Can You Drive a Side-by-Side on the Road in South Carolina?

You cannot legally drive a side-by-side on the road in South Carolina. The SCDMV does not register UTVs or issue them license plates, and state law makes it a misdemeanor to operate an unregistered motor vehicle on any public highway.¹ A bill that would create a limited road-use permit has been introduced but remains in committee as of early 2026. Until that changes, your side-by-side belongs on private property or designated off-road areas.

Why It’s Illegal Right Now

South Carolina Code Section 56-3-110 requires every motor vehicle driven on a highway to be registered and licensed. Operating an unregistered vehicle on a highway, or knowingly letting someone else do it, is a misdemeanor.¹ UTVs sit entirely outside that system because the SCDMV does not register them or issue plates for them. Adding headlights, mirrors, and turn signals to your machine does not fix the problem, because the state has no category to register it under.

The registration exemptions in state law cover things like government vehicles, farm implements that only incidentally travel on a highway, and certain special mobile equipment. A side-by-side used for general transportation does not fit any of them.¹

Where You Can Ride

Legal use is limited to private property and designated off-road areas. You can also cross a public road when moving between off-road areas, but you cannot travel along one. This holds true regardless of how well-equipped the UTV is or whether the operator is licensed.

Titling Is Still Required

South Carolina does require you to title your UTV as proof of ownership, even though it cannot be registered for road use. The SCDMV handles ATV and UTV titles with these items:²

SCDMV Form 400, completed and signed.
Proof of ownership: the manufacturer’s certificate of origin for a new UTV, or a properly assigned title from the seller for a used one.
Sales tax, collected at titling. Unlike standard passenger vehicles, UTVs are not subject to the sales tax cap.

Because UTVs are not registered with the DMV, the $250 Infrastructure Maintenance Fee that applies to passenger cars does not apply here.³ The title documents ownership for insurance claims, resale, and theft recovery. It does not grant any right to use the vehicle on a road.

What Happens if You Ride on the Road Anyway

Operating an unregistered motor vehicle on a South Carolina highway is a misdemeanor, so the consequences reach past a traffic ticket.¹ A conviction creates a criminal record, and the UTV itself can be impounded.

If you crash on a public road, the civil exposure is worse. An injured party’s attorney will point to the illegal road use as evidence of negligence, and standard auto policies rarely cover a vehicle being driven where it isn’t allowed to be.

South Carolina’s DUI laws also apply. A side-by-side qualifies as a motor vehicle under the impaired-driving statutes, so an operator caught driving under the influence faces the same penalties as someone in a car: license suspension, fines, and potential jail time. That applies whether you’re on a public road or on private property.

The Golf Cart Rules Do Not Cover You

South Carolina has allowed permitted golf carts on certain roads for years under Section 56-2-90, and people often assume a side-by-side falls under the same system. It does not.⁴

The golf cart permit costs $5 and, with proof of insurance and a valid license, lets you drive during daylight on secondary roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less, within 4 miles of your home. Nothing equivalent exists for UTVs. The proposed UTV bill also explicitly excludes golf carts from its definition, so the two categories will stay separate even if that bill becomes law.⁵ Owning a side-by-side does not give you access to the golf cart permit, even if your UTV happens to be slower than some carts.

The Proposed Change: House Bill 3293

Lawmakers have introduced UTV road-use bills in recent sessions without passing any of them. The current version, House Bill 3293, was referred to the House Committee on Education and Public Works in January 2025 and remained in committee as of early 2026.⁵ Similar bills in the 2023–2024 session died the same way. None of this is current law.

If a bill in this shape ever passes, the picture would look roughly like this:

Owners would obtain a permit decal and registration from the SCDMV with proof of ownership, proof of liability insurance, and a $5 fee.⁵
Operation would be limited to daylight hours, on secondary roads posted at 55 mph or less, and within 10 miles of the address on the registration.
The driver would need to be at least 16 and hold a valid driver’s license. Beginner’s permits, provisional licenses, route-restricted licenses, and motorcycle-only licenses would not qualify.⁶
The UTV would need working headlights, brake lights, taillights, turn signals, and a lap-and-shoulder belt at every seating position. Riders under 21 would need helmets and eye protection meeting the state’s motorcycle standards.⁷
Liability insurance would need to meet the state’s standard minimums of $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, plus $25,000 for property damage.⁸

Every one of those provisions is proposed, not enacted. If the legislature passes a UTV bill later, the final language may look different from H.3293.

Preparing Now

If you want to be ready in case the law changes, a few steps are worth taking. Title your UTV through the SCDMV so ownership is on record.² Equip the vehicle with working headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, and proper seat belts, since every version of the proposed bill has required them and they improve off-road safety anyway. Consider a liability policy from a specialty off-road carrier if you ride near other people or property. And watch the status of H.3293 on the South Carolina Legislature’s website. Based on prior drafts, any bill that does pass would likely take effect one year after the governor signs it.

1
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 56 Chapter 3
2
SCDMV. All-Terrain Vehicles
3
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-3-627 – Infrastructure Maintenance Fee
4
South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 56 Chapter 2
5
South Carolina Legislature. 2025-2026 Bill 3293 – Utility Terrain Vehicles
6
South Carolina Legislature. 2023-2024 Bill 3409 – Utility Terrain Vehicles
7
South Carolina Legislature. 2025-2026 Bill 222 – Utility Terrain Vehicle
8
Department of Insurance, SC. FAQs – Auto Insurance