Golf carts, organ donation and other state laws

Key points

1. You must be at least 16 and have a valid license to drive a golf cart.

   Source: Handbook p. 2-2

   “You must be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver's license to drive a golf cart.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 2-2

2. A golf cart must have an SCDMV issued permit or registration decal.

   Source: Handbook p. 2-2

   “A golf cart must have an SCDMV-issued permit/registration decal affixed to it.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 2-2

3. By day, a golf cart may run within four miles of the address on its registration certificate.

   Source: Handbook p. 2-2

   “within four miles of the address on the registration certificate”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 2-2

4. Golf carts may use only secondary streets and highways posted 35 mph or less.

   Source: Handbook p. 2-3

   “only on secondary streets and highways with posted speed limits of thirty-five miles an hour or less.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 2-3

5. If you register as an organ donor before 18, a parent or guardian makes the final decision.

   Source: Handbook p. 2-1

   “If you choose to be an organ donor before your 18th birthday, your parent or legal guardian shall make the final decision regarding donation.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 2-1

6. Cigarettes and cigarette butts count as litter. Keep them in your vehicle until you can dispose of them.

   Source: Handbook p. 2-2

   “Cigarettes and cigarette butts are considered litter and should be kept inside your vehicle until they can be disposed of properly.”
   South Carolina Driver's Manual, Handbook p. 2-2

Numbers to know

3 questions from the South Carolina practice test

1. 1. During daylight, how close to its registered address may a South Carolina golf cart operate on an approved public road?

   1. Within one mile
   2. Within four miles
   3. Within ten miles
   4. Anywhere in the state
   Show answer

   Within four miles. The daylight operating area reaches four miles from the address listed on the registration certificate. A one-mile boundary is narrower than the manual rule, while ten miles extends beyond the stated limit. The cart also has to satisfy the separate requirements for a valid driver license, an SCDMV decal, a secondary road, and a posted limit of 35 miles an hour or less. The practical cue is to check the registration address before a daylight trip and measure the planned route against the four-mile boundary.

2. 2. What must a person have to drive a golf cart on a South Carolina public road?

   1. Only parental permission at any age
   2. A beginner's permit at age 14
   3. A valid driver's license and age of at least 16
   4. A commercial driver license at age 18
   Show answer

   A valid driver's license and age of at least 16. South Carolina sets two basic driver conditions for a golf cart: the operator must be at least 16 and must hold a valid driver's license. A beginner's permit does not replace the license requirement, and parental approval cannot lower the age threshold. A commercial credential is not the stated standard. Before driving, also confirm that the cart carries its required permit or registration decal and that the route meets the manual's daytime road and distance restrictions.

3. 3. A South Carolina applicant under 18 registers as an organ donor. Who makes the final decision about donation?

   1. The applicant, since registration is binding
   2. The parent or legal guardian
   3. The SCDMV
   4. The hospital
   Show answer

   The parent or legal guardian. Registering as an organ donor on a South Carolina credential is a legally binding agreement under the Uniform Anatomical Gift Act, but if you choose to be a donor before your 18th birthday, your parent or legal guardian makes the final decision regarding donation. You can change your decision or update your information later through the Donate Life SC registry.

Source: the South Carolina Driver's Manual, Section 2: State Laws and Rules of the Road. This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.