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Sidewalk & Pedestrian Rules in South Carolina (2026)

42 rules on the books across South Carolina, 24 cities and counties. Select a rule to read the full details.

Severity: Few Restrictions · Light Restrictions · Some Restrictions · Significant Restrictions · Heavy Restrictions

Obstruction Rules

What you can and cannot place on sidewalks, including newspaper boxes, planters, sandwich boards, trash cans, and minimum pedestrian clearance widths.

Orangeburg County

Heavy Restrictions

Depositing litter or solid waste on a curb, sidewalk, street, road, highway or public right-of-way in unincorporated…

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Horry County

Significant Restrictions

Horry County outlaws blocking a public accessway, the dead-end paths that lead from a road to the beach, marsh or river…

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Charleston

Some Restrictions

Charleston bars anyone from placing signs, planters, canopies, or other private property on a public sidewalk or street…

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Columbia

Some Restrictions

Columbia makes it unlawful to obstruct any street, including the sidewalk area within the right-of-way, without city…

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Georgetown County

Some Restrictions

In unincorporated Georgetown County, nobody may block a county- or state-owned sidewalk or bike path so a pedestrian or…

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Mount Pleasant

Some Restrictions

Town Code § 95.07(A) bars anyone, without proper authority, from placing an obstruction in a Mount Pleasant street or…

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North Charleston

Some Restrictions

It's unlawful in North Charleston to knowingly block pedestrian or vehicular traffic on a public sidewalk, street, or…

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Pageland

Some Restrictions

Pageland Town Code Section 28-49 bans placing any obstruction on a street, sidewalk or public way that makes passage…

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Richland County

Some Restrictions

Anyone building, digging or installing utilities within the right-of-way of a county-maintained road in unincorporated…

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Rock Hill

Some Restrictions

Rock Hill's City Code bans congregating on sidewalks to the point of obstruction and bars placing rocks, debris, or…

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Aiken County

Light Restrictions

Aiken County's temporary sign table bars A-frame signs placed on a sidewalk from blocking pedestrian movement, and it…

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Encroachment Permits

Permits required when construction, landscaping, or other activities temporarily or permanently encroach on public sidewalks or rights-of-way.

Aiken County

Significant Restrictions

Aiken County requires written permission from the county administrator before anyone places a structure, fence or other…

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Charleston

Significant Restrictions

Placing anything privately owned on, affixed to, or overhanging a Charleston public right-of-way, from canopies to…

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Columbia

Significant Restrictions

Anyone excavating, encroaching on, or temporarily using a Columbia street, easement, or public right-of-way must obtain…

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Florence County

Significant Restrictions

Anyone installing utility lines or doing construction work within a Florence County road right-of-way must first get a…

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Horry County

Significant Restrictions

Horry County bans encroachment on public accessways, easements and rights-of-way without a permit. Anything from a…

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Mount Pleasant

Significant Restrictions

Before digging, cutting pavement, or building in a Mount Pleasant public right-of-way, easement or public property, §…

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Orangeburg County

Significant Restrictions

Anyone digging, boring, tunneling or installing utility lines in an Orangeburg County road right-of-way, or within…

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Anderson County

Some Restrictions

Anyone who wants to excavate, encroach on, or otherwise alter a county-maintained road or right-of-way in Anderson…

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Berkeley County

Some Restrictions

Anyone installing a driveway, fence, sign, landscaping or utility line in a county-maintained easement or right-of-way…

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Charleston County

Some Restrictions

Charleston County requires an encroachment permit before anyone builds in, digs into, or otherwise occupies the public…

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Darlington County

Some Restrictions

Anyone installing utility lines or doing construction work within a Darlington County right-of-way must first obtain a…

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Dorchester County

Some Restrictions

Building anything over, under or across a Dorchester County-controlled street or right-of-way, other than a driveway…

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Georgetown County

Some Restrictions

In unincorporated Georgetown County, South Carolina, anyone wanting to erect, construct or maintain a structure on…

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Greenville County

Some Restrictions

Anyone disturbing or using a county road right-of-way in unincorporated Greenville County, including installations that…

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Kershaw County

Some Restrictions

Anyone placing utility lines or other material within a county road right-of-way in unincorporated Kershaw County must…

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Laurens County

Some Restrictions

In unincorporated Laurens County, anyone installing utility lines within a county road right-of-way must obtain an…

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Lexington County

Some Restrictions

A new driveway onto a public road in unincorporated Lexington County needs an approved encroachment permit before…

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North Charleston

Some Restrictions

Anyone wanting to build steps, ventilator gratings, or similar fixtures into the sidewalk area of a North Charleston…

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Oconee County

Some Restrictions

Anyone who wants to excavate, cut in a driveway, or otherwise alter a county-maintained road or right-of-way in…

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Pageland

Some Restrictions

Building a driveway entrance or curb cut into a paved Pageland street requires a written permit from the town…

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Pickens County

Some Restrictions

Anyone who wants to build a driveway onto a county-maintained road in unincorporated Pickens County must first notify…

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Richland County

Some Restrictions

Digging, tapping utilities, or cutting a curb along a county road in unincorporated Richland County requires an…

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Rock Hill

Some Restrictions

Rock Hill requires anyone placing utilities in a city street, sidewalk, or right-of-way to first obtain an encroachment…

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York County

Some Restrictions

In York County's Baxter Village (BV) Traditional Neighborhood zoning district, anyone placing a street tree…

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