Greenwood County, SC Right to Farm: Agricultural Zoning Protection (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- Greenwood County Code § 6-3-31 (AG-1 district)
- AG-1/AG-2 livestock
- Permitted outright, no conditional use required
- AG-3 livestock
- Conditional use; minimum 5 acres, fencing required
- Minimum AG-1 lot (sewer)
- 7,500 sq. ft.
- Enforcing agency
- Greenwood County Building and Planning Department
Summary
In unincorporated Greenwood County, farming is a permitted, by-right use rather than a special exception: County Code Sec. 6-3-31 sets aside the AG-1 district specifically to provide for a full range of agricultural activities, permitting general farming, orchards, dairy farming and livestock raising outright, alongside spacious rural residential lots.
(a)Purpose. The purpose of this district is to provide for a full range of agricultural activities. The district also provides for spacious residential development for those who choose this environment and prevents untimely scattering of more dense urban uses which should be confined to areas planned for efficient extension of public services.(b)Permitted uses.(1)Airport.(2)Agriculture, including general farming, truck gardens, cultivation of field crops, orchards, groves or similar activities, dairy farming, and keeping or raising for sale animals, fish, birds or poultry, and including structures for processing and sale of products raised on the premises; provided the commercial slaughtering and processing of cattle, cows, hogs and similar size animals shall not be conducted on the premises.
Full Breakdown
Greenwood County Code Sec. 6-3-31 opens the county's agricultural zoning provisions by stating that the AG-1 district's purpose is to provide for a full range of agricultural activities, and it lists agriculture, including general farming, truck gardens, cultivation of field crops, orchards, groves, dairy farming, and keeping or raising animals, fish, birds or poultry for sale, as a permitted use without a permit, so long as commercial slaughtering and processing of cattle, cows, hogs and similar animals is not conducted on the premises. Sec. 6-3-32 repeats nearly identical language for the AG-2 district.
AG-3 (Sec. 6-3-32.5) narrows this: general farming remains permitted outright, but keeping or raising animals, fish, birds or poultry for sale in AG-3 is downgraded to a conditional use requiring a minimum five-acre tract, fencing, and marked electrified fences. All three agricultural districts also allow roadside stands for the sale of farm products and set minimum lot sizes as small as 7,500 square feet in AG-1 on an approved sewer system. The county's own code does not contain a separate nuisance-immunity 'right to farm' clause; that protection for established agricultural operations comes from South Carolina's state Right to Farm Act, which sits outside this chapter and is not part of the county's own ordinance.
Violations & Fines
Operating a use the AG-1, AG-2 or AG-3 district does not list, such as commercial slaughtering on an AG-1 farm or unpermitted livestock keeping in AG-3, is a zoning violation. Under Title 12, Sec. 12-1-3 treats a code violation as either a criminal offense punishable by the maximum fine or jail term state law allows, or a civil infraction carrying a civil fine, with the Building and Planning Department handling zoning enforcement in the unincorporated county.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I farm and raise livestock by right in unincorporated Greenwood County's AG-1 district?
Is livestock keeping treated the same in the AG-3 district?
Does Greenwood County have its own right-to-farm ordinance protecting farms from nuisance complaints?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Greenwood County
Compare Greenwood County to another location·View the South Carolina right to farm overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.