5 essential traffic laws every Myrtle Beach visitor should know to avoid fines & stay safe

The Myrtle Beach area welcomes millions of visitors every year, bringing drivers from around the country and even abroad to Grand Strand roadways. For folks who aren’t from the area, unfamiliar traffic laws can mean confusion, fines or even collisions, so it’s important to know what you’re doing before you hit the road.

To keep your vacation safe and hassle-free, remember these five essential traffic laws every out-of-towner should know.

1. Don’t text and drive

Texting and driving is never a good idea. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it’s the most dangerous form of distracted driving. It’s also illegal in South Carolina,

Under state law, you can be fined up to $25 for the texting and driving offense and up to $50 for subsequent violations.

The law doesn’t apply to drivers who are:

• Legally parked or stopped

• Using a hands-free device

• Seeking emergency assistance

• Using a digital dispatch system

• Performing official duties as a public safety officer

• Getting directions on a GPS

2. The city speed limit is 30 mph

That doesn’t mean there aren’t roadways with limits under or over 30 mph, but unless otherwise posted the speed limit across the city of Myrtle Beach is 30 mph.

In South Carolina, a first-offense speeding violation can result in a fine ranging from $15 to $200 or imprisonment up to 30 days, depending on how much you’re exceeding the speed limit.

3. You can’t get a ticket from red-light or speeding cameras

The use of automated road safety cameras, sometimes called red-light or speeding cameras, to capture license plates and ticket drivers is prohibited in South Carolina.

While the Myrtle Beach Police Department’s Real-Time Crime Unit operates more than 1200 camera views throughout the city, the cameras aren’t equipped to determine a vehicle’s speed. According to a police spokesperson, recordings from the cameras may provide evidence in some traffic-related incidents like collisions.

4. But officers do use speed-measuring devices

Officers in the Myrtle Beach Police Department Traffic Unit use radar and lidar devices to measure motorists’ speed. Radar technology emits radio waves to determine speed, while lidar technology uses pulses of laser light.

5. Jammers are banned, but detectors are not

State law prohibits using any device that jams, scrambles, neutralizes, disables or interferes with law enforcement technology used to measure vehicle speed, like lidar and radar.

However, you’re free to use devices that detect lidar and radar technology, as neither South Carolina nor the city of Myrtle Beach have any restrictions or bans.

This story was originally published March 13, 2025 at 6:00 AM.