South Carolina Golf Cart Laws (2025)

Yes – with restrictions. South Carolina state law permits golf carts on public roads if you have a permit decal and follow strict rules. You can only drive the cart during daylight and within 4 miles of your home (or within 4 miles of the entrance of your gated community) on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less. Essentially, it’s legal for short daytime trips around the neighborhood or to nearby amenities, but not for unlimited use everywhere.

Yes. You must be at least 16 and have a valid driver’s license to operate a golf cart on public roads in SC. The law is clear that licensed drivers only can drive permitted carts on the street. (No learner’s permits or under-16 drivers are allowed for on-road golf cart operation.)

Yes, liability insurance is required. When you obtain a golf cart permit from the SCDMV, you must provide proof of ownership and liability insurance. You’re also required to carry the registration certificate and proof of insurance in the cart whenever you drive it on the road.

South Carolina does not mandate seat belts for golf carts, because they are not classified as motor vehicles requiring standard safety equipment. Most golf carts lack seat belts from the factory. However, if you’ve modified your cart or use one classified as a Low-Speed Vehicle (which is different from a permitted golf cart), seat belt requirements would apply in that case. As a general rule, for a regular permitted golf cart, seat belts aren’t legally required, but using them if available is obviously safer.

State law restricts golf carts to secondary roads with 35 mph or lower speed limits, but the carts themselves typically top out around 20 mph. In fact, South Carolina defines carts as vehicles that can’t go faster than 20 mph. If a cart can exceed 20–25 mph and has more safety features, it may actually fall under the “Low-Speed Vehicle” category, which has a separate registration process. But the typical permitted golf cart is limited to about 20 mph, and you should not drive it on any road faster than 35 mph (and even then, only in daylight and within the 4-mile limit).

At least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license. There’s no exception for younger drivers – even if you’re just going a short distance in the neighborhood, South Carolina law requires the golf cart operator on a public road to be a licensed driver 16 or over.

South Carolina doesn’t “register” golf carts in the usual sense (you won’t get a license plate), but you must obtain a golf cart permit from the DMV. To do that, you’ll bring proof of ownership (like a bill of sale) and proof of insurance to a DMV office and pay the $5 fee. They’ll issue a permit and a small decal to stick on your cart. That decal and your golf cart registration certificate must be with you when you drive the cart on public roads. The permit is valid for 5 years and must be renewed thereafter.

The cart must be insured, permitted, and equipped appropriately for safe operation. State law requires at least front and rear reflectors, a rear-view mirror, and a slow-moving vehicle emblem on the cart (though most carts already have basic lighting). You have to get a permit decal from SCDMV and display it. The cart can only be driven during daylight and within a 4-mile radius of the owner’s address on roads 35 mph or below. The driver must have a license on them, and the registration and insurance documents should be carried on the cart. If those conditions are met, your golf cart is street-legal for limited use in SC.