Horry County, SC Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules: Obstruction Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Rule
- No encroachment on a public accessway without a permit/lease
- Section
- Horry County Code § 16-17
- Covers
- Dead-end "street end" paths to ocean, marsh or river
- Easily-moved items
- Removed at owner's risk and expense (§16-18)
- New obstructions
- Need an encroachment permit first (§16-19)
- Curb cuts
- One 20-ft-wide entrance per street end (§16-20(f))
Summary
Horry County outlaws blocking a public accessway, the dead-end paths that lead from a road to the beach, marsh or river across the Grand Strand. Code § 16-17 bans any encroachment on a public accessway, and county staff can remove an easily-moved obstruction on sight or require a lease or permit for anything left in place.
Sec. 16-17. - Prohibited. Any encroachment upon any public accessway in the county is hereby prohibited.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 88).
Full Breakdown
" The county doesn't treat every obstruction the same. Under § 16-18, anything easily moved, like a beach cart or cooler left overnight, gets removed as soon as possible; semipermanent items such as trees, shrubs, landscaping or a foundation-less wall can stay if they don't interfere with public use, though the county can order them removed if access needs change; and anything meant to be permanent needs a lease from the county to remain at all. Before placing a new obstruction, whether a drainage structure, driveway connection, utility line or permanent above-ground structure, § 16-19 requires an encroachment permit from the county's designated permit administrator, with permanent structures and road closures of two weeks or longer needing county council's authorization rather than staff sign-off.
Section 16-20 adds accessway-specific guidance: private dumpsters must be removed entirely, fences must come out unless they protect public health or safety, and only one twenty-foot-wide curb cut per street end is allowed into adjoining property.
Violations & Fines
An unpermitted or unauthorized encroachment can simply be removed by the county at the owner's risk and expense under § 16-18, and a permanent structure lacking the required lease or encroachment permit under § 16-19 is additionally subject to the Code's general penalty, § 1-8, up to a $500 fine or 30 days in jail. Damage exceeding half an encroachment's replacement value, or a transfer of ownership, also triggers removal under § 16-20(g).
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a "public accessway" under this rule?
Can I leave a beach chair or cooler on a public accessway overnight?
Do I need a permit to build something near a beach access path?
What happens to a fence built across a public accessway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Horry County
Compare Horry County to another location·View the South Carolina sidewalk & pedestrian rules overview
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