OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance art. 3, pt. 4

in effect

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-315 Intent.

Sec. 54-315. - Intent. The purpose of this section is to establish minimum requirements for off-street parking based on the typical needs of various types of land uses, the pattern of development in the city, and the physical characteristics of the land and environment in the Charleston area.

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-316 Applicability of requirements.

Sec. 54-316. - Applicability of requirements. At the time any building, structure, or outdoor commercial space (a use not utilizing a structure) is constructed, reused, enlarged, or increased in capacity by the addition of dwelling units, guest rooms, floor area, or seats, the required number of off-street automobile parking spaces with adequate provisions for ingress and egress by an automobile of standard size shall be provided for the new or enlarged use(s) pursuant to Table 3.3. Properties within the GP zoning district shall be exempt from all provisions of Part 4: Off-Street Parking Requirements, with the exception of Section 54-317, subsection b. relating to the maximum area of paved parking spaces and aisles. Applications for determining compliance with parking requirements shall include a scaled site plan, showing the existing and proposed location of structures, trees, monuments, signs, and other improvements, and the location of existing and proposed parking. Applications may be subject to the requirements under Article 6: Site Plan Review (Technical Review Committee), where applicable. Land uses existing on the effective date of this ordinance which do not comply with the off-street parking requirements of Article 3: Part 4, shall be subject to Article 1: Part 2: Non-conforming Uses. (Ord. No. 2003-69, § 10, 8-19-03)

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-317 Required number of off-street parking spaces by land use.

