Golf carts are as common in your neighborhood as they are on a golf course. However, they lack the safety features found in your car, they are top heavy (making them easy to tip over), and statistics show that children riding in golf carts are twice as likely to get injured as adults.
In May of 2025, the South Carolina legislature passed a golf cart law to improve child safety and provide stricter regulations regarding the usage of golf carts. Here’s what you need to know about the new law:
Child Seatbelts:
All children under 12 must wear a fastened safety belt when riding in a golf cart on public roads.
Driver Requirements:
Golf cart drivers must be at least 16 years old and possess a valid driver’s license.
Registration and Insurance:
Your golf cart must be insured. In addition, the golf cart must be registered with the SCDMV. Drivers need to have the golf cart’s proof of insurance and registration with them while operating the vehicle. How to register your golf cart.
Local Ordinances:
Local governments (municipalities and counties) can establish their own rules for golf cart operations, including hours, locations, and specific roadways.
Statewide Restrictions (in absence of local ordinances):
Golf carts can only be operated during daylight hours, only on secondary roads with a speed limit of 35 mph or less, and must stay within a 4-mile radius of the address listed on the golf cart’s registration.
To learn more about golf cart insurance, click here. (this article needs to be updated) Please reach out if you or a friend needs coverage for your golf cart or ATV. We are here to help!
If you have a golf cart, contact us so we can be sure you have the coverage you need. Home and auto insurance policies are not designed to provide coverage when a golf cart is being used as a means of transportation.
