Where is it OK to drive a golf cart in Myrtle Beach? Your guide to golf cart rentals and laws

As weather in the Myrtle Beach area starts to warm for spring, golf carts are an increasingly common sight on Grand Strand roads.

While plenty of locals navigate the area on golf carts, the opportunity for an open-air joy ride at a rate significantly cheaper than a car rental makes golf carts explosively popular among regular visitors and first-time summer tourists.

If you’re planning to explore the Myrtle Beach area in a golf cart, here are the regulations, laws and local tips you should know before making a reservation and hitting the road.

Renting a golf cart

The Grand Strand offers tons of options for golf cart rentals and most let customers choose between making a rental reservation online or over the phone. If you’re calling during the peak season and find yourself waiting on hold for ages, try booking online instead.

Where to rent

If you’re trying to choose which company to rent from, plan around where you’re staying and where you’re headed.

South Carolina law limits golf carts to a 4-mile area around the address where they’re registered, so consider where you want to drive when picking a rental company.

Folks on vacation in the Myrtle Beach area who want to take a golf cart back to a hotel or rental accommodation should also check for restrictions. Some properties have special parking rules or outright bans for golf carts.

Who can rent

Under South Carolina state law, you must be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver’s license to operate a golf cart on public roads. However, companies typically require customers to be at least 18 or 21 years old to rent a golf cart.

If you’re under 21 years of age, it’s a good idea to check the company’s policy before putting down money for a rental.

Driving a golf cart

All golf carts on South Carolina roads must be registered with the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles and display a permit decal, but if you’re renting a cart, you shouldn’t have to worry about the registration process.

Before setting out in a golf cart, make sure you have:

• A valid driver’s license
• The cart’s registration certificate
• Proof of liability insurance for the cart

To avoid a nasty fine — or worse, a trip to the emergency room — when driving a golf cart make sure:

• Your passengers don’t exceed the golf cart’s seat capacity
• Everyone is sitting in a permanent seat
• No one has body parts outside the golf cart
• You’re the only golf cart operating in your lane

When you can drive

Once you’ve rented your golf cart and are ready to hit the road, it’s important to understand which areas and hours are off limits.

In the Palmetto State, golf carts are only allowed on roads during daylight hours between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. normally, and 6 a.m. and 8 p.m. during daylight saving time.

Where you can drive

In the Grand Strand, golf carts are confined to within 4 miles of the registered address, per South Carolina law. If you rent a golf cart in Myrtle Beach, the city says the rental agency must provide a map showing the range of operation.

South Carolina law also limits golf carts to secondary highways and roads with speed limits at or below 35 mph. A complete map of the roads where golf carts are banned in North Myrtle Beach is available here.

Golf carts can cross these and other primary roadways with speed limits over 35 mph, but must do so at intersections.

Other than special exceptions for things like emergency and maintenance services, golf carts are also banned on:

• Beaches in Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach or Surfside Beach
• Beaches in unincorporated Horry County from Feb. 28 through Nov. 1
• Sidewalks and bike lanes in Myrtle Beach

More information about South Carolina golf cart laws is available here, and municipal-specific restrictions are detailed in the Code of Ordinances for Horry County, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Surfside Beach.

This story was originally published March 6, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "Where is it OK to drive a golf cart in Myrtle Beach? Your guide to golf cart rentals and laws."