parcel…
ADU Rules
Some RestrictionsOne accessory dwelling unit (ADU) is allowed per parcel as a conditional use in any district that permits a single-family detached home. The main house must be owner-occupied, and the…
Tiny Homes
Some RestrictionsHorry County's zoning ordinance defines a tiny home as a permanently-foundationed single-family unit up to 750 square feet, distinct from a manufactured home or RV. Multi-Residential…
🔥 Fire Regulations
Fireworks
Significant RestrictionsUnincorporated Horry County bans fireworks on beaches and public property outright and, in census-designated urban areas, enforces a 10 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew under Code § 20-453…
Outdoor Burning
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Horry County bans open burning within 50 feet of any structure or property line under Code § 20-451. Burning that is otherwise allowed must still follow state DHEC and…
Brush Clearance
Light RestrictionsHorry County has no ordinance requiring residents to clear brush for wildfire prevention; the only local rule that reaches brush and yard debris is the outdoor-burning setback in Code…
Fire Pits & Backyard Fires
Few RestrictionsBackyard fire pits, chimeneas and campfires used for warmth or recreation are exempt from Horry County's open-burning ban under Code § 20-451(d)(2), as long as they are contained…
📐 Building Setbacks & Zoning
Lot Coverage Limits
Some RestrictionsUnincorporated Horry County limits how much of a residential lot a house and its accessory structures can cover under the Sec. 205 dimensional tables. Wedge Character low-density lots…
Structure Height Limits
Some RestrictionsThe Horry County Zoning Ordinance caps principal building height at 35 feet across the single-family residential districts (SF6 through SF40) and General Residential. Freestanding…
Setback Rules
Some RestrictionsHorry County's Zoning Ordinance sets minimum front, side, rear and corner-side setbacks by district. In the common SF6 single-family district a house needs a 20-foot front, 7.5-foot…
🏚️ Property Maintenance
Property Blight
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Horry County, owners and occupants may not let garbage, debris, or rubbish pile up in a way that creates a health hazard, unsanitary conditions, fire hazards, odors…
Vacant Lot Maintenance
Some RestrictionsHorry County Code Sec. 10-19(a) bars any owner, agent, or occupant from letting a lot serve as a mosquito breeding place, refuge for rats and snakes, collecting place for debris, trash…
🗑️ Trash & Recycling
Pickup Rules & Schedules
Some RestrictionsHorry County Code Sec. 10.5-22 requires every person to arrange removal of solid waste from their property, either through a hauler service or by self-hauling to the designated…
Bulk Item Disposal
Some RestrictionsMyrtle Beach collects up to two cubic yards of bulk waste placed curbside in a segregated pile on the regular collection day. Yard waste and bulk must be kept separate. Horry County…
Illegal Dumping
Some RestrictionsHorry County Code Sec. 10-16(a) makes it unlawful to throw or dump garbage, refuse, junk, appliances, tree limbs, or any solid waste anywhere in the unincorporated county except at a…
Bin Placement Rules
Some RestrictionsIn Myrtle Beach, all items for collection must be at the curb within five feet of the pavement edge by 6:00 a.m. on the pickup day, and no earlier than 6:00 p.m. the evening before…
Collection Schedule
Some RestrictionsHorry County sets no countywide trash pickup day. Instead, each property owner in the unincorporated area must arrange removal, either by contracting an SWA-licensed hauler or hauling…
Recycling Rules
Few RestrictionsUnincorporated Horry County has no mandatory recycling law. County Code encourages residents to separate recyclables but stops short of a mandate, and there is no curbside blue-bin…
Yard Waste Collection
Some RestrictionsHorry County Solid Waste Authority convenience centers accept yard waste, meaning leaves, tree limbs and brush, alongside other recyclables under Code Sec. 10-17(a)(16). Haulers who…
Dumpster Rules
Some RestrictionsHorry County's zoning ordinance requires every commercial and multifamily property to screen garbage and recycling dumpsters on three sides, keep them behind the front building line…
Recycling Requirements
Few RestrictionsHorry County does not mandate recycling: Code Sec. 10.5-20 only encourages residents to separate recyclables into suitable containers, noting many businesses run their own programs…
🪧 Sign Regulations
Garage Sale Signs
Some RestrictionsGarage-sale signs are temporary ground signs. Horry County allows one temporary ground sign per property (up to 6 square feet on a single-family lot), set back at least 5 feet from the…
Political Signs
Some RestrictionsHorry County treats yard signs (including political signs) as personal expression signs. There is no limit on how many you may display, provided each is 3 square feet or less per side…
Digital Billboards
Some RestrictionsDigital and electronic signs in Horry County are capped at 1,000 nits of brightness at night, must auto-dim for ambient light, and face strict animation limits under Zoning Ordinance §…
Window Signs
Some RestrictionsHorry County lets window signs go up without a permit, but caps them at eight total signs or pieces of information per § 605.E, and no more than 25 percent of the window's glass area…
