1. (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.

2. (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. (1) the registration certificate;
   2. (2) proof of liability insurance in conformance with Section 38-77-140; and
   3. (3) his driver's license.

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

   1. (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. (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. (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:

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

      2. (b) the golf cart path is:

         1. (i) separated from the traffic lanes by a hard concrete curb;
         2. (ii) separated from the traffic lanes by parking spaces; or
         3. (iii) separated from the traffic lanes by a distance of four feet or more.
   4. (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.

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

   1. (1) be operated only during daylight hours;
   2. (2) be operated only on a secondary highway where the speed limit is thirty-five miles per hour or less;
   3. (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. (4) cross a highway at an intersection where the speed limit is more than thirty-five miles an hour.
5. (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.

HISTORY: 2025 Act No. 64 (H.3292), SECTION 1, eff May 22, 2025.

Editor's Note

Prior Laws: Former SECTION 56-2-105 was titled Golf cart permit and the operation of a golf cart, and had the following history: 2012 Act No. 177, SECTION 1, eff October 1, 2012; 2015 Act No. 86 (S.211), SECTION 1, eff June 8, 2015; 2016 Act No. 246 (H.5118), SECTION 1, eff June 6, 2016. Repealed by 2025 Act No. 64, SECTION 2, eff May 22, 2025.