South Carolina Dangerous Dog Law
After a dog bites someone in South Carolina, the county health office orders at least 10 days of rabies quarantine at the owner's expense10. If the attack was unprovoked and happened away from where the dog is kept, the dog meets the state's definition of a "dangerous animal" and the owner faces confinement rules, registration with $50,000 of insurance, criminal penalties and a possible destruction order1.
After a bite in South Carolina
| Rabies observation | 10 daysDetails below |
|---|---|
| State dangerous-dog law | S.C. Code Ann. §§ 47-3-710 to 47-3-770Dangerous animals (Article 7) |
| Classes of dog | dangerous animal |
| Required insurance for a declared dog | $50,000 minimum |
| Breed-specific laws | Not settled by state law |
| Civil liability for the bite | Strict liability statute |
What happens in the first days after a bite?
The bite usually reaches the county health department through the doctor. A physician who treats a bite must report it by the end of the next working day; if nobody sees a doctor, the bitten adult or the parent of a bitten child has to report it on the same timetable10. The South Carolina Department of Public Health handles these reports through its county offices, an after-hours line and an online form11,12.
The health department then serves the owner with a notice to quarantine the dog for at least 10 days10. The notice may allow confinement on the owner's premises or name a shelter or other place, and the owner pays10. A veterinarian or rabies control officer may check the dog at any time during the 10 days, and interfering with that examination, or refusing the quarantine, is a misdemeanor in magistrate's court10. Releasing a dog from quarantine without authority is a separate offense in counties and cities that have adopted the state's animal-control penalties1. See the national dog bite quarantine guide.
How does a dog become a "dangerous animal"?
South Carolina does not run a state-level hearing to declare a dog dangerous. Article 7 of Chapter 3 defines the term, and the definition applies on its own terms1. A dog or cat is a "dangerous animal" if:
- the owner knows or reasonably should know it has a tendency to attack unprovoked, cause injury or otherwise endanger people or domestic animals;
- it makes an unprovoked attack causing bodily injury to a person away from the place it is required to be confined, or acts in a way that makes a person reasonably believe it will attack and injure someone; or
- it is kept or trained for fighting1.
"Bodily injury" means broken bones, lacerations, punctures of the skin or a fatal injury1. So one unprovoked bite that breaks the skin off the owner's property is enough. The definition excludes animals used only for agriculture and animals that attack someone who is trespassing or appears to be1. A dog is never a dangerous animal "solely by virtue of its breed"1.
Whether a particular dog fits the definition is decided by the court when the owner is charged, or when an officer asks a court to impound the dog pending trial1. Many counties and cities add their own vicious or dangerous dog ordinances and hearings under their general power to regulate animals, so the local rules where the bite happened matter too1.
What must the owner of a dangerous animal do?
On the owner's premises the dog must be indoors or in a securely enclosed fence, pen or run that is locked, marked as holding a dangerous animal and built to keep out the public, including children1. Off the premises it must be safely restrained1. The owner must register the dog with local law enforcement in the county of residence, show liability insurance or a surety bond of at least $50,000 for injuries the dog causes, and keep the county's metal tag on its collar1. Selling or breeding a known dangerous animal is prohibited1.
If an officer has probable cause that the dog is kept in violation of the confinement or registration rules, the officer can ask the court to order it seized and impounded until trial; if the dog is loose off the premises, the officer can seize it directly1.
Can the dog be put down?
Yes, but only by court order. When a dangerous animal has attacked a person or a domestic animal, the court may order it destroyed if it finds the animal represents a continuing threat of serious harm1. There is no automatic euthanasia rule, and a healthy dog is not destroyed under the rabies law just for biting; the rabies statute's head-removal and testing rules apply to animals suspected of rabies10. Compare other states in the euthanasia guide.
What are the criminal penalties?
| Offense | First | Second or later | |---|---|---| | Confinement, restraint or registration violation, or attack on a domestic animal | Misdemeanor, up to $200 or 30 days | $1,000 fine, not suspendable | | Dangerous animal's unprovoked attack injuring a person off its confinement | Misdemeanor, up to $5,000 or 3 years | Felony, up to $10,000 or 5 years |
The same penalties apply to anyone who keeps or trains an animal for fighting or to attack people1. A person convicted under the article must also pay the costs of seizure, boarding, veterinary care and destruction, and the victim's medical expenses1. A conviction does not end civil liability; the article says so expressly1.
