New Golf Cart Law in Effect

Observer Reports

A new law went into effect in May with stricter rules for drivers and passengers in South Carolina.

The new law authorizes cities to set their own laws on where and when golf carts can be driven, and requires seatbelts for all passengers under the age of 12. Counties are now also allowed to pass ordinances allowing golf carts with headlights and rear taillights to be driven at night.

Golf carts can be driven by those least 16 years old who hold a valid driver’s license with a permit during daylight hours on public roads where the speed limit is 35 mph or less.

Previously S.C. law limited golf cart usage to within four miles of their registered address or within four miles of a gated community entrance. The new law leaves that distance up to local governments. The four-miles rule remains in effect anywhere without a local ordinance.