GENERAL RULES APPLICABLE TO PEDDLERS, CHARITABLE SOLICITORS, PALMETTO ARTISANS, BUSKERS, AND PANHANDLERS

Charleston, S.C., City Code ch. 17, art. V, div. 2

in effect

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-93 Obstructing public ways and means of ingress to and egress from private property.

Sec. 17-93. - Obstructing public ways and means of ingress to and egress from private property. (1) Solicitors shall not obstruct or otherwise inhibit the free, safe and efficient flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic on any public rights-of-way or public property even when transacting a sale. (2) Solicitors shall not obstruct or otherwise inhibit the free, safe and efficient flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic into and out of private property adjacent to any public right-of-way. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-94 Conducting of business during certain hours prohibited.

Sec. 17-94. - Conducting of business during certain hours prohibited. (1) No person shall engage in peddling or charitable soliciting, as defined in section 17-92, between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. (2) No palmetto artisan shall engage in the selling of palmetto art products during school hours while school is in session, including summer school and mandatory after school programs, if applicable. While school is in session, Palmetto artisans are permitted to sell palmetto art products on Friday afternoons after school from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., and on weekends and holidays from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. When school is out of session, Palmetto Artisans are permitted to sell palmetto art products daily from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. (3) No person shall engage in busking between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-94.5 Sale of food or drink with any alcohol contained therein prohibited.

Sec. 17-94.5. - Sale of food or drink with any alcohol contained therein prohibited. No person shall engage in the sale or selling of food or drink with any alcohol contained therein. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the mayor may authorize the sale of food or drink containing alcohol during a city-sponsored event, including Piccolo Spoleto and MOJA Festivals, and a permitted special event as set forth in section 2-185, et. seq. of the Code of the City of Charleston. (Ord. No. 2015-134, § 2, 9-22-15)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-95 Approaching vehicular traffic prohibited.

Sec. 17-95. - Approaching vehicular traffic prohibited. Under no circumstances shall any moving vehicle be approached by a person soliciting. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-96 Use of traffic islands, medians or other traffic control devices for storage of sale of tangible property prohibited.

Sec. 17-96. - Use of traffic islands, medians or other traffic control devices for storage of sale of tangible property prohibited. Solicitors shall not store, keep or offer for sale any tangible property or service on any traffic island, median or other traffic control device located within the corporate limits of the city. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-97 Peddling, charitable soliciting, busking and the selling of palmetto art products unlawful on private property.

Sec. 17-97. - Peddling, charitable soliciting, busking and the selling of palmetto art products unlawful on private property. It shall be unlawful to engage in soliciting on any property where a sign is posted that states "No Trespassing," "No Peddlers," "No Solicitors, "No Buskers" or words of similar import. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-98 Blocking rights-of-way.

Sec. 17-98. - Blocking rights-of-way. Solicitors shall not block roadways, fire apparatus access roads, sidewalks, crosswalks, driveways, doors, stairways, curb cuts, handicapped access ramps or block access to buildings, parks, conveyances, businesses, traffic control poles containing pedestrian crosswalk button(s), or be within twenty (20) feet of a fire hydrant, fire department connection (FDC), or within twenty (20) feet of any fire alarm or other emergency communication device, either by their location, or by the location of any crowd that they may draw. Solicitors shall not attract a crowd sufficient to obstruct the public right-of-way; a police officer may disperse the portion of the crowd that is creating the obstruction. At a minimum there shall be at least a five-foot passageway on the sidewalk as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act. Personal property used for soliciting shall not be left unattended on any public rights-of-way or other publically owned places. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-99 Noise.

Sec. 17-99. - Noise. The conduct and behavior of all Solicitors shall otherwise comply in all respects with existing noise ordinances at all times. Solicitors or groups of these shall not interfere with a special event. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-100 Littering.

Sec. 17-100. - Littering. Solicitors shall remove all trash and debris from the publicly owned rights-of-way and publically owned property in the vicinity of their activities immediately after their activities have ended. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-101 Aggressive solicitation prohibited.

Sec. 17-101. - Aggressive solicitation prohibited. No person shall solicit in an aggressive manner on the public rights-of-way or other publically owned property. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-102 Prohibited areas for solicitors.

Sec. 17-102. - Prohibited areas for solicitors. (1) Peddling, selling of palmetto art products, and charitable soliciting may take place on all sidewalks, streets or other publicly owned properties in the city except in the following districts: (a) The Market District; (b) South of Broad District; (c) King Street District; (d) Waterfront Park District; (e) Aquarium District, and, (f) Marion Square. (2) The selling of palmetto art products by palmetto artisans shall be permitted in the above restricted areas when the selling of palmetto art products is carried out from city of Charleston designated palmetto artisan kiosks in accordance with the City of Charleston's Youth and Palmetto Art and Business Program. (3) There shall be no soliciting in the Visitor Reception and Transportation Center District, or within fifty (50) feet of the perimeter of a(n): (a) Automatic teller machine; (b) Church grounds, while in session; (c) School grounds, while in session; (d) Library; (e) Hospital; (f) Funeral home; (g) Bank; (h) Hotel; (i) Outdoor dining area; (j) Entrance or exit of a performance venue; or (k) A special event. (4) During times of construction work on the streets, sidewalks and public infrastructure, the city may from time to time temporarily prohibit solicitors in the area near the construction work. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14; Ord. No. 2016-076, § 2, 6-21-16)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-103 Fees.

Sec. 17-103. - Fees. The fees, if any, for a peddler's permit, charitable solicitation permit, and Palmetto artisan permit shall be set by city council. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-104 Permit—Expiration.

Sec. 17-104. - Permit—Expiration. Permits issued under the provisions of this article shall expire on the thirty-first day of December in the year when issued or on the date specified on the permit, whichever date occurs first. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-105 Permit—Possession.

Sec. 17-105. - Permit—Possession. Peddlers, charitable solicitors, and palmetto artisans are required, while engaged in peddling, charitable soliciting, or selling palmetto art products to have on their persons their permit. (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

Charleston, S.C., City Code § 17-106 Transfer of permits prohibited.

Sec. 17-106. - Transfer of permits prohibited. No permit issued under the provisions of this article is transferable. The authority granted in the permit shall be conferred only on the permittee named in said permit(s). (Ord. No. 2014-40, § 1, 3-25-14)

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_CH17LIPEMIBURE_ARTVGEEDCHSOPAARBUPAVE_DIV2GERUAPPECHSOPAARBUPAFetched: 11/7/2026