Separately, in counties and cities that adopted the state penalties, letting a dog run at large or keeping a vicious dog without restraint is a misdemeanor with a $50 fine for a first offense1.
Can someone hurt the dog to stop an attack?
A person lawfully on the owner's premises who is attacked by a dangerous animal, or sees an attack, may use reasonable force to repel it, and is not liable for restraining an animal during an unprovoked attack1.
What if the dog bites again?
A second injury to a person moves the owner from a misdemeanor to a felony, and a second confinement violation carries a mandatory $1,000 fine1. The civil claim is separate: the owner or keeper is liable under § 47-3-110 for any bite or attack on a lawful visitor whether or not the dog was ever found dangerous; see South Carolina dog bite law and what to do if your dog bit someone.
Rules for a declared dog in South Carolina
| Requirement | Rule |
|---|---|
| Confinement at home | Indoors, or a secure fence or locked pen marked as holding a dangerous animal§ 47-3-720.1 |
| Off the premises | Safely restrained, and registered§ 47-3-730.1 |
| Registration | With the county's local law enforcement authority§ 47-3-760(E).1 |
| Liability insurance or bond | At least $50,000§ 47-3-760(E).1 |
| Tag | County metal license tag worn on collar or harness at all times§ 47-3-760(E).1 |
| Sale or breeding | Prohibited for a known dangerous animal (USDA licensees excepted)§ 47-3-740(B).1 |
South Carolina rules in brief
Reporting. Every physician who treats a bite by a pet or other animal must report it to the county health department by the end of the next working day10. If no physician treats the bite, the bitten adult, or the parent or guardian of a bitten child, must report it by the end of the next working day10. The Department of Public Health repeats that duty on its reporting page12. The South Carolina Department of Public Health takes reports through county offices, an after-hours line and an online form11,12.
Euthanasia. A court may order a dangerous animal that attacked a person or domestic animal destroyed when, in its judgment, the animal represents a continuing threat of serious harm1. The order comes from the court hearing the case, so the usual criminal appeal routes apply; a dog that is not rabid is not destroyed under the rabies quarantine rules1,10.
Criminal penalties. The owner of a dangerous animal that makes an unprovoked attack injuring a person off its confinement commits a misdemeanor punishable by up to $5,000 or three years for a first offense; a second or later offense is a felony with up to $10,000 or five years1. Confinement and registration violations carry up to $200 or 30 days, then a $1,000 fine1.
Breed rules. State law says an animal is not a "dangerous animal" solely because of its breed, but that limits only the state article; no statute expressly bars counties and cities, which have broad power over animals, from breed rules1.
Compare states: dangerous dog laws by state, bite quarantine rules, euthanasia after a bite. If your dog bit someone, start with what happens next.
Sources
- S.C. Code Title 47, Chapter 3 (Animals: §§ 47-3-20, -50, -110, -710 to -770), South Carolina Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Nesbitt v. Lewis, 335 S.C. 441, 517 S.E.2d 11 (Ct. App. 1999), Op. No. 2978, South Carolina Judicial Branch. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Harris v. Anderson County Sheriff's Office, 381 S.C. 357, 673 S.E.2d 423 (2009), Animal Legal & Historical Center, Michigan State University College of Law. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Bruce v. Durney, 341 S.C. 563, 534 S.E.2d 720 (Ct. App. 2000), Op. No. 3208, South Carolina Judicial Branch. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Fair v. United States, Op. No. 24905 (S.C. Feb. 22, 1999), South Carolina Judicial Branch. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Davenport v. Cotton Hope Plantation, Op. No. 24850 (S.C. 1998), quoting Nelson v. Concrete Supply Co. (1991), South Carolina Judicial Branch. Checked 17 October 2026.
- S.C. Code Title 15, Chapter 3 (§§ 15-3-40, 15-3-530), South Carolina Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
- S.C. Code Title 15, Chapter 78, Tort Claims Act (§§ 15-78-110, -120), South Carolina Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
- S.C. Code Title 15, Chapter 32 (§ 15-32-530, punitive damages), South Carolina Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
- S.C. Code Title 47, Chapter 5, Rabies Control (§§ 47-5-90, -100, -200), South Carolina Legislature. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Rabies, South Carolina Department of Public Health. Checked 17 October 2026.
- Rabies Contacts and Reporting, South Carolina Department of Public Health. Checked 17 October 2026.