Freeway-Facing Signs
Significant RestrictionsHorry County bars off-premise signs and billboards within 1,000 feet of the centerlines of Carolina Bays Parkway, Veterans Highway/Grissom Parkway, Robert Edge Parkway and…
💡 Outdoor Lighting
Dark Sky Rules
Some RestrictionsHorry County has no dedicated dark-sky or sea-turtle lighting ordinance, but Zoning Ordinance Section 410 requires brighter fixtures to be full-cutoff or shielded so light is not aimed…
Light Trespass & Shielding
Some RestrictionsHorry County Zoning Ordinance Section 410 caps light spillover: no activity may cause illumination exceeding one (1) footcandle across any residential lot line in a residential…
Billboard Lighting
Some RestrictionsHorry County bans unshielded floodlights, beacons, spotlights and searchlights on any sign, including billboards, under Zoning Ordinance § 603.A. No more than one foot-candle of that…
🎬 Filming & Production
Production Noise
Some RestrictionsHorry County limits commercial filming, including site work, staging and equipment moves, to the hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. unless the county administrator authorizes otherwise…
Location Permits
Some RestrictionsHorry County requires a special event/film permit for any video, film or still-photography shoot on public or private property, unless the crew is fifteen people or fewer, it's news…
Street Closures
Some RestrictionsAny street closure or traffic disruption tied to a Horry County film shoot requires an encroachment permit before the county will even issue the underlying film permit. Sec. 13-36(e)…
Student Filming
Few RestrictionsStudent filmmakers working on school projects don't need Horry County's special event/film permit at all. Sec. 13-36(a)(1) exempts them by name, alongside news coverage crews and any…
🚶 Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules
Sidewalk Repair
Some RestrictionsIn unincorporated Horry County, a developer installs new sidewalks and the county inspects them, but once the one-year warranty period passes, repairing damage to a sidewalk in a…
Encroachment Permits
Significant RestrictionsHorry County bans encroachment on public accessways, easements and rights-of-way without a permit. Anything from a fence to a driveway connection placed in county right-of-way…
Obstruction Rules
Significant RestrictionsHorry County outlaws blocking a public accessway, the dead-end paths that lead from a road to the beach, marsh or river across the Grand Strand. Code § 16-17 bans any encroachment on a…
🛏️ Homelessness & Encampment Rules
🛴 Mobility & Curb Rules
TNC Pickup Zones
Some RestrictionsAt Myrtle Beach International Airport, ride-hailing drivers without an airport operating permit can only pick up passengers who booked in advance. They must load and unload in the…
Bike Lane Rules
Some RestrictionsOn roadways posted at 20 mph or less, Horry County requires e-scooters and other personal electric devices to ride in a provided bicycle lane rather than the travel lane, except to…
Shared E-Scooter Rules
Some RestrictionsHorry County's personal electric device ordinance covers e-scooters whether privately owned or ridden from a shared rental fleet. Riders may not use any public sidewalk, any roadway…
🏪 Business Licensing & Operations
Pawnbrokers
Significant RestrictionsAnyone lending on pledged property or buying secondhand serialized goods from the public in unincorporated Horry County is a pawnbroker under county law and must hold a license from…
Secondhand Dealers
Significant RestrictionsDealers who buy precious metals from the public, or who sell or transport nonferrous scrap like copper and aluminum to a recycler, need a state-mandated permit before Horry County will…
Towing Companies
Significant RestrictionsWrecker and towing operators in unincorporated Horry County need a county business license backed by a detailed application, $500,000 in liability insurance, marked vehicles, and a…
Adult Entertainment
Heavy RestrictionsAdult entertainment establishments in unincorporated Horry County need a chief-of-police-issued license, and every employee needs a separate one, under an ordinance built to control…
Tattoo & Body Modification
Significant RestrictionsHorry County confines tattoo parlors to the OPI office/professional/institutional zoning district, and only inside a licensed health care establishment such as a medical office or…
Auto Repair on Residential Property
Significant RestrictionsHorry County lists Auto Repair Services among the home occupations flatly prohibited under Sec. 927.C. On tracts under one and one-half acres in agricultural-zoned districts, Sec…
Massage Establishments
Some RestrictionsHorry County zones therapeutic massage establishments as a conditional use across most commercial and many residential-adjacent districts, and Section 926 layers three conditions on…
🚷 Public Conduct
Outdoor Smoking Restrictions
Some RestrictionsHorry County parks are smoke-free except in areas the recreation department specifically designates for it. Code § 14-15.5(a)(13) declares cigarettes, cigars, pipes, vape pens and…
Public Alcohol Use
Significant RestrictionsIn unincorporated Horry County, from Socastee to Little River, it is unlawful to carry an opened container of any alcoholic beverage in a public place not licensed for on-premises…
Public Marijuana Use
Some RestrictionsHorry County does not have a stand-alone public marijuana-use ban, but its beach ordinance reaches the same conduct: Code § 5-14(c) makes it unlawful to engage in any aquatic activity…
🎪 Special Events & Permits
Commercial Filming on Public Right-of-Way
Significant RestrictionsCommercial filming in unincorporated Horry County needs the same special-event permit used for concerts and festivals, unless the crew totals fifteen people or fewer, it's news…
Park Event Permits
Significant RestrictionsHorry County lets groups reserve or lease its parks, recreational facilities and equipment like inflatables for a fee under Code § 14-15.4(b). The recreation and parks department sets…
🚪 Soliciting & Door-to-Door
📢 Noise from Specific Sources
🌍 Environmental Rules
Stormwater Management
Significant RestrictionsAny land-disturbing activity in unincorporated Horry County needs a county stormwater permit before work starts. Code § 17.7-28 bars disturbing land without stormwater management…
Erosion Control
Significant RestrictionsEvery stormwater permit application in unincorporated Horry County must include a sediment and erosion control plan built to the state's construction general permit standard. Code §…
Flood Zones
Significant RestrictionsHorry County requires a development permit before any construction, fill, or land alteration in FEMA-mapped special flood hazard areas, based on the county's December 2021 flood…
Flood Elevation Requirements
Some RestrictionsNew construction and substantial improvement of residential structures in Horry County's special flood hazard areas must have the lowest floor elevated at least two feet above base…
Boat Dock Permits
Some RestrictionsBuilding, repairing or altering a private dock anywhere in unincorporated Horry County requires conforming to Section 918 of the zoning ordinance. Docks are capped at two permanently…
🔧 Building Safety
Building Permits
Some RestrictionsHorry County charges building permit fees by square footage: 35 cents per square foot for new residential and commercial construction, 15 cents for residential plan review, and 10…
Building Inspections
Some RestrictionsHorry County requires a post-foundation survey within ten working days of installing, backfilling and rough-grading a foundation. A South Carolina-licensed land surveyor must certify…
Electrical Permits
Some RestrictionsHorry County charges a minimum $100 permit fee for any power service application, new service or change of service, including water pumps and electric fences. Reinspections after two…
Plumbing Permits
Some RestrictionsHorry County enforces plumbing work in the unincorporated area under the latest International Plumbing Code, plus its Appendices E and F, adopted wholesale by county ordinance. The…
🌀 Hurricane Preparedness
Flood Elevation
Heavy RestrictionsIn Horry County's mapped special flood hazard zones, new residential construction and substantial improvements must have the lowest floor at least two feet above the base flood…
Storm Debris
Significant RestrictionsWhen Horry County declares a public health emergency, such as widespread vegetative debris left by a hurricane, county officials can enter private and public property immediately and…
🍖 Outdoor Cooking
BBQ & Propane Rules
Heavy RestrictionsOn Horry County's public beaches, propane grills are banned outright: Code § 5-4 makes it unlawful to build, start, or maintain a fire, open flame, or propane fired grill, cooker, or…
Smoker Rules
Some RestrictionsOutdoor smokers, fire pits, chimeneas and woodstoves get a conditional pass from Horry County's open-burning ban: Code § 20-451 forbids open burning within fifty feet of any structure…
🌳 Tree Protection
Parkway Planting
Some RestrictionsNon-residential, multifamily, townhome and in-common residential projects fronting any road on Horry County's Table 1 corridor list, from US 17 to Carolina Bays Parkway, must plant a…
Protected Tree Species
Some RestrictionsHorry County protects 25 native tree species by name, from bald cypress and live oak to pecan and sycamore, once they reach a set trunk diameter. Removing a listed 'Protected' or…
🗺️ Zoning Overlays & Bonuses
📋 Code Violation Reporting
Response Times
Some RestrictionsOnce a Horry County inspection confirms a nuisance violation, personnel issue a citation stating the inspection date and a compliance deadline, but the property owner or occupant must…
Common Violations
Significant RestrictionsHorry County Code Enforcement cites junk and salvage yards that lack an eight-foot screening fence, scrap tire sites holding more than 50 uncovered tires for ten days or more…
How to Report
Some RestrictionsAnyone can trigger a Horry County code inspection: file a complaint or have county personnel notice a nuisance, and appropriate representatives may enter the premises to determine…
🍔 Food Trucks & Mobile Vendors
Vending Zones
Some RestrictionsHorry County limits stationary mobile food units to commercial and higher-density zoning districts as a conditional use, including HC, NC, CC, the RCS/TRS group, RE-1 through RE-4, and…
Food Truck Permits
Some RestrictionsHorry County requires a Horry County Mobile Food Permit for every mobile food unit and ice cream truck. The permit costs $150 per unit (plus $100 per extra location reviewed with the…
Other Communities in Horry County
These unincorporated areas are also governed by Horry County ordinances.