Golf carts are street legal in South Carolina, but only if the owner registers the cart with the state, carries insurance, and follows the rules on where, when, and how it can be driven. The current framework lives in Section 56-2-90 of the South Carolina Code, updated in May 2025, and it combines a statewide baseline with real power for cities and counties to loosen or tighten the rules locally.
How to Register a Golf Cart
Before the cart goes on a public road, the owner needs a permit decal and a registration certificate from the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles. That means completing the SCDMV’s Golf Cart Permit Registration form (Form GC-2), showing proof of liability insurance, providing a valid driver’s license number, and paying a $5 fee.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 2 – Section 56-2-90 The decal goes on the cart. The registration document stays in the cart whenever it is driven.2SCDMV. Golf Carts
Decals have to be replaced every five years, or sooner if the owner changes their address.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 2 – Section 56-2-90 An unpermitted cart is not legal on the road no matter how it is equipped.
Who Can Drive and What to Carry
The driver must be at least 16 and hold a valid driver’s license. On the road, the operator has to carry three things at all times: the cart’s registration certificate, proof of liability insurance meeting South Carolina’s automobile minimums, and their driver’s license.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 2 – Section 56-2-90 Missing any of the three puts you out of compliance even if the cart itself is properly registered.
Where and When You Can Drive
If your city or county has not passed its own golf cart ordinance, the state’s default rules apply. They are narrow:
- Daylight hours only. The statute does not tie this to clock times, so it moves with the season.
- Only on secondary highways and streets with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less. Primary highways are off-limits.
- Within a four-mile radius of the address on the registration certificate. For a gated community, the four miles is measured from the community’s entrance.
- You may cross a road with a higher speed limit at an intersection, but you cannot travel along it.
These four defaults come straight from Section 56-2-90(D).1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 2 – Section 56-2-90
Seatbelts for Passengers Under 12
Every passenger under 12 years old must wear a fastened seatbelt when the cart is on a public street or highway.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 2 – Section 56-2-90 This is a statewide rule, and local ordinances cannot override it. A cart without seatbelts cannot legally carry young children on public roads.
Local Ordinances Can Change the Rules
The 2025 law gave counties and municipalities meaningful authority to adjust the defaults, within limits.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 2 – Section 56-2-90 A local government can:
- Set its own hours and locations for golf cart operation, as long as the roads involved are posted at 35 mph or less.
- Allow nighttime driving, provided the cart has working headlights and taillights and stays on roads posted at 35 mph or below.
- Designate golf cart paths along the shoulders of primary, secondary, and other roads, if the path is separated from traffic by a concrete curb, parking spaces, or at least four feet of distance.
A local government also cannot require proof of property ownership or a long-term rental agreement as a condition for issuing an operating decal inside its boundaries. The upshot: rules in Hilton Head, Myrtle Beach, Kiawah Island, and similar communities may look quite different from the state defaults. Check your municipal or county ordinances before you assume the baseline applies.
Penalties
Operating a golf cart in violation of these rules is a misdemeanor. Where no specific penalty is set, a conviction can bring a fine of up to $100, up to 30 days in jail, or both.3South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 2 – Section 56-2-4000 Common violations include driving without a permit, operating outside the allowed area or hours, and carrying an unbelted child under 12.
South Carolina’s DUI laws also reach golf carts on public roads. The state’s definition of “motor vehicle” is broad enough to cover any self-propelled vehicle, so driving a cart while impaired can bring the same DUI charges as driving a car.
Golf Carts Are Not Low-Speed Vehicles
South Carolina treats golf carts and low-speed vehicles (LSVs) as separate categories, and the difference matters if you’re shopping for something with broader road access. An LSV is a four-wheeled motor vehicle capable of 20 to 25 mph, weighing under 3,000 pounds, and manufactured to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 500. A standard golf cart does not meet that standard, and the state will not issue a VIN to a retrofitted golf cart or homemade vehicle trying to qualify as an LSV.4South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 2 – Section 56-2-120
An LSV can be driven on any road posted at 35 mph or less, can cross faster highways at intersections, and is not bound by the daylight-only or four-mile-radius limits that apply to golf carts. In exchange, an LSV has to be titled, registered, and insured like a passenger vehicle and must carry a special LSV license plate.4South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code Title 56 Chapter 2 – Section 56-2-120 The driver still has to be at least 16 with a valid license.