Whether renting an accommodation or staying with family and friends on Isle of Palms SC, a street legal golf cart Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) is a great addition to any visit! With a golf cart LSV, parking is easier and your car doesn’t get wet and full of sand from beach trips. Riding around in a street legal golf cart LSV is a unique way to experience the local surroundings, views, recreation activities and dining options. For reservations inside the Wild Dunes Resort on Isle of Palms, please see our Wild Dunes page for more details.
Anybody staying on Isle of Palms can rent one of our luxury golf cart LSVs. Access to a standard household 3-prong electrical outlet is needed to charge the golf cart when not in use.
Who Can Rent a Golf Cart LSV on Isle of Palms?
Golf cart LSV rental requirements are basically the same as renting a car from a rental car agency. The primary renter must be at least 25 years of age, sign the rental contract, have a valid driver’s license and proof of automobile insurance. Any alternate drivers must be at least 21 years of age, be listed on the rental contract, have a valid driver’s license and proof of automobile insurance.
Isle of Palms Golf Cart LSV Booking:
Reservations can be made online via our website 24/7, or by calling us directly at 843-730-3200 or via email at reservations@IslandRidesSC.com.
Golf Cart LSV booking is by the night, so it’s similar to booking a hotel. Golf cart LSV