Georgetown County, SC Special Events & Permits: Parade Permits (2026)

Georgetown County does not run a freestanding parade ordinance; a parade's legal path runs through the special event permit built into the noise control section, Code § 13.8-2(f). County council, the administrator or the administrator's designated representative can approve a permit for events in the public or community interest, including concerts, festivals, parades and athletic events, letting the event exceed the section's normal noise restrictions for a defined window. The permit itself must spell out the activities being conducted and the specific dates and times during which the noise ordinance's provisions are suspended, and it must identify the specific sources of noise expected to exceed the established sound limits so the county can set conditions that minimize the impact on the surrounding community.

An organizer must apply at least ten days before the event; events running longer than a single day require payment of a twenty-five dollar permit administration fee, while one-day events are not described as carrying that fee. Because the permit is a noise-ordinance carve-out rather than a traffic-control authorization, a parade that will close roads or require a Sheriff's Office escort still needs separate coordination with the county roads department and the sheriff's office for traffic control, even after the noise permit is secured. The permit mechanism applies only within unincorporated Georgetown County; a parade route inside the City of Georgetown or the Town of Pawleys Island is permitted through that municipality.