Updated November 2026 from the Town of Edisto Beach golf cart rules.
Golf carts are part of the Edisto Beach experience. Park the car, put the keys in a drawer and cruise the shady streets to the beach, the Jungle Road shops and dinner. They’re legal in town, but the Town and its police do enforce the rules, especially in summer, so here’s what every driver needs to know.
Edisto Beach Golf Cart Rules
- Permits: every cart needs a Town of Edisto Beach decal and a South Carolina DMV golf cart permit, with registration and proof of insurance in the cart. Rental carts come with these.
- Drivers: 16 or older with a valid driver’s license on them. Most rental companies require renters to be 18 or 21.
- Daylight only: from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset. Police do stop carts after dark.
- Never on Palmetto Boulevard. It’s SC Highway 174, a primary highway. You may only cross it straight across, for example to reach a beach access. Every other street in town is allowed.
- Never on the beach or the bike path.
- Kids: children under 12 need a seat belt or child seat, and no one may sit on the driver’s lap. No standing, hanging off the sides or overloading the cart.
- Same laws as a car: open-container and DUI laws apply on a golf cart, and police run checkpoints on busy holiday weekends.
Want to drive after dark? Street-legal LSVs (low-speed vehicles that go 20 to 25 mph) may be driven at night on roads posted 35 mph or less, but they can’t drive along Palmetto Boulevard either.
Drive Like a Local
- Let traffic by. Carts are slower than cars, so traffic can back up behind you in summer. Pull over when it’s safe to let it pass.
- Share the road with bikes. Stay out of the bike lanes on Jungle Road and give cyclists room.
- Use hand signals and obey stop signs, so drivers know what you’re doing.
- Staying on Palmetto Boulevard? Ask your rental company how you’ll get the cart to and from your house, since you can only cross the boulevard.
Renting a Golf Cart
Several local companies rent 4- and 6-seat golf carts and street-legal LSVs by the day or week, and many deliver to your rental. Book early for summer and holiday weeks. Compare companies, prices and age requirements in our guide to Edisto Beach golf cart and bike rentals, and see every beach rule in our Edisto Beach rules guide.
Prefer two wheels? The island is flat and easy to bike. See our Edisto Beach bike trail guide.
