Before you or someone you know takes a golf cart for a drive on a public street or highway, be sure to follow the checklist below:

• The golf cart must be insured, permitted, and registered with SCDMV. The driver must have the registration certificate and proof of liability insurance in his or her possession while operating the golf cart on a public highway. Find out more about this process on the SCDMV website here.
• The driver must be at least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license in his or her possession while operating the golf cart on a public highway.
• Children under the age of 12 are required to wear a seat belt when the golf cart is being driven on public streets and highways.
• The golf cart must remain within 4 miles of the address listed on the registration certificate, or within 4 miles of an entrance to a gated community if the address is within the gated community.*
• The golf cart may be operated only on a secondary highway or street for which the posted speed limit is 35 mph or less.*
• The golf cart may be operated during daylight hours only.*

*Effective May 22, 2025, South Carolina Code of Laws Section 56-2-90 allows local and county jurisdictions to stipulate the hours, methods, and locations of golf cart operations, provided that golf carts may be operated only on a highway where the speed limits is 35 mph or less. Please check your local or county ordinances for additional clarifications and restrictions. 

Read more about South Carolina’s golf cart laws here.