South Carolina H 3292: Golf carts

Bill Text

2025-2026 Bill 3292 Text of Previous Version (May. 07, 2025) - South Carolina Legislature Online 

South Carolina General Assembly
126th Session, 2025-2026

Bill 3292

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

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

Indicates Matter 
Stricken

Indicates New Matter

As Passed By The Senate

May 7, 2025

H. 3292

Introduced by Reps. Hixon, Pedalino, W. Newton, 
Forrest, B. L. Cox, Erickson, Taylor, Hartz, Atkinson and Pace 

S. Printed 5/7/25--S.

Read the first time February 18, 2025

________

A bill

TO AMEND THE SOUTH CAROLINA CODE OF LAWS BY AMENDING 
SECTION 56-2-105, RELATING TO GOLF CART PERMITS AND THE OPERATION OF GOLF 
CARTS, SO AS TO PROVIDE CERTAIN MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES MAY ENACT 
ORDINANCES TO ALLOW GOLF CARTS TO OPERATE IN DESIGNATED AREAS WITHIN THEIR 
JURISDICTIONS AT NIGHT.

 Amend Title To Conform

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

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

 Section 
56-2-90. (A) To operate a vehicle 
commonly known as a golf cart on a public highway, the owner must obtain a 
permit decal and registration certificate from the Department of Motor 
Vehicles. Proof of ownership, proof of liability insurance, and payment of a 
five-dollar fee must be provided. The permit decal must be replaced every five 
years, or at the time the owner changes his address, whichever is sooner.

 (B) A 
person operating a golf cart on a public highway must be at least sixteen years 
of age, hold a valid driver's license, and have in his possession:

 (1) 
the registration certificate;

 (2) 
proof of liability insurance in conformance with Section 38-77-140; and 

 (3) 
his driver's license.

 (C) A 
municipality or a county within its unincorporated portions, may:

 (1) 
by ordinance stipulate the hours, methods, and locations of golf cart 
operations, provided that golf carts may be operated only on a highway where 
the speed limit is thirty-five miles per hour or less;

 (2) 
by ordinance permit the operation of golf carts at night, provided that golf 
carts are equipped with working headlights and taillights, and provided that 
golf carts may be operated only on a highway where the speed limit is 
thirty-five miles per hour or less; and 

 (3) 
on the shoulder of primary highways, secondary highways, streets and roads, 
designate separate golf cart paths for the purpose of golf cart transportation, 
provided that: 

 (a) 
the municipality or county obtains the necessary approvals, if any, to create 
golf cart paths; and 

 (b) 
the golf cart path is:

 (i) 
separated from the traffic lanes by a hard concrete curb;

 (ii) 
separated from the traffic lanes by parking spaces; or

 (iii) 
separated from the traffic lanes by a distance of four feet or more.

 (4) 
not require proof of property ownership or proof of long-term rental agreement 
within the municipality or a county within its unincorporated portions as a 
requirement in which to receive a decal to operate a golf cart within its 
limits.

 (D) In 
the absence of an ordinance enacted pursuant to subsection (C), a permitted 
golf cart may:

 (1) 
be operated only during daylight hours;

 (2) 
be operated only on a secondary highway where the speed limit is thirty-five 
miles per hour or less;

 (3) 
be operated only within four miles of the address on the registration 
certificate, or only within four miles of a point of ingress and egress of a 
gated community if the address is within a gated community; and

 (4) 
cross a highway at an intersection where the speed limit is more than 
thirty-five miles an hour.

 (E) Each 
golf cart passenger that is under the age of twelve years old, when it is being 
operated on the public streets and highways of this State, must wear a fastened 
safety belt.

SECTION 2. Section 
56-2-105 of the S.C. Code is repealed.

SECTION 3. This act takes effect upon approval 
by the Governor.

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This web page was last updated on May 07, 2025 at 09:02 PM