Bluffton workshop reviews state law, considers allowing golf-cart night driving with safety conditions

At a Aug. 26, 2025 Bluffton Town Council workshop, town staff reviewed changes under Act 64 and presented a draft local ordinance that would let residents operate golf carts and other "specialized vehicles" on certain streets at night if the vehicles meet equipment and registration requirements.

Kevin (speaker 2), the staff presenter, opened the briefing by noting, “In May 2025, Governor McMaster signed Act 64 into law, which regulates the provisions for local jurisdictions to regulate the operation of specialized vehicles,” and summarized the statute’s baseline requirements: DMV registration and a permit decal, liability insurance, a $5 permit decal every five years, a minimum driver age of 16 with a valid driver’s license, and child-restraint requirements for passengers under 12.

The draft ordinance staff circulated would allow night operation on town roads where posted speed limits are 35 miles per hour or less, provided the vehicle is equipped with headlights, taillights and turn signals. Kevin told the council some golf-cart models now used on courses would need retrofitting to meet those lighting and seat-belt requirements: “If you decide to move forward with allowing them at night...you might also have to convert it to include that safety belt.” He also noted that specialized vehicles would be prohibited from entering roundabouts; public works vehicles are exempt for operational needs.

Public comment was largely supportive of allowing night driving with safety conditions. Brendan Downey (speaker 9) said the carts are integral to Bluffton’s character and help with parking and access in Old Town, but flagged underage driving and thefts in nearby AllJoy. “I really hope you guys go forward at least with the night driving,” he said. Todd Wyatt (speaker 10) made a similar point, calling carts “part of the town” and urging the council to permit night driving with proper equipment.

Several speakers urged clearer distinctions between vehicles. Sam Spano (speaker 11) pressed staff to separate three categories — golf carts, low-speed vehicles (LSVs) and converted carts — and questioned fairness of fee and tax differences for street-legal LSVs versus converted carts. “Just to clarify…if you have a tag on your vehicle…you are allowed to go up to that intersection, go across the 4 lane,” Spano said, adding that the town should specify how crossings of multi-lane roads will be handled.

Council members and staff said the state law allows crossings but the town’s draft ordinance proposes stricter local rules (for example, requiring a signal/red light at some four-lane crossings). A council member summarized the local approach: “What we have drafted…would say going forward that would be a no. It would have to be at a red light,” (speaker 7).

Safety advocates urged capacity and pathway rules. Chuck Valentino (speaker 12), who described himself as a bicycle and pedestrian-safety advocate, recommended limits on use of narrow pathways, stronger seat-belt and capacity limits, and measures to prevent leaving keys in vehicles. He also raised separate concerns about high-powered e-bikes on multiuse paths. Erin Otten (speaker 13) asked whether carts may use bike paths; police and staff answered that, under the draft and state law, carts should remain on roadways where speeds allow and avoid the bike path.

The police chief (speaker 5) and staff presented recent enforcement and incident data: the department had issued one warning at a four-way stop and documented collisions in 2024–25 (police cited six collisions and noted a seventh when including the most recent rollover). The chief also said some incidents involved underage drivers in private subdivisions rather than on public arterial roadways.

Council members debated whether to require seat belts for all occupants or to align with state law (which requires restraints for children under 12). A council member urged caution about legal exposure if the town adopts different requirements: “If we make an ordinance saying that you don’t have to wear a seat belt and someone has an accident…where is the town on the legal side,” (speaker 1). Staff and council agreed to draft alternates (a la carte options) showing a more-restrictive local approach and a version that hews closely to state requirements.

Next steps: staff will collect the public and council comments, prepare alternate ordinance language (including clearer definitions separating golf carts, LSVs and UTVs, and possible local decals/enforcement approaches), and return to council for a first reading. The workshop concluded after a motion to adjourn was moved; no vote on the ordinance was taken at the session.

The key near-term procedural step is the town’s preparation of a revised ordinance for first reading that will present council with selectable options on enforcement, equipment and crossing rules.