Dorchester County, SC Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Citation
- Dorchester County Code §§ 28-47 to 28-50
- Definition
- Remaining in one spot causing disturbance or obstruction
- Trigger for charge
- Refusing an officer's order to leave
- Exemption
- Peaceful picketing and lawful speech, § 28-49
- Penalty
- Up to $500 fine or 30 days jail
- Adopted
- Ordinance No. 96-14, November 4, 1996
Summary
Dorchester County makes it a crime to loiter in a public place in ways that disturb others, threaten a breach of the peace, or block pedestrians and vehicles. Chapter 28, Article III lets deputies order a loiterer to leave, and refusing that order is itself a misdemeanor under § 28-48.
Loitering means remaining in essentially one location, in a public place and in such a manner as to: (1)Create or cause to be created any disturbance to the comfort or repose of any person;(2)Create or cause to be created a danger of a breach of the peace;(3)Obstruct the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles;(4)Obstruct, molest or interfere with any person lawfully in a public place; or(5)Make unsolicited remarks of an offensive nature which by their very utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace or which are calculated to disturb the person to, or in whose hearing, they are made. ... Any person loitering in any public place, as defined in section 28-47, may be ordered by any law enforcement officer to leave that place. Any person who shall refuse to leave after being ordered to do so by a law enforcement officer shall be guilty of a violation of this section.
Full Breakdown
Article III of Chapter 28, enacted by Ordinance No. 96-14 on November 4, 1996, defines and penalizes loitering in Dorchester County. Section 28-47 defines loitering as remaining in essentially one location in a public place in a manner that does one of five things: creates a disturbance to another person's comfort or repose; creates a danger of a breach of the peace; obstructs the free passage of pedestrians or vehicles; obstructs, molests or interferes with a person lawfully in a public place; or makes unsolicited, offensive remarks that by their utterance inflict injury or tend to incite an immediate breach of the peace.
Section 28-48 supplies the enforcement mechanism: a law enforcement officer who observes conduct meeting that definition may order the person to leave the public place, and refusing to leave after being so ordered is itself a separate violation. Section 28-49 narrows the law's reach for constitutional reasons, stating that neither § 28-47 nor § 28-48 applies to peaceful picketing, public speaking, or other lawful expression of opinion that does not otherwise break the law, so the ordinance cannot be used against protesters or speakers who are not also obstructing others or threatening a breach of the peace.
00 or imprisonment for not more than 30 days, or both. Because the offense turns on refusing an officer's order rather than on the initial loitering conduct itself, a person who leaves promptly when asked commits no crime under this article.
Violations & Fines
Refusing a law enforcement officer's order to leave after loitering as defined in § 28-47 is a misdemeanor under § 28-50, punishable by a fine of up to $500.00, up to 30 days in jail, or both. Peaceful picketing, speaking or lawful expression is exempted under § 28-49 and cannot support a charge.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as loitering under Dorchester County law?
Can I be arrested just for loitering?
Does this law apply to protesters or street preachers?
What is the penalty for violating the loitering ordinance?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dorchester County
Compare Dorchester County to another location·View the South Carolina public conduct overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.