Sec. 54-317. - Required number of off-street parking spaces by land use. a. Minimum number of parking spaces required. Table 3.3 indicates off-street parking requirements for land uses. All calculations shall be rounded up to the next whole number. The total parking requirement for mixed uses shall be the sum of the requirement for each use, except that "shopping center" developments, as defined in Table 3.3, shall be exempt from this requirement. Parking spaces required for one use shall not be used to satisfy the parking requirement for another use with the exception of churches, synagogues or other places of worship. Additional parking for bicycles shall be required for certain land uses pursuant to Section 54-320. For the purposes of this Section, "peninsula" shall mean the area of the City of Charleston bounded by the Cooper River to the east, the Ashley River to the west and south, and the Charleston City Limits to the north. b. Maximum area of paved parking spaces and aisles allowed for surface parking lots. The maximum number of hard surfaced parking spaces allowed for a shopping center development, as defined in Table 3.3, shall not exceed the total number of spaces required pursuant to this section, increased by 20 percent. All spaces and appurtenant aisles in excess of this 20 percent cap, or areas within the parking lot equivalent in size to the number of excess parking spaces multiplied by 450 square feet, shall be non-hard surfaced utilizing slag, gravel, ROC, grasscrete, or similar porous material or simply a grass field. TABLE 3.3: OFF-STREET PARKING REQUIREMENTS USE | NUMBER OF SPACES REQUIRED RESIDENTIAL: - | One (1) family detached dwelling | 2 per unit One (1) family attached dwelling & mobile home - | Small efficiency dwelling unit (micro-unit) | 1 per 3 dwelling units, or fraction thereof - | Two (2) family dwelling | 2 per unit - | Multiple (3 or more) dwellings or dwellings (one or more) within commercial bldgs. | 1½ per unit, except that the minimum requirement shall be 1 per unit within the MU-1 and MU-2 districts - | Boarding house | 1 per 2 bedrooms - | Dormitory, sorority or fraternity house | 1 per 2 beds - | Nursing home, homeless shelter, orphanage, sanitarium, boarding home for sheltered care; where above uses are communal living with central dining room | 1 per 6 beds - | Special needs housing; housing restricted by funding agencies, public housing agencies, or other such organizations, to elderly, handicaped individuals or families, or low income occupants based on current income limits established by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development | 1 per 3 dwelling units - | Affordable housing | 1 per 4 dwelling units ACCOMMODATIONS: - | Accommodations uses, except for bed and breaskfasts and short term rentals | 2 per 3 sleeping units - | RV parks | 1 per trailer accommodation or "hook-up" INSTITUTIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE: - | High schools (grades 9-12) | 1 per each 4 seats in the main assembly hall plus 1 for each classroom - | Preschool, kindergarten, elementary and junior high schools (grades preschool through 8) | 2 spaces for each employee - | Day care centers | 2 per employee - | Church, synagogue, place of worship (other than on the peninsula) | 1 per 4 seats design capacity of the principal place of worship; 80 percent of the required spaces may be provided at an off-site public or private parking lot which is accessory to another use not open or operating during the time of weekend services and within 400 feet of the place of worship. Written permission from owner of lot indicating times parking is to be permitted shall be submitted to zoning administrator prior to approval. - | Church, synagogue, place of worship (on the peninsula) | 1 per 8 seats design capacity of the principal of the principal place of worship with off-site parking allowed same as above. - | Funeral home, mortuary, crematorium | 1 per 4 seats in sanctuary or 1 per 2 employees whichever is greater. - | Health care facility; | 1 per 2 beds Hospital, accessory uses - | Health care facility; | 1 per employee plus 1.5 per outpatient treatment room. Ambulatory care, clinic, accessory uses - | Laboratory, research facility | 1 per 2 employees - | Place of public assembly auditorium, stadium, community center, theater | 1 per 6 seats or patrons (based on maximum occupancy etc. as allowed by Building Code) - | Trade School, College, Institution of higher learning and accessory uses to such facility except dormitory, sorority, and fraternity housing | 1 per 100 square feet of total classroom space - | Library | 3 per 1000 square feet of interior floor area. BUSINESS, ENTERTAINMENT AND OFFICE: - | Art gallery (non-retail), museum (on the peninsula) | 1 per 600 square feet (excluding storage) - | Art gallery (non-retail), museum (all other areas) | 1 per 400 square feet (excluding storage) - | Automobile