Senate subcommittee amends golf-cart measure to give local governments wider control; committee reports bill favorably

A Senate subcommittee on Oct. 12 reported H 3,292 — a bill altering where and when golf carts may operate — to the full committee with an amendment that gives municipalities and counties authority to regulate golf-cart hours, methods and locations.

Senator Hembry, who presented the subcommittee recommendation, said the existing statute had accumulated piecemeal changes and the subcommittee chose to draft an approach that groups golf-cart operation into three regulatory buckets: municipal authority (by ordinance), county authority in unincorporated areas and a default state rule if local governments decline to regulate. The default cited by the committee remains the existing state standard: operation only during daylight hours, a 35-mph speed limit ceiling in practice and a limit tied to registration distance (the committee described the existing 4-mile-in-address rule).

The subcommittee amended the bill on the floor after questions from the Senator from Pickens and others. Pickens noted business districts where a primary highway might have a 25-mph limit (Main Street in some towns) and asked that local governments be allowed to authorize golf carts there. The committee agreed to strike the phrase limiting operation to "secondary highways" in municipal districts and instead allow operation where the speed limit is 35 mph or less if the local government authorizes it.

The amendment was adopted by voice vote and the committee then voted to report the bill favorably as amended. Senators discussed safety concerns and multiple examples of local exceptions in North Myrtle Beach and Pickens County; the committee emphasized the need to balance local control with traffic-safety considerations.

Key provisions discussed:

- Municipalities and counties may adopt ordinances setting hours, locations and methods for golf-cart operation.

- If a local government declines to regulate, the bill leaves in place the state default (as described in testimony): daylight-only operation, limited to roads with a practical 35-mph limit and a 4-mile registration-radius rule.

- Carts must remain registered and carry liability insurance under existing law.

Committee action: The committee adopted a subcommittee amendment (removing "secondary highway" language) and gave H 3,292 a favorable report as amended. The committee recorded voice votes; numeric tallies were not provided in the hearing record.

What to watch: The change expands local authority over golf carts but keeps statewide safety guardrails. Local governments that choose to regulate can set more permissive rules, including limited night operation where local ordinances allow lights and other safety equipment.