Artists can submit proposals and samples to Keely Laughlin at klaughlin@kiawahisland.org, Stephanie Braswell Edgerton at sbraswell@kiawahisland.org or by calling 843-768-9166. The Arts Council holds their planning session every February to determine the content of the next season.
The Kiawah Island Arts Council season typically runs from September to June with the majority of events being held January through March. For more information call 843-768-9166.
All events are open to the public. Tickets are available here on a come first serve basis. Ticket release dates are two weeks prior to the event date. Kiawah property owners have a 3 day lead time prior to the public release date for Arts Council events. Cultural Events tickets release to everyone on the same date. Tickets are limited at 4 per household for all events. Returned tickets may be made available for redistribution online beginning at 9 a.m. two days prior to the event. For more information call 843-768-9166.
South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV).
To register your boat, you will need the boat’s title and notarized bill of sale. Take this information to the Boat Titling and Registration Division of the SC Department of Natural Resources, 217 Fort Johnson Road, Charleston, 843-953-9301, Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Residents obtain and renew automobile gate pass decal through the Kiawah Island Community Association at 843-768-9194.
During daylight hours Beach Patrol can be contacted directly by phone at 843-518-2880 or through Town Hall at 843-768-9166. For after hours contact KICA Security Gate 843-768-5566.
It is against our Ordinance to leave beach supplies, and equipment on the beach overnight. If material are found the Beach Patrol will tag the equipment and after a set period of time will remove it from the beach and place it in storage at Town Hall. Materials can be retrieved by contacting Code Enforcement at 843-768-9166 or Beach Patrol 843-518-2880.
No, the Town doesn’t allow anyone except authorized vehicles on the beach.
As a safety precaution glass is prohibited on the beach, to prevent accidents from broken glass buried in the sand.
February 28th is the final day to obtain a business license to avoid penalties of 5% per month.
First time business license applicants can contact the business license department at Town Hall at 843-768-9166. Application can be submitted online, mailed, faxed or handled on a walk in basis. Thereafter an automatic renewal application is sent prior to the year.
The license is good for the current year, Jan. 1 to Dec. 31. An automatic yearly renewal is mailed out prior to the start of the new year.
Provide the general business information (name of business, address, etc.) on the provided application along with the gross receipts earned on Kiawah for the prior year. The application also requires either a tax ID number or social security number for applicant or business, and the state business license number.
Dogs are allowed on the beach year-round, however, there are seasonal leash restraint rules. Fines apply.
• Critical Habitat Area: Dogs are prohibited in the designated critical habitat areas.
• Seasonal Dog Leash Area: From the Critical Habitat Area west of Beachwalker County Park to the eastern boundary of the Beach Club.
March 16 – October 31 Dogs must be leashed at all times.
November 1 – March 15 Dogs are allowed to be off-leash.
• Dog Use Area: Dogs are allowed off-leash year-round in the designated “dog use area” located between the eastern boundary of the Beach Club and the Ocean Course pedestrian access provided they are under control. Off-leash stipulations: The owner must remain with their pet and have in their possession a leash. Pets must be leashed if requested by another beachgoer or by Beach Patrol.
Saltwater fishing licenses are required for all recreational fishing.
Contact Town Hall at 843-768-9166 or contact Brian Gottshalk at bgottshalk@kiawahisland.org.
The Town has two Public Recycling Centers located on the island. They are located on Kestral Court (off of Sora Rail Rd.) and behind Town Hall 4475 Betsy Kerrison Parkway.
Paper, Glass, Aluminum, Steel and any plastic material that contains the recycling symbol. All materials may be mixed together as single stream, all in one container.
Contact the Finance Clerk at 843-768-5109
A self-addressed envelope is provided as an attachment to the bill with the proper address to process the payments through the town’s lockbox payment center. Payments can also be accepted as a walk-in customer at Town Hall. The account number should accompany the payment for proper application to your account.
