Sumter County, South Carolina solar ordinance
Solar: 15 ft maximum height. Every figure is quoted from the county's ordinance, read October 8, 2026.
Updated October 2026
Solar rules
8 figures read from the county's ordinance, each with the sentence it comes from.
| Rule and what the ordinance says | Requirement |
|---|---|
Property line setbackabutting adjacent residentially used parcelsb. When abutting adjacent residentially used parcels regardless of zoning district: 200 ft. from property line. | 200 ft |
Property line setbackabutting adjacent undeveloped parcels in Residential Zoning Districtsc. When abutting adjacent undeveloped parcels in Residential Zoning Districts: 200 ft. from property line. | 200 ft |
Property line setbackabutting adjacent non-residentially used parcels in the Agricultural, Conservation, Commercial, and Industrial Zoning Districtsd. When abutting adjacent non-residentially used parcels in the Agricultural, Conservation, Commercial, and Industrial Zoning Districts: 100 ft. from property line. | 100 ft |
Road setbackPublic Roads with a Functional Classification of Principal Arterial or Minor Arteriali. All Public Roads with a Functional Classification of Principal Arterial or Minor Arterial – 300 ft. from property line. | 300 ft |
Road setbackAll Other Public Roadsii. All Other Public Roads – 200 ft. from property line. | 200 ft |
Road setbackPrivate Roadsiii. Private Roads – 50 ft. from the platted right-of-way line | 50 ft |
Maximum height4. All ground-mounted photovoltaic solar collectors shall be limited to a maximum height of 15 ft. when oriented at maximum tilt. | 15 ft |
Decommissioning bonda. A form of surety equal to 125% of the entire cost to decommission the primary photovoltaic solar energy facility, as approved, is required. | 125% |
Source: Sumter County ordinance (PDF), read October 8, 2026. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
South Carolina state law
State law can cap or override county rules. All South Carolina rules and counties.
State siting: Public Service Commission of South Carolina
Projects larger than 75 MW need a certificate from the Public Service Commission.
S.C. Code Ann. 58-33-20, 58-33-110 (DOE and Berkeley Lab inventory, June 2024). Source
Limits on local rules
Once the Public Service Commission certifies a generating plant over 75 MW, no county or city may require any further approval or permit for it, and in deciding the commission may refuse to apply local rules it finds unreasonably restrictive; smaller projects stay under county rules.
S.C. Code Ann. 58-33-160(1)(e), 58-33-410. Source
Every South Carolina figure in one spreadsheet
23 figures from 4 counties, each with its quote, source, date read and any condition. 1 of those places is not on this site. Plus South Carolina state law.
How these figures were read
We found Sumter County's own ordinance and had two AI models read it separately. A figure is shown only when both read the same number and the sentence it comes from was found in the document. Moratoria and bans are checked against the adopting document. Ordinances change and many figures apply only in some cases, so check the cited section with the county before relying on one.
Common questions
What are the solar setbacks in Sumter County, SC?
The county's ordinance sets solar facilities back 300 ft (Public Roads with a Functional Classification of Principal Arterial or Minor Arterial) from roads, 200 ft (All Other Public Roads) from roads, 50 ft (Private Roads) from roads, 200 ft (abutting adjacent residentially used parcels) from property lines and 200 ft (abutting adjacent undeveloped parcels in Residential Zoning Districts) from property lines. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.
How tall can a solar farm be in Sumter County, SC?
The ordinance sets a maximum height of 15 ft. Check the cited section with the county before relying on a figure.