South Carolina dog laws: leash, licensing, bites and breed rules

This is a general summary of South Carolina state law about dogs. It is information, not legal advice. Reviewed November 2026.

Leashes and licensing

South Carolina leaves most leash and licensing rules to counties and municipalities. State law lets each county or municipality enact ordinances for the care and control of dogs, cats and other animals and set penalties. Where a county or city has adopted the state's penalty provisions, it is a misdemeanor for an owner to allow a dog to run at large off property the owner owns, rents or controls, or to keep a vicious or unruly dog without restraint by a fence, chain or other means. The fine is $50 for a first offense and up to $100 for each later one.

There is no statewide dog licence. The state does offer an optional registry run by the Department of Natural Resources, with a tattoo number and a fee capped at $5 per dog, but local licence rules come from your county or city.

Rabies vaccination

A pet owner must have the pet inoculated against rabies at a frequency that gives continuous protection, using an approved vaccine given by a licensed veterinarian or someone under the veterinarian's direct supervision. The veterinarian issues a signed certificate and a numbered tag. If a dog attacks or bites a person, the county health department serves notice that the dog must be quarantined at the owner's expense, at home or at a shelter, for at least ten days.

Dangerous dogs and bites

South Carolina's bite rule is a strict-liability statute. If a person is bitten or otherwise attacked by a dog in a public place, or while lawfully on private property (including the owner's), the owner or person keeping the dog is liable for the damages. The rule does not apply if the person provoked or harassed the dog and that provocation caused the attack.

A separate law covers "dangerous animals," meaning dogs or cats the owner knows or should know tend to attack unprovoked, that make an unprovoked attack causing bodily injury away from their confinement, or that are kept for fighting. The owner must keep such an animal securely confined on the premises in a marked pen or fence, keep it safely restrained off the premises, and register it with the county with proof of at least $50,000 in liability insurance or a bond. A violation or an attack on a domestic animal is a misdemeanor. If a dangerous animal injures a person, the first offense is a misdemeanor with a fine up to $5,000 or up to three years in jail, and a repeat offense is a felony. A court can order a dangerous animal destroyed if it remains a continuing threat.

Breed-specific rules

The dangerous-animal statute says an animal is not dangerous solely because of its breed or species. The state dog chapters say nothing about local breed rules, so check your local ordinances.

Tethering and hot cars

South Carolina has no statewide tethering law, though some counties and cities regulate it. State law does make it a felony to torture, needlessly mutilate, cruelly kill or inflict excessive or repeated unnecessary pain or suffering on an animal, punishable by 180 days to five years and a $5,000 fine.

Where to check your local rule

Counties and cities often have stricter leash, licence, number-of-dogs and breed rules. Check your city or county animal control website or ordinance code. If your dog has bitten someone or been reported, talk to a lawyer or the animal-control office.