Billing invoices are produced only once yearly in July. Payment is due by August 30 to avoid penalties.
For more information contact the Finance Clerk at 843-768-5109.
A copy of the closing papers from the closing attorney is required to change ownership. The trash disposal service stays with the property and ownership and correct billing information is obtained using information from the closing attorney.
Medical Centers
The Johns Island Post Office is located at 2860 Maybank Hwy, Johns Island, SC 29455
Mailing services are also offered in Freshfields Village in the Post & Computer Center Computer Store Address: 130 Gardners Cir, Johns Island, SC 29455. Phone:843-768-2626.
Baptist
Mosques
Episcopal
Presbyterian
Methodist
Christian
Non-Denominational
Christian Science
Catholic
Synagogues
Our Rental Ordinance uses the following formula to determine overnight occupancy; 2 persons per bedroom with an additional 2 per home. Example for a four bedroom home would be 10 persons.
If you’re renting your property for less than 30 consecutive days, you need an annual rental business license for each property prior to advertising or renting and the property must pass inspection for conformance to building codes. A property that is rented for 14 days or less in total during a calendar year is not considered a short-term rental. Any property rented on a long-term lease basis (30 days or longer) must have a standard business license instead of an STR license. You can read more about the process of renting or about the rental presence on the island by visiting the short-term rental section section of our website.
8:00 am – 5:00 pm, Monday thru Friday
Town Council meetings are held on the 1st Tuesday of each month.
See full list of Town meeting schedules
A CAFR is a Comprehensive Annual Financial Report that gives a detailed explanation of what financially happened for that year. You may view the Town’s annual CAFR reports on the Finance Departments page or in the Archives.
The Town’s main revenue comes from Business License, Building Permits, Local Option Sales Tax, Accommodation Taxes, Franchise Fees, and Hospitality Tax to name a few.
No, the property taxes you pay to Charleston County do not include any taxes for the Town. The Town does not impose ad valorem tax.
June 30 of each year
Using the form on the FOIA page, specify the information you want to attain and any other information requested by the form. The form requesting the information shall be emailed, mailed by regular mail, or delivered to the Town Clerk.
The due date for verification of the request is 15 days from the date requested, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays. Once the request is verified, the Town will determine an estimate as to the cost to research and copy the requested information.
A request under Freedom of Information will be sent to the Town Attorney or Town Administrator for verification and before final completion to ensure it is in compliance with all aspects of the Freedom of Information Act.
Contact the Town Clerk at 843-768-9166 or clerk@kiawahisland.org for a list of any vacancies.
New Year’s Day, Presidents Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas Day
Finance Clerk at 843-768-5109 or Dorota Szubert (Treasurer) at 843-768-5104
It usually takes about two weeks after an invoice is received by the Finance Department to be completed and payment mailed to the vendor.
No, there is a process in place and checks are ordered through and mailed from the bank.
Money orders, cashiers checks, cash or credit card payments are acceptable forms of payment.
Court payments are payable to The Town of Kiawah Island and mailed to 4475 Betsy Kerrison Parkway, Kiawah Island, SC 29455.
Municipal Court Chambers are located at the Kiawah Island Town Hall at 4475 Betsy Kerrison Parkway.
Contact these providers directly for new service, or questions about existing service:
Charleston County Board of Voter Registration: 843-744-8683
Kiawah Island’s voting precinct number is 1.
Voting is held at the Sandcastle Community Center at 1 Shipwatch Rd, Kiawah Island, SC 29455 Phone: 843-768-3875
Qualified voters may vote absentee in person or by mail. Click here for procedures for voting by absentee ballot
Town Council elections are held every 2 years on the 1st Tuesday in December.
The Charleston County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) works closely with law enforcement officers to receive updates on wind speeds on the various bridges throughout the County during an emergency. The public is warned that no matter what the measured sustained wind speeds, there could be unexpected and dangerous wind gusts of higher speeds.
