Lexington County, SC Privacy & Surveillance: Security Camera Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Applies to
- 3+ unit multifamily developments (apartments/condos)
- Governing section
- Zoning Ordinance § 152.40(h)
- Camera coverage
- Entire exterior, all entrance/exit points
- Signage required
- Notice at entrance and each building
- Adopted
- Ord. No. 23-17, June 25, 2024
Summary
New multifamily developments of three or more units in unincorporated Lexington County must install exterior security cameras covering the entire property under Zoning Ordinance § 152.40(h). Cameras must stay in working order, and owners must post visible notices of video monitoring at the entrance and every building.
Exterior security camera systems shall be placed on the exterior of all structures and entrance/exit points. Such cameras shall ensure coverage of the entire exterior of the property for security and safety of tenants. Exterior security camera systems shall be maintained and remain in proper working condition. Notices of exterior security monitoring shall be placed in readily visible locations at the entrance and at each building. The intent of this requirement is not to infringe upon the privacy of tenants, but to provide a minimum standard for site security. Additional measures outside of the scope of this Section will be at the discretion of the owner or developer.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20).
Full Breakdown
40, the design standards for Residential Attached Multifamily developments adopted by Ord. No. 23-17 on June 25, 2024, requires exterior security camera systems on the exterior of all structures and at every entrance and exit point. The cameras must cover the entire exterior of the property to protect tenant safety, and the ordinance requires the system be maintained and kept in proper working condition, not simply installed once and forgotten. Owners must post notices of exterior security monitoring in readily visible locations at the entrance and at each building, so residents and visitors know they're on camera.
40(h) mandates is left to the owner's or developer's discretion. 40. It does not reach single-family homes, duplexes, or other residential property outside this multifamily category, and, like the rest of Appendix B, it governs new development within the county's zoning jurisdiction, the unincorporated area of Lexington County, since South Carolina county zoning power does not reach incorporated municipalities such as the Town of Lexington or West Columbia.
Violations & Fines
Section 152.40 does not set a stand-alone camera-specific penalty, so a missing or non-functioning camera system is enforced like any other Zoning Ordinance violation: the Zoning Administrator can revoke or withhold zoning permits and related approvals under Section 174.00, and Section 174.10 makes noncompliance a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to the Magistrate's Court's maximum, with each day the violation continues counted as a separate offense against the owner, developer, or responsible agent.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do Lexington County apartment complexes have to install security cameras?
Does Lexington County require signs warning that cameras are recording?
Does the camera rule apply to single-family rental homes in Lexington County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Lexington County
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