South Carolina General Assembly
120th Session, 2013-2014

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

Indicates Matter Stricken
Indicates New Matter

H. 3594

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Reps. Herbkersman, Newton and Bowers
Document Path: l:\council\bills\swb\5116cm13.docx

Introduced in the House on February 21, 2013
Currently residing in the House Committee on Education and Public Works

Summary: Golf Carts

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2/21/2013  House   Introduced and read first time (House Journal-page 9)
   2/21/2013  House   Referred to Committee on Education and Public Works 
                        (House Journal-page 9)
    3/7/2013  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Newton
   5/15/2014  House   Member(s) request name added as sponsor: Bowers

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

2/21/2013

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 56-2-105, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO THE OPERATION OF PERMITTED AND REGISTERED GOLF CARTS ALONG THE STATE'S HIGHWAYS, SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT A GOLF CART EQUIPPED WITH HEADLIGHTS AND REAR LIGHTS MAY BE OPERATED AT NIGHT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION    1.    Section 56-2-105 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 177 of 2012, is amended to read:

"Section 56-2-105.    (A)    For the purposes of this section, 'gated community' means any homeowners' community with at least one access-controlled ingress and egress which includes the presence of a guard house, a mechanical barrier, or another method of controlled conveyance.

(B)    An individual or business owner of a vehicle commonly known as a golf cart may obtain a permit decal and registration from the Department of Motor Vehicles upon presenting proof of ownership and liability insurance for the golf cart and upon payment of a five dollar fee.

(1)    During daylight hours only, a permitted golf cart may be operated within four miles of the address on the registration certificate and only on a secondary highway or street for which the posted speed limit is thirty-five miles an hour or less.

(2)    During daylight hours only, a permitted golf cart may be operated within four miles of a point of ingress and egress to a gated community and only on a secondary highway or street for which the posted speed limit is thirty-five miles an hour or less.

(3)    During daylight hours only, within four miles of the registration holder's address, and while traveling along a secondary highway or street for which the posted speed limit is thirty-five miles an hour or less, a permitted golf cart may cross a highway or street at an intersection where the highway has a posted speed limit of more than thirty-five miles an hour.

(4)    During daylight hours only, a permitted golf cart may be operated along a secondary highway or street for which the posted speed limit is thirty-five miles an hour or less on an island not accessible by a bridge designed for use by automobiles.

(C)    A person operating a permitted golf cart must be at least sixteen years of age and hold a valid driver's license. The operator of a permitted golf cart being operated on a highway or street must have in his possession:

(1)    the registration certificate issued by the department;

(2)    proof of liability insurance for the golf cart; and

(3)    his driver's license.

(D)(1)    A golf cart permit must be replaced with a new permit every five years, or at the time the permit holder changes his address.

(2)    Golf cart owners holding golf cart permits on or before October 1, 2012, will have until September 30, 2015, to obtain a replacement permit.

(E)    A political subdivision may, on designated streets or roads within the political subdivision's jurisdiction, reduce the area in which a permitted golf cart may operate from four miles to no less than two miles. However, a political subdivision may not reduce or otherwise amend the other restrictions placed on the operation of a permitted golf cart contained in this section.

(F)    The provisions of this section that restrict the use of a golf cart to certain streets, certain hours, and certain distances shall not apply to a golf cart used by a public safety agency in connection with the performance of its duties.

(G)    The provisions of this section that restrict the operation of a golf cart to daylight hours only do not apply to a golf cart that is equipped with working headlights and rear lights."

SECTION    2.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

----XX----

This web page was last updated on May 15, 2014 at 12:14 PM