The state-level rules every owner and walker in South Carolina should know. Local leash lengths, licensing and off-leash rules are set by each city — find those on the city pages below.
South Carolina (S.C. Code § 47-3-110) is a strict-liability state — the owner OR the person having the dog in their care or keeping is liable when it bites or otherwise attacks, and that care-or-keeping language reaches the walker directly.
South Carolina (S.C. Code § 47-3-110) imposes strict liability: if a person is bitten or otherwise attacked by a dog while in a public place or lawfully in a private place, the dog owner or the person having the dog in his care or keeping is liable for the damages. It is strict — the dog's history and the owner's knowledge do not matter, so no one-bite rule and no prior-vicious-propensity proof is required. And 'otherwise attacked' means non-bite injuries count too, such as a knockdown by a lunging dog.
The statute does not limit liability to the legal owner — it names the person having the dog in his care or keeping. South Carolina firms confirm this reaches dog walkers, pet sitters, and groomers, who can be held liable if the dog injures someone while under their care. So whoever is holding the leash and controlling the dog is a liable party under the same strict standard as the owner — this is direct walker exposure, not a theoretical one.
There is no statewide leash law — § 47-3-70 preserves the power of each municipality or county to set its own leash and confinement rules, so the local ordinance governs where you walk. Rabies vaccination is mandatory statewide for dogs, cats, and ferrets (§ 47-5-60). The strict-liability statute has only two defenses: the injured person provoked or harassed the dog and that was the proximate cause, or the dog was a law-enforcement dog performing official duties. A trespasser is not covered because the statute protects only those lawfully present.
South Carolina applies modified comparative negligence with a 51% bar — a plaintiff who is 51% or more at fault recovers nothing, and otherwise recovery is reduced by the share of fault (many practitioners note this general fault rule sits alongside the statute's complete-defense structure). The personal-injury statute of limitations is three years from the date of injury.
This is general information about South Carolina law, not legal advice. Confirm current rules with the official state and municipal sources.