Skip to content
Pre-Season Clearance Sale – Deals on Club Car & Tomberlin - Learn More Here
Etto Leisure Cars
Blog Posts /
2025 Charleston Area LSV and Golf Cart Rules

2025 Charleston Area LSV and Golf Cart Rules

By Etto Leisure Cars
|
Oct 22, 2025
Share:
Facebook X

(and Why Halloween Is the Perfect Time to Cruise)

Charleston’s fall evenings are made for porches, pumpkins and joyrides through oak-lined streets. In neighborhoods from Park West to the Old Village, golf carts and Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs) have become the modern family carriage — especially when Halloween rolls around and trick-or-treaters take to the streets.

But before you load up the candy and costumes, it’s worth brushing up on the rules that keep both you and your neighborhood safe (and legal). Here’s a breakdown of Charleston-area golf cart and LSV laws — what’s allowed, what’s not and how Etto Leisure Cars can help you stay compliant.

Sullivan’s Island: Strict Rules and Daylight Only

If you live or vacation on Sullivan’s Island, you already know: this island keeps it tight.

  • Golf carts can only operate during daylight hours and on roads 35 mph or below.
  • They’re banned from bridges and main roads, including Ben Sawyer Boulevard, Jasper Boulevard, and the Breach Inlet bridge.
  • Children under 12 must wear a seat belt on public roads.
  • No motorized vehicles on the beach, ever.

If you want to cruise after dark or cross the island’s busier corridors, you’ll need an LSV — a street-legal model with headlights, taillights, mirrors and a VIN.

Isle of Palms: LSV-Friendly, Cart-Limited

The Isle of Palms takes a similar approach to Sullivan’s.

  • Golf carts: daylight only, 4-mile rule (must stay within a four-mile radius of the address listed on its registration, or the entrance to a gated community), ≤ 35 mph roads.
  • Prohibited roads: Palm Boulevard and the IOP Connector — even for LSVs.
  • No retrofitting: you can’t just add lights to a golf cart and call it an LSV.
  • Parking: Residents can apply for special golf cart parking permits in designated rights-of-way (9 a.m.–6 p.m.).

For anyone who wants to use a vehicle year-round — or drive at night — an LSV is the clear choice on IOP.

Daniel Island: Community Path and Trail Bans

Daniel Island’s Property Owners’ Association enforces an extra layer of rules:

  • Golf carts and LSVs are prohibited on HOA-maintained walking and biking trails unless specifically marked as cart paths.
  • Standard state rules apply on streets (only on roads where the speed limit ≤ 35 mph, daylight only for carts, 4-mile rule).
  • The City of Charleston Police enforces insurance, age and registration requirements.

For families who want to get around freely after dark or along main roads, a street-legal LSV again becomes the practical option.

Folly Beach: Locals Only, No Beach Driving

Folly Beach requires that your golf cart be registered to a Folly address — no visitor decals are issued, meaning tourists can’t bring their own carts to the island.

  • Carts must follow state law (only drive on streets where the speed limit is ≤ 35 mph, 4-mile rule, daylight only).
  • All motorized vehicles, including golf carts and LSVs, are banned from the beach itself.

The combination of local registration and enforcement makes Folly one of the most controlled islands in the region for golf cart use.

Mount Pleasant: Daylight-Only Rule Makes LSVs More Useful

Townwide rules mirror the state’s — 16+, licensed, permitted, insured, only allowed on roads with speed limits ≤ 35 mph — but the daylight-only restriction for standard golf carts shapes how residents in neighborhoods like Park West, I’On and the Old Village use them.

Dunes West specifically requires LSVs, not golf carts, within the community.

After sunset, those who still want to visit neighbors or restaurants often opt for LSVs, which are fully street-legal and can operate at night with headlights and taillights.

When a Golf Cart Isn’t Enough

In Charleston, the difference between a golf cart and an LSV often comes down to where and when you want to drive.

  • If you’re staying on quiet residential streets, a golf cart may be the perfect choice.
  • But if you need to cross a main road, drive after dusk, or navigate stricter island rules — an LSV is the safe, legal, and year-round solution.

Halloween Bonus: Trick-or-Treating the Charleston Way

Across Charleston’s neighborhoods, Halloween has quickly become golf cart season. Carts and LSVs turn into rolling candy wagons — decorated with pumpkins, spider webs and lights.

If you’re heading out this Oct. 31:

  • Make sure your cart is permitted and insured.
  • Keep it within 4 miles of your registered address.
  • Children under 12 must wear seatbelts (effective 2025).
  • Add reflective tape or LED lighting — and if you’re out after dusk, it needs to be a LSV.

Need Help Understanding Your Neighborhood’s Rules?

Charleston’s golf cart laws vary more than you’d think — and Etto Leisure Cars is here to help you navigate them.

Don’t see your area listed? Give us a call, and we’ll guide you in the right direction.

Our team can help you register your cart properly, choose the right leisure vehicle for you, and upgrade your current setup so you can ride safely (and stylishly) year-round.

Visit etto.com or stop by our Charleston or Mount Pleasant showrooms today.