Laurens County, SC Public Conduct: Loitering Rules (2026)

The county does not have a general public loitering ordinance; its loitering restriction is written into Division 3 of Chapter 32, the rules governing the county's neighborhood solid waste container sites. Sec. 32-307 explains the container sites are financed by county revenue and reserved for county residents, and Sec. 32-308(b) then lists eight acts that are unlawful at any container site: defacing or vandalizing the containers or site equipment (item 1), loitering or congregating at the site after depositing waste or without a need or apparent intention to be there (item 2), leaving a vehicle unattended, subject to towing at the owner's expense (item 3), setting a fire (item 4), removing deposited items other than unacceptable material under Sec.

32-310 (item 5), climbing on or trespassing on the container itself (item 6), moving a container from its assigned spot (item 7), and opening bags already placed for collection (item 8). The loitering clause targets people who linger at a container site rather than drop off waste and leave, a behavior the county associates with vandalism and the scavenging covered by Sec. 32-325. Violations of Division 3, including the loitering clause, carry a civil penalty under Sec. 32-286: a $50 fine per offense, issued by written citation that must be paid within 72 hours to the treasurer at the Laurens County Courthouse, with Sec. 32-287 classifying the offense as a civil misdemeanor and Sec. 32-288 allowing the county to pursue equitable remedies in court as well.