OFFENSES AGAINST PROPERTY

Charleston, S.C., City Code ch. 21, art. IV

in effect

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 21-81 Larceny.

Sec. 21-81. - Larceny. No person shall wrongfully take, steal, obtain or withhold by any means whatever, from the possession of the true owner or any other person, any money, personal property or article of value of any kind of a value of less than two hundred dollars ($200.00) with intent, permanent or temporary, to deprive or defraud another person of the use and benefit of the property, or to appropriate the same to his own use or the use of any person other than the true owner. (Code 1975, § 37-1; Ord. No. 1984-46, § 1, 4-24-84; Ord. No. 2008-64, § 1, 4-8-08)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 21-82 Larceny by false pretense.

Sec. 21-82. - Larceny by false pretense. No person shall induce, or attempt to induce, any person to give up, or pay over any money or other thing of value, by any false representation or pretense, or in exchange for any false or bogus coin or check, draft or other false evidence of value, or in consideration of refraining from a lawful or unlawful arrest, or in consideration of refraining from reporting any unlawful act to any public official. (Code 1975, § 37-2)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 21-83 Injuring or misuse of public property prohibited.

Sec. 21-83. - Injuring or misuse of public property prohibited. No person shall willfully injure or destroy, or illegally make use of, any public property in the city. (Code 1975, § 37-3)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 21-84 Damaging or removing private property.

Sec. 21-84. - Damaging or removing private property. (a) No person shall break, deface, or destroy any private property of another without first having obtained the consent of the owner. (b) No person shall remove any private property of another without first having obtained the consent of the owner including, but not limited to, shopping carts. (Code 1975, § 37-5; Ord. No. 2007-146, § 1, 7-17-07)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 21-85 Trespassing on property.

Sec. 21-85. - Trespassing on property. (a) No person shall willfully enter upon the lands or premises of another, public or private, without the consent of the owner or person in charge, or after having been forbidden to do so or after such land or premises has been posted by the owner, occupant or any other authorized person with a conspicuous notice forbidding trespassing. (b) No person shall neglect or refuse to depart from the property of another, public or private, when ordered to do so by the owner, occupant or any other person with authority to order such departure. (Code 1975, § 37-7)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 21-86 Defacing public and private property.

Sec. 21-86. - Defacing public and private property. (a) Defacement. It shall be unlawful for any person, organization, or entity to erect, post, paste, paint, glue, write, thaw, chalk, stamp, stick, print, nail, staple, tack, attach or affix by any means whatsoever any handbill, poster, card, notice, marker, placard, bumper sticker, gummed label, sign, advertisement, inscription, figure, mark, symbol, lettering, name, sticker or any other material upon any public sidewalk, building, curb, gutter, wall, flagstone, tree, lamp post, awning post, telegraph pole, telephone pole, public utility pole, public garage bin, bus shelter, bridge [abutment], highway fence, barrel, box, parking meter, mailbox, traffic [signal] control device, traffic stanchion, traffic sign (including pole), tree box, tree pit protection device, bench, traffic barrier, hydrant, public pay telephone, picnic tables, playground equipment, or any other public property or on private property except by permission of the owner or authorized agent of the owner of such property. (b) It shall be unlawful for any person to knowingly authorize or employ any person to cause the erecting, posting, plastering, painting, gluing, writing, drawing, chalking, stamping, sticking, printing, nailing, stapling, tacking, or attaching or affixing by any means whatsoever of any handbill, poster, card, notice, marker, placard, bumper sticker, gummed label, sign, advertisement, inscription, figure, mark, symbol, lettering, name, sticker or any other material not exempt pursuant to the subsection 21-87(c) herein upon any public sidewalk, building, curb, gutter, wall, flagstone, tree, lamp post, awning post, telegraph pole, telephone pole, public utility pole, public garage bin, bus shelter, bridge [abutment], highway fence, barrel, box, parking meter, mailbox, traffic [signal] control device, traffic stanchion, traffic sign (including pole), tree box, tree pit protection device, bench, traffic barrier, hydrant, public pay telephone, picnic tables, playground equipment, or any other public property or on private property except by permission of the owner or authorized agent of the owner of such property. (c) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any handbill, poster, card, notice, marker, placard, bumper sticker, gummed label, sign, advertisement, inscription, figure, mark, symbol, lettering, name, sticker or any other material posted by or under the direction or authorization of the mayor, city council, or any city department or agency. (d) For purposes of this section, there shall be a rebuttable presumption that the person, firm, corporation, or other entity whose name, telephone number, address, photograph, or other identifying information appears on any handbill, poster, card, notice, marker, placard, bumper sticker, gummed label, sign, advertisement, inscription, figure, mark, symbol, lettering, name, sticker or any other material on any item or structure described in section 21-87(a) of this section violated this section by either (i) erecting, posting, plastering, painting, gluing, writing, thawing, chalking, stamping, sticking, printing, nailing, stapling, tacking, or attaching or affixing, or (ii) directing or permitting an agent, employee or other individual under such persons control to engage in such activity. (Code 1975, § 37-20; Ord. No. 2006-494, § 1, 10-24-06)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 21-87 Defrauding public accommodations, proof; exception.

Sec. 21-87. - Defrauding public accommodations, proof; exception. (a) No person shall obtain food, lodging or other accommodation at any hotel, motel, inn, boarding, eating or rooming house or place, or any other lodging place, with the intent to defraud the owner or keeper. (b) Proof that lodging, food and other accommodations were obtained by false pretense or fictitious show of any package or other property or that the person gave a check or negotiable paper on which payment was refused or that the person left the hotel, motel, inn, boarding, eating or rooming house or place, or other lodging place, without paying or offering to pay for the food, lodging or other accommodation or that the person surreptitiously removed or attempted to remove the package or property, or that the person registered under a fictitious name shall be prima facie proof of attempt to defraud. (c) This section shall not apply where there has been an agreement in writing for delay in payment. (Code 1975, § 37-52; Ord. No. 2006-494, § 3, 10-24-06)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 21-88 Receiving stolen goods.

Sec. 21-88. - Receiving stolen goods. (a) No person shall buy or receive any goods, chattels or other property knowing or having reasonable cause to believe such property to have been stolen or knowing that the seller thereof has not good and lawful title to the property, or without having made a reasonable and careful inquiry into the title or ownership of such property. (b) No person shall purchase any goods, chattels or other property from or through any minor without the written permission of the parent or guardian of any such minor. (c) The purchase or possession of any stolen goods, chattels or other property shall be prima facie evidence of knowledge that the same was stolen and the burden of proof to show facts justifying a belief that the property was not stolen property shall be upon the party purchasing or in possession of the property. (Code 1975, § 37-53; Ord. No. 2006-494, § 3, 10-24-06)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 21-89 Adoption of state law as to drawing and uttering fraudulent checks.

Sec. 21-89. - Adoption of state law as to drawing and uttering fraudulent checks. No person shall draw or utter a fraudulent check in violation of section 34-11-60 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, as amended. The provisions of sections 34-11-60 to 34-11-95 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, as amended, shall apply to the prosecutions of any persons charged with this offense. (Code 1975, § 37-61A; Ord. No. 1979-66, § 2, 9-11-79; Ord. No. 2006-494, § 3, 10-24-06)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 21-90 Unlawful urination or defecation.

Sec. 21-90. - Unlawful urination or defecation. It shall be unlawful for any person to urinate or defecate on or in any public property or private property within the city except in a restroom or other toilet facility designated for the sanitary disposal of human waste. (Ord. No. 2008-150, § 1, 11-25-08)

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/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=CICO_CH21OF_ARTIVOFAGPRFetched: 11/7/2026