New golf cart rules up for discussion at public Bluffton workshop

Lowcountry residents love their golf carts, and whether or not they’ll be able to drive them at night is one of the issues up for discussion at a Bluffton Town Council public workshop next week.

Residents, golf cart owners and businesses are invited to share their perspectives on potential new regulations for golf cart usage with council members at the meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, August 26 at 5:30 p.m. in the town hall council chambers at 20 Bridge St.

A new state law passed in May requires golf carts to be registered with the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles and carry liability insurance, keep registration decals visible on windshields and be driven only on roads with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or less within 4 miles of its registered address. Drivers must be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver’s license, and passengers under 12 years old must wear a seat belt.

But other specifics, like whether or not carts can be driven at night with working headlights and taillights or whether they can be taken on four-lane roads or traffic circles are up to individual communities to decide.

The workshop will be a discussion — no votes will be taken at the meeting. The city of Beaufort passed an ordinance with its own new golf cart rules this week.