Cherokee County, SC Trash & Recycling: Illegal Dumping (2026)

The core rule is § 12-33(a) of the Cherokee County Code. No person can dump, throw, drop, deposit, discard or otherwise dispose of litter or other solid waste on any public property in the county, on private property in the county, or in the waters of the county, whether from a vehicle or otherwise. The list includes public highways, parks, beaches, campgrounds, forest land, recreational areas, trailer parks, roads, streets and alleys. Two exceptions apply: property the county or state has designated for litter and solid waste disposal, for a person authorized to use it, and a litter receptacle used in a way that keeps the litter from being carried away by the elements.

Subsection (c) adds a waste tire rule. No one can deliver or dispose of waste tires anywhere in the county, on public or private property, other than a waste tire collection facility, landfill, waste tire recycling facility or processing facility that has a current and valid permit or approval from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. Subsection (b) puts removal on the property owner, except that where litter has traveled onto another's property through the forces of the elements, the owner of the property of origin is responsible.

Related sections close gaps. Section 12-40(b) makes it unlawful to transport loose material by truck or other motor vehicle unless it is covered and secured to prevent litter, and inadequate covering while the vehicle is in motion is itself a violation. Under § 12-41 the driver is held in violation when it cannot be determined which occupant committed the act. Section 12-43 bars a business from depositing its litter anywhere except an on-premises litter receptacle without Litter Officer permission. Under § 12-60, sheriff's department officers, other duly authorized deputies and the Cherokee County Litter Office enforce the article, and the fine for depositing a collection of litter or garbage in an area or facility not intended for public deposit is $200. The same section does not prohibit a private property owner from depositing litter or garbage as a property enhancement, so long as the deposit does not violate applicable local or state health and safety regulations and no portion migrates to another's property. Section 12-63 lets the county have a nuisance removed and recover the expense from the owner.