repair garage | 1 per 2 employees at maximum employment on a single shift plus 1 per 150 square feet of automobile repair space. - | Office, professional and public buildings bank (on the peninsula) | 1 per 500 square feet (excluding halls, stairwells, storage/elevator shafts and bathrooms) - | Office, professional and public buildings, bank (all other areas) | 1 per 240 square feet (excluding halls, stairwells, storage/elevator shafts and bathrooms) - | Eating and drinking places; sit down establishments serving food and beverage (on the peninsula) | 1 per 100 square feet of inside patron use area (excluding bathrooms) except that for a lot with this use that is more than 150 away from any lot with a residential zoning designation, measured closest point of the lot to closest point of the lot, the number of spaces required for inside patron use area shall be 1 per 150 square feet (excluding bathrooms), and 1 per 130 square feet of outside patron use area . - | Eating and drinking places; sit down establishments serving food and beverage (all other areas) | 1 per 90 square feet of inside patron use area (excluding bathrooms), and 1 per 200 square feet of outside patron use area . - | Eating places; fast food, drive-thru, take-out and/or express prepared food delivery only | 1 per 75 square feet of inside patron use area, plus 1 per 200 square feet of outside patron use area. - | Eating places; drive-thru with no use area | 1 per employee at maximum shift inside patron plus 1 per delivery vehicle plus 1 per 200 square feet of outside patron use area. - | Catering kitchen with no on-site food sales | 1 per 500 square feet of gross floor area - | Retail and personal service establishments not including food stores (on the peninsula) | 1 per 400 square feet of gross floor area. - | Retail and personal service establishments not including food stores (all other areas) | 1 per 200 square feet of gross floor area - | Gas stations with convenience stores | In addition to one space for each pump facility, one per 400 square feet of floor area - | Food stores (off-peninsula) | 1 per 300 square feet of floor area - | Food stores (on-peninsula) | 1 per 400 square feet of floor area - | Car wash (full service) | 2 per bay/stall plus 1 space per employee - | Car wash (self serve) | 1 per washing module - | Retail specialty stores selling only furniture, or large appliances, or carpet, or lumber, or or plants, or other specific types of household furnishings | 1 per 400 square feet of total floor area excluding storage areas plus 1 per store delivery vehicle. - | Shopping center - a commercial development which includes one or more retail type uses listed in this table. The total floor area must equal 20,000 square feet or more, in one or more buildings, on one or more lots which are designed and laid out to function as an interrelated development, as evidenced by both shared driveways and parking. | 1 per 200 square feet leasable floor area for the first 20,000 total square feet. 1 per 250 square feet for 20,001 to 140,000 total leasable square feet. 1 per 300 square feet for total leasable square feet over 140,001. - | Mini warehouse, self storage warehouse facility | 1 space per 6,000 square feet of net leaseable square footage of warehouse space, or fraction thereof, with up to half the required spaces and associated driveway areas permitted to remain unmarked for trucks and other large vehicles to park and maneuver. - | Dry cleaners, laundry services | 1 per 300 square feet of customer use area plus 2 per 3 employees at maximum employment on a single shift. - | Private club, fraternal lodges, country clubs | 1 per 3 persons allowed by Building Code in the main assembly room or auditorium. INDUSTRIAL: - | Manufacturing, wholesale, or other industrial establishments not catering to retail trade | 1 per 2 employees at maximum employment on employment on a single shift plus 1 per company vehicle. RECREATIONAL: - | Recreational facilities (on the peninsula) | 1 per 8 patrons based on occupancy limit as determined by Building Code or based on design capacity. - | Recreational facilities (other areas) | 1 per 4 patrons based on occupancy limit as determined by Building Code or based on design capacity. - | Marinas | 1 per 4 dry slips 1 per 2 wet slips - | Driving range | 1 per tee plus 1 per employee at maximum employment on a single shift. - | Golf Course | 2 per tee plus 1 per employee at maximum employment on a single shift. - | Bowling alleys | 5 per alley - | Health club | 1 per 400 square feet of total floor area. (Ord. No. 1998-76, § 3, 4-28-98; Ord. No. 2002-92, § 7, 8-13-02; Ord. No. 2004-70, § 1, 7-20-04; Ord. No. 2006-428, § 9, 9-26-06; Ord. No. 2007-214, § 1, 11-20-07; Ord. No. 2014-130, §§ 2-4, 10-14-14; Ord. No. 2016-011, § 2, 1-12-16; Ord. No. 2017-144, §§ 2, 3, 12-11-17; Ord. No. 2018-043, § 14, 4-10-18; Ord. No. 2022-065, § 3, 4-26-22)

