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York County, SC Parking Rules: Loading Zones (2026)

Some Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Retail threshold
1 berth required above 3,000 sf
Industrial threshold
2 berths above 25,000 sf
Multi-family threshold
1 berth above 50 units
Berth location
Rear or side of building only
Street standing
Vehicles cannot block public streets
Medical facilities
Separate ADA passenger loading required

Summary

New buildings in York County that house retail, industrial, hotel, medical or most other commercial uses must provide off-street loading berths sized to the building's floor area under Section 155.921, with the required berths located to the side or rear and barred from blocking parking, fire lanes, or public streets under Section 155.922.

City-specific rules exist: Rock Hill has its own loading zones rules that differ from York County's county-level regulations. If you live in Rock Hill, check the city-specific page instead.

§ 155.921 NUMBER OF OFF-STREET LOADING BERTHS. All land uses subject to this subpart shall provide a sufficient number of off-street loading berths for their operational requirements, but all uses shall provide at least the minimum number of loading berths specified in Table 155.921-1: Minimum Required Number of Off-Street Loading Berths. ...

§ 155.922 LOCATION AND DESIGN OF OFF-STREET LOADING AREAS.

(A) Location of off-street loading areas.

(1) Off-street loading areas:

(a) Shall be located to the rear or side of the building; ...

(2) Vehicles waiting to be or being loaded or unloaded in connection with normal operations shall not stand in or project into a public street.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-49: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 3925, passed 6-16-25).

Full Breakdown

923; loading and passenger areas never count toward the minimum off-street parking spaces required elsewhere in the Zoning Code. 921 sets the minimum number of loading berths by building size: assisted living, skilled nursing and continuing care facilities, most business, professional, scientific and technical uses, hotels, motels and personal services need no berth under 10,000 square feet and one berth above that threshold; industrial, manufacturing and production buildings need one berth under 25,000 square feet and two above it; multi-family developments need no berth under 50 units and one berth above 50 units; retail needs no berth under 3,000 square feet and one berth above it; and warehousing and storage needs one berth under 5,000 square feet and two berths above it.

922 then controls where and how those berths sit: they must be located to the rear or side of the building, provide safe and convenient off-street maneuvering to a street, and avoid interfering with parking spaces, drive aisles, internal circulation, driveway access, or fire lanes. Loading and unloading vehicles may never stand in or project into a public street, and every loading area must be shown on the development's site plan, paved, and delineated with signs and pavement striping or markings sized for the vehicles expected to use it.

Violations & Fines

Loading vehicles that stand in or project into a public street, loading berths built smaller than Table 155.921-1 requires for the building's use and size, or loading areas that block required parking, drive aisles, or fire lanes are Zoning Code violations under Sections 155.921 and 155.922, correctable through the county's standard zoning compliance and site-plan review process before a certificate of occupancy issues.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many loading berths does a York County retail store need?
Under Table 155.921-1 referenced in Section 155.921, a retail building under 3,000 square feet of gross floor area needs zero dedicated loading berths, while anything larger than 3,000 square feet must provide at least one.
Can a delivery truck park on the street to unload at a business?
No. Section 155.922(A)(2) states vehicles being loaded or unloaded in connection with normal operations shall not stand in or project into a public street, so deliveries must use the building's off-street loading area.
Do loading spaces count toward my required parking spaces?
No. Section 155.920(C) specifically excludes off-street loading and passenger loading areas from counting toward the minimum off-street parking spaces a development must otherwise provide under Subpart 5.2 of the Zoning Code.
Where can a loading dock be placed on a commercial lot in York County?
Section 155.922(A) requires loading areas to sit to the rear or side of the building, never in a location that interferes with parking, drive aisles, internal circulation, driveway access, or fire lanes, and the area must be shown on the site plan and paved.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in York County

All York County rules

Compare York County to another location·View the South Carolina parking rules overview

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