South Carolina’s Low-Speed Vehicle and Golf Cart Regulations By Ursula Ramsey The license plates read, “First in Golf.” In fact, there are over 100,000 golf carts that are permitted to travel beyond the cart path and onto South Carolina roadways. 1 Given that the popularity and prev-alence of golf carts is only increas-ing, this article will discuss federal, state and local regulations impact-ing their use. Before diving into the regula-tory framework, a quick vocabu-lary review is helpful to clarify the distinctions between the various types of golf cart-like vehicles. Generally, a low-speed vehicle or “LSV” is a small car that is pow-ered by gasoline or electricity and is designed for local trips, such as around a neighborhood, college or business campus. 2 The federal definition of a low-speed vehicle specifies that it is a four-wheeled motor vehicle capable of driving 36 SC Lawyer PHOTO BY GEORGE FULTON
South Carolina Lawyer January 2019: Page 36