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-318 Design requirements for new parking areas.

Sec. 54-318. - Design requirements for new parking areas. a. Surface lots: 1. Standard Parking Space Size shall be 9′ × 18′6″ or 9′ × 17′ if vehicle overhang is provided. 2. Handicapped Parking Space Size and quantity shall be determined by Building Code and Federal regulations. 3. Parallel Parking Space size is required to be 7′ wide by 22′ long. 4. Aisle Width Aisles shall be of a sufficient width to provide safe access for the type and number of vehicles using the parking lot. The following dimensions shall be used as a guide for typical situations: (a) 24 feet for 90° parking; (b) 22 feet for two-way angled parking; 15 feet for 60° parking with one-way flow; (c) 13′6″ for 45° parking with one-way flow. 5. Public parking lots not associated with a specific development and monitored during periods of use may have up to 20 percent of the total parking spaces designated with signs and pavement markings for compact cars only. Minimum size is 7′6″ wide and 16′ long. b. Parking garages: 1. Parking garages may provide compact car spaces at a rate of up to forty percent (40%) of the total parking spaces provided. 2. Minimum width for standard parking spaces is 8′6″; for compact spaces 7′6″. 3. Minimum parking bay depth (two standard parking spaces and an aisle) is 60′ for 90° parking; for 60° parking with one-way traffic, the minimum depth is 54′, for 45° parking with one-way traffic, the minimum depth is 49′. 4. Handicapped parking space size and quantity shall be determined by Building Code and Federal regulations. c. Maneuverability. Parking areas must allow adequate room for vehicles to access parking lots and maneuver into and out of spaces safely. Parking lots requiring vehicles to back onto a public right-of-way shall not be permitted, except that properties with exclusively residential uses, with up to 10 dwellings on a lot and parking access on a local or collector street carrying less than 650 vehicles per day, may have driveways which require a vehicle to back onto and maneuver in the public right-of-way. d. Surface material requirements. But for the exceptions listed below, all surface parking lots shall be paved with a durable, hard surfaced material which is appropriate for the intended land use. All handicapped parking spaces, and the paths connecting spaces to buildings, shall be hard-surfaced regardless of the land use. 1. Exceptions. The following types of land uses shall be permitted to have surface parking lots which are paved with non-hard surfaced materials such as slag, gravel, ROC, or grasscrete, or not paved at all, provided that site drainage can be accommodated pursuant to city requirements; that a hard surfaced paved apron, of a length noted below, is constructed at each driveway entrance from a public street; and that the type of material and design of the paving material(s) used are found by the city to be suitable for the intended land use and the character of the property, historic or otherwise, and surrounding neighborhood: (a) Exclusively residential uses with ten (10) or fewer residential units on one lot; all parking provided may be non-hard surfaced. Paved apron not required. (b) Church, synagogue, or other place of worship; three-quarters (.75) of the parking provided may be non-hard surfaced; requires a twenty foot (20′) paved apron. (c) Day care centers, preschools, elementary through junior high schools (8th grade); three-quarters (.75) of the parking provided may be non-hard surfaced; requires a twenty foot (20′) paved apron. (d) Private clubs, fraternal lodges, country clubs; three-quarters (.75) of the parking provided may be non-hard surfaced; requires a twenty foot (20′) paved apron. (e) Recreational facilities, marinas, driving ranges, golf courses; all parking provided may be non-hard surfaced; requires a twenty-five foot (25′) paved apron. (f) Office uses allowed within the Residential Office (RO) zone district; all parking provided may be non-hard surfaced; requires a twenty foot (20′) paved apron. (g) Retail uses; ten (10) percent of parking provided may be non-hard surfaced; requires a twenty foot (20′) paved apron. (h) Agricultural uses associated with the production, harvesting, packaging and shipping of agricultural products; all parking provided may be non-hard surfaced; requires a thirty foot (30′) paved apron. (i) Manufacturing establishments within the Light Industrial (Ll) or Heavy Industrial (Hl) zone district not catering to retail trade; all parking provided may be non-hard surfaced; requires a forty-five foot (45′) paved apron. 2. In making a determination of the suitability of a paving material and design, the types of vehicles which will typically use the parking lot, the anticipated amount of daily or weekly traffic, the drainage conditions of the site and surrounding area, and the character of the surrounding neighborhood, historic or otherwise, shall be considered. e. Lighting. Lighting used to illuminate any parking area shall be shielded or otherwise designed to direct light away from adjacent residential districts.

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-318.1 Storage or display of merchandise in parking areas prohibited.

Sec. 54-318.1. - Storage or display of merchandise in parking areas prohibited. a. Storage or display of merchandise in outdoor parking spaces and driveways shall be prohibited, except that temporary display of shrubs, plants, flowers, Christmas trees, seasonal greenery, and seasonal agricultural produce, not to exceed thirty (30) days within a three month period, shall be permitted if required number of parking spaces for land uses are provided. b. Display of passenger vehicles, trucks, boats and boat trailers by authorized businesses licensed by the City for commercial sales of passenger vehicles, trucks and boats shall be exempt from this section. c. Existing storage or display of merchandise in outdoor parking areas that does not comply with the restrictions in this section shall be amortized and made to conform to these restrictions 90 days after the effective date of this ordinance. (Ord. No. 2003-116, § 1, 12-16-03)

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-319 Location of parking.

