South Carolina H 3158: Utility terrain vehicles

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3158 Text of Previous Version (Dec. 06, 2024) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3158

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY ADDING SECTION 
56-2-140 SO AS TO DEFINE THE TERM "UTILITY TERRAIN VEHICLE" AND PROVIDE FOR THE 
REGISTRATION AND OPERATION OF THEM ON THE HIGHWAYS AND STREETS OF THE STATE; TO 
AMEND SECTION 56-1-10, RELATING TO DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO REVISE THE DEFINITION 
OF THE TERM "OFF-ROAD USE ONLY"; AND TO AMEND SECTION 38-77-30, RELATING TO 
DEFINITIONS, SO AS TO REVISE THE DEFINITION OF THE TERM "INDIVIDUAL PRIVATE 
PASSENGER AUTOMOBILE" TO INCLUDE CERTAIN UTILITY TERRAIN VEHICLES.

Be it enacted by the 
General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Article 1, Chapter 2, Title 56 of the S.C. Code is 
amended by adding:

 Section 
56-2-140. (A) For the purposes of 
this section:

 (1) 
"Utility Terrain Vehicle" (UTV) means a side-by-side, four-wheel drive, off-road 
vehicle intended to transport individuals, cargo, or both with a top speed over 
thirty-five miles per hour; a motor vehicle of at least four hundred and fifty 
cubic centimeters; eighty inches or less in overall width; designed to travel 
on four or more wheels, two or four tracks, or combinations of four or more 
tracks and wheels; using a steering wheel for steering control; with a 
nonstraddle seat; and with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of no more than four 
thousand pounds; and

 (2) 
Utility Terrain Vehicle does not include golf carts or vehicles specially 
designed to carry a disabled person.

 (B) To 
operate a UTV on a road, the UTV must comply with the requirements of this 
section. The UTV must be registered in the same fashion as passenger vehicles 
pursuant to this title, unless otherwise provided in this section. An 
individual or business owner of a UTV must obtain a license plate to be affixed 
to the rear of the vehicle in an unobscured manner and registration from the 
Department of Motor Vehicles upon presenting proof of ownership and liability 
insurance for the UTV and upon payment of a ten-dollar biennial fee.

 (1) 
Two dollars of each biennial fee must be placed by the Comptroller General in a 
special restricted account to be used solely by the department for the costs 
associated with the production and issuance of new license plates pursuant to 
Section 56-3-1230.

 (2) 
Four dollars of the biennial registration fee must be placed in the State 
Highway Fund as established by Section 57-11-20 to be distributed by the 
Comptroller General.

 (3) 
Four dollars of the biennial registration fee must be placed in the account of 
the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank.

 (4) 
UTV owners and registrants are exempt from the payment of property taxes to the 
county in which the UTV is registered. No county may charge any property taxes 
nor county fees of any kind on this type of vehicle. Registrants of UTVs are 
responsible for renewing their registration biennially directly with the 
Department of Motor Vehicles. Registered UTVs are subject to road-use fees for 
vehicles powered by electric, hydrogen, and fuels other than motor fuel 
pursuant to Section 56-3-645.

 (C) A 
registered UTV may be operated on a road for which the posted speed limit is 
fifty-five miles an hour or less.

 (D) A 
registered UTV may cross at an intersection where the road has a posted speed 
limit of more than fifty-five miles an hour.

 (E) A 
registered UTV may be operated along a road on an island not accessible by a 
bridge designed for use by automobiles.

 (F) A 
person operating a registered UTV must be at least sixteen years of age and 
hold a valid driver's license. The operator of a registered UTV being operated 
on a highway or street must have in his possession:

 (1) 
the license plate and registration certificate issued by the department;

 (2) 
proof of liability insurance for the UTV; and

 (3) 
his driver's license.

 (G) If 
the registered UTV operator is sixteen years old and holds a conditional 
driver's license pursuant to Section 56-1-175(B), the registered UTV may only 
be operated during daylight hours as defined in Section 56-1-10.

 (H) 
Registered UTVs must not be operated by anyone who holds a beginner's permit 
pursuant to Section 56-1-50 or moped operator's license pursuant to Section 
56-1-1720. This provision includes the operation of a UTV by a beginner's 
permit holder even if there is a licensed driver with the beginner's permit 
holder in the UTV pursuant to Section 56-1-50(B)(1). UTVs must not be operated 
by anyone who holds a temporary alcohol license, route restricted driver's 
license, provisional driver's license, or solely a motorcycle license.

 (I) No 
child under eight years old may be a passenger in a registered UTV while