Isle of Palms Winter-Spring 2018-19

25 www.IsleOfPalmsMagazine.com | www.ILoveIOP.com | www.IOPmag.com G olf carts are a fun and convenient means of getting around the islands, but, before you hit the streets, make sure you know the rules and regulations governing their use so you can avoid any fines or penalties. Anyone 16 years or older with a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance may operate a golf cart; however, you do have to obtain a permit, which is available at any South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles office. You must complete a Golf Cart Permit Registration form – which you can download at iop.net – and pay a $5 permit fee. The closest DMV is located just off the IOP Connector at 1189 Sweetgrass Basket Parkway. Once you have acquired your permit, you are allowed to drive a golf cart during daylight hours on secondary highways and streets within four miles of your residence or business – where the speed limit is 35 mph or less. While golf carts are allowed to cross a primary highway or street such as Palm Boulevard in Isle of Palms or Jasper Boulevard in Sullivan’s Island, they are prohibited from traveling along primary highways, streets and bridges. And remember that you must obtain a new golf cart permit every five years or if you change your address. In Isle of Palms, designated golf cart parking is available at 9th Avenue and Ocean Boulevard and at 28th and 31st avenues on Palm Boulevard. Residents can also apply for a residential parking permit for golf carts, which allows them to park in public rights- of-way in the residential parking district from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the peak season, from May 15 through Sept. 15. On Sullivan’s Island, golf cart owners must park their vehicles in designated parking spots. Golf carts are not to be confused with low speed vehicles, which can move at speeds of up to 25 mph. LSVs can operate on any highway or street where the posted speed limit is 35 mph or less, and, unlike golf carts, they can be operated at night. They cannot be driven on the IOP Connector, since the posted speed limit is more than Cruise Smart In Your Cart Golf Carts on the Islands By Colin McCandless