Sec. 54-319. - Location of parking. Off-street parking spaces provided pursuant to this section shall be located upon the same lot of record as the use to which they are associated. However, if the property does not provide sufficient off-street parking, parking may be provided on a properly zoned lot within 400 feet of the building or use, provided, however, that a satisfactory long-term lease with a term of at least 10 years is provided to and approved by the zoning administrator (such distance shall be measured from the nearest point of the parking lot to the nearest boundary of the lot on which the building or use is located that the parking is said to serve), and further provided that for eating and drinking places or catering uses, the lot used for off site parking shall not adjoin a lot with a residential zoning designation or be separated from a lot with a residential zoning designation by a right-of-way of 55 or less feet. (Ord. No. 2017-144, § 4, 12-11-17)

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-319.1 Shared parking.

Sec. 54-319.1. - Shared parking. 1. The Technical Review Committee (TRC) may authorize a parking reduction for a new development site or redevelopment site zoned General Business (GB) with multiple uses upon the review of a shared parking analysis that demonstrates that the uses are in close proximity to one another and have different peak parking demands and operating hours. For the purposes of this section, development site shall mean a lot or parcel of land or combination of lots or parcels of land proposed for development. If a development site has more than one (1) parcel or lot with different owners, all property owners will be required to sign the application for shared parking, and shall be required to execute and record in the public records a declaration on a form provided by the Department of Planning and Preservation, hereinafter department, stating that the parcels have been developed as a single unit for purposes of meeting the zoning ordinance requirements. The declaration shall include a legal description of each parcel and shall state that no parcel may be developed separate from the other parcel unless each parcel standing alone meets the requirements of the shared parking approval. a. Shared parking study. The shared parking analysis shall clearly identify the uses that will use the shared spaces at different times of the day, week, month or year subject to the following: i. The shared parking analysis shall be based on the Urban Land Institute's (ULI) Shared Parking Model (latest edition). The analysis must be prepared and sealed by a registered engineer in the State of South Carolina with transportation expertise; ii. The shared parking analysis shall address the size and type of activities, the composition of tenants or, uses, the rate of turnover for proposed shared spaces, and the anticipated peak parking and traffic demands; iii. The shared parking analysis shall provide for no reduction in the number of handicapped spaces; iv. The shared parking analysis shall provide a plan to convert reserved space to required spaces; v. The shared parking analysis shall be approved by TRC prior to submittal, based on the feasibility and observations of the uses to share the parking due to their particular peak parking and trip generation characteristics; vi. Shared use parking approval shall only be valid for those uses as indicated in the study; and vii. If a parking reduction is approved under the provisions of this section, such approval shall be evidenced by the issuance of an order in the manner prescribed in Section 54-319.1., 54-319.2. b. Change in use. Should any of the approved uses as indicated in the approved shared parking analysis change, or should the Zoning Director or Department of Traffic and Transportation, or its successor, find that any of the conditions described in the approved shared parking analysis or parking reduction order no longer exist, the owner of record shall have the option of submitting a revised shared parking analysis in accordance with the standards of this section or of providing the number of spaces required for each use as if computed separately. 2. Parking reduction order. If an application for shared parking is approved, such approval shall be evidenced in an order executed by the department and a consent to order executed by the applicant. The order shall state the number of parking spaces required to be provided, a legal description of the property where the parking is to be provided and the property served by the parking area and the conditions upon which the shared parking is approved. The parking reduction order shall only take effect upon the recordation of the order in the County Register of Deeds office at the expense of the applicant and filed with the department by applicant. a. The parking reduction order shall act as a restrictive covenant running with the land and be binding on any successors in interest or assigns of the property owner. 3. If there is a failure of any condition contained in the parking reduction order, the owner of the property or agent shall: a. Apply for an amended parking reduction order. The application shall show that although the condition has failed, it does not adversely impact the character and integrity of surrounding properties or that additional conditions will be substituted for any failed condition. The department may require a new parking study as provided in subsection 1.a. to support the application. b. In the event the department agrees with the application, the department may approve the amendment to shared parking. c. When final, the amended order shall be prepared for execution and recording in the County Register of Deeds office at applicant's expense by the applicant. d. If the department determines that failure of the condition adversely impacts the character and integrity of surrounding properties, the owner will be required to comply with the condition or obtain a new parking reduction order in accordance with this section. Failure of a condition of a parking reduction order without approval of an amended or new parking reduction order as provided herein shall be a violation of the Zoning Ordinance. 4. If a shared parking application includes the use of an off-site parcel owned by other than the applicant for parking or purposes related to parking, an off-site parking agreement in accordance with Section 54-319.2 will be required. 5. A parking reduction order may be terminated by application of the owner of the property affected by the order to the department if it is shown that parking has been provided which meets the requirements of Article 3, Part 4 Off-street parking requirements, and the use no longer needs a parking reduction. A termination of the parking reduction order shall be executed by the department and recorded in the public records of the county at the applicant's expense. A copy of the recorded order shall be filed with the department by the applicant. (Ord. No. 2022-025, § 1, 2-22-22; Ord. No. 2025-086, § 1, 6-17-25)