High span bridges (35 feet high or higher) in Charleston County:
• Arthur Ravenel, Jr.Bridge
• Don Holt Bridge
• Cosgrove Bridge (the “North Bridge”)
• Isle of Palms Connector
• James Island Connector
• Limehouse Bridge
• McKinley Washington Bridge (the “Edisto Bridge”)
• Stono Bridge
• Wando River Bridge
• Wappoo Bridge
• Westmoreland Bridge
At 25 mph, draw bridges are locked down to boat traffic:
Draw bridges and swing bridges (bridges that can be mechanically opened to allow for tall boat traffic to pass through from the water) will be locked down to boat traffic when sustained winds reach 25 mph or greater.
Call the Code Enforcement Office at Town Hall at 843-768-9166. We require no permits or fees. A brief description of the wedding party, date, location on beach and amount of guest are required. No fires or glass products are allowed on the beach.
Not yet. Armadillos are expanding their range into our area and will likely be found on Kiawah Island in the near future. Armadillos can cause minor landscape damage by digging and rooting in landscape beds.
No. There has never been a confirmed sighting of a cougar on Kiawah Island. We receive quite a few reports of cougars each year, but none of these reports have ever been verified with photography, tracks, or scat. Most likely, observers are seeing large bobcats or coyotes. In addition, most of these sightings occur at night when it is very difficult to judge size and details of the animal in question. The nearest free-ranging population of cougars is in the Florida Everglades.
Alligators bask almost daily on the edges of ponds to regulate their body temperature. It is not necessary to report these types of alligator encounters. If an alligator is seen in a roadway, driveway, or bike path, please call KICA Security 843-768-5566.
If you encounter an alligator that you believe is aggressive, please call Town Hall 843-768-9166 during normal business hours or call KICA Security at all other times 843-768-5566. Biologists will investigate all reports and determine whether or not the alligator fits the definition of a “nuisance” alligator. If it does, it will be removed in accordance with SCDNR protocols. An alligator that is sunning along a pond edge in a yard is not a nuisance alligator.
Town Biologists, in conjunction with KICA Lakes staff, conduct annual alligator surveys. Based on these surveys, we estimate there are 600-700 alligators on Kiawah Island and that the population is fairly stable.
Town Biologists conduct biannual spotlight surveys for deer. Based on these surveys, we estimate there are 400-500 deer on Kiawah Island and that the population is stable around 50 deer per square mile.
Injured birds on land should be reported to Town Hall 843-768-9166 during normal business hours or to Night Heron Park 843-768-6001.
If you see dead fish in a pond, please report it to the KICA Lakes Department 843-768-2315 on weekdays from 7am-3pm. At all other times, please call KICA Security 843-768-5566.
Not likely. Raccoons are considered nocturnal but will move about during daylight hours if food is scarce. Many times, raccoons seen during daylight hours are females that are out foraging to feed their growing offspring. They need to eat a lot to offset the demands of nursing and raising young. Raccoons certainly do get sick, mainly from canine distemper, and these animals are typically very lethargic, have a crusty nose and eyes, and are in very poor body condition. These animals should be reported to KICA Security 843-768-5566.
Nothing. The fawn is not abandoned but has been intentionally left in that spot by the doe. Fawns will lie quietly for hours until the doe returns to allow them to nurse. Fawns are scent-free during their first few weeks of life which allows them to remain relatively safe from predators if they lie still. The doe stays away to keep her scent and movements from drawing the attention of predators. If you encounter a fawn, do not approach or touch it. Any interaction with humans greatly increases the chance of the fawn being killed or injured.
No. Bobcats on Kiawah Island are very visible and at times seem to show little concern for the presence of people. Despite this, they do not pose a real threat to humans. There are occasional reports of bobcat-human incidents but these almost always involve special circumstances, i.e. a turkey hunter hiding at the base of a tree making turkey calls or a person intervening in an altercation between a bobcat and domestic pet.