Dorchester County, SC Parking Rules: Abandoned Vehicles (2026)
Key Facts
- Expired-tag threshold
- 90 days past expiration
- Wrecked/inoperable threshold
- 60 days in that condition
- Applies to
- Public streets, grounds, and visible private lots
- Owner duty
- Property owner cannot permit it to remain
- State law tie-in
- S.C. Code § 56-6-5810 et seq.
Summary
It is unlawful under Code § 14-1 to abandon a vehicle on any public street, public grounds, or private property exposed to public view in Dorchester County, and property owners cannot allow an abandoned or unsafe vehicle to sit on their land. A vehicle counts as abandoned after 90 days with an expired tag or 60 days visibly wrecked or inoperable.
It shall be unlawful for any person to abandon any motor vehicle on any public street or public grounds or upon any privately owned property which is exposed to public view. No person controlling privately owned property shall permit any abandoned or unsafe vehicle to remain thereupon. For the purposes of this section, a vehicle shall be determined to have been abandoned if the vehicle fails to display a current license plate within 90 days after its expiration date or which is partially dismantled or wrecked or incapable of self-propulsion or of being moved in the manner for which it was originally intended and remains in such condition for a period of 60 days or more.
Full Breakdown
Section 14-1 of Chapter 14 (Environment), adopted by Ord. No. C. , under § 14-1(a). Section 14-1(b) makes it unlawful for any person to abandon a motor vehicle on a public street, public grounds, or on privately owned property exposed to public view, and separately bars anyone controlling private property from permitting an abandoned or unsafe vehicle to remain on it, placing an affirmative duty on the property owner, not just the vehicle's owner. Section 14-1(c) defines when a vehicle has been abandoned for purposes of the section: it must either fail to display a current license plate for more than 90 days past its expiration date, or be partially dismantled, wrecked, or incapable of self-propulsion or of being moved as originally intended, and remain in that condition for 60 days or more. The section does not set out its own permit or towing process, relying instead on the cross-referenced state statute for disposal procedures.
Violations & Fines
Chapter 14 does not carry a standalone penalty clause for § 14-1, so the county's general penalty under § 1-8 governs: violation is subject to a fine of up to $500.00 or up to 30 days imprisonment, and each day the vehicle remains in violation is treated as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is a vehicle legally 'abandoned' under Dorchester County's ordinance?
Can I be cited for a wrecked car sitting on my own property in Dorchester County?
What law handles disposal of an abandoned vehicle in Dorchester County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dorchester County
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