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-319.2 Off-site parking agreement.

Sec. 54-319.2. - Off-site parking agreement. 1. When the required off-street parking for a shared use parking approval is to be provided on a site at a location different from the site which will be served by the parking as provided in Section 54-319.1, the owner of the off-site parcel of land and the owner of the land intended to be served by such shared use parking approval (if different than the owner of the parcel to be used for parking) shall enter into an agreement with the City. The off-site parking area shall never be sold or transferred except in conjunction with the sale of the parcel served by the off-site parking facilities unless: a. The parcel to be sold will continue to be used as provided in the off-site parking agreement and the new owner executes a consent to assume and be bound by the obligations of the owner of the parcel used for parking as provided in the agreement. The consent shall be in a form approved and executed by the department and recorded in the County Register of Deeds Office at the expense of the owner. A copy of the recorded document shall be provided by owner to the department; or b. A different parcel complying with the provisions of the Article 3, Part 4 Off-street parking requirements, and subject to a recorded off-site parking agreement as specified herein may be substituted for the parcel of land subject to the off-site parking agreement; or c. The parcel being served by the off-site parking no longer requires the parking as evidenced by a written statement executed by the parties executing the off-site parking agreement and as approved by the department and a termination of the off-site parking agreement is executed by the department and recorded in the County Register of Deeds office at owner's expense. (Ord. No. 2022-025, § 1, 2-22-22)

Charleston, S.C., Zoning Ordinance § 54-320 Additional parking requirements.

Sec. 54-320. - Additional parking requirements. a. Bicycle parking shall be provided for land uses pursuant to Table 3.4. b. Required bicycle parking facilities shall be designed and constructed to allow bicycles to be securely fastened to the ground or buildings and shall be located at or near main entrances to buildings in well lighted areas. TABLE 3.4: BICYCLE PARKING REQUIREMENTS Land use | Number of spaces required College dormitory | 1 per 3 beds Schools (grade 3 through high school) | 3 per classroom Library | 2 per 10,000 square feet of interior floor area Food stores of at least 10,000 square feet | 5 per 10,000 square feet Shopping centers as defined in Table 3.3 | 1 per 10,000 square feet

Source: City of Charleston, South Carolina, Code of Ordinances and Zoning Ordinance (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/sc/charleston/codes/zoning?nodeId=ART3SIRE_PT4OREPAREFetched: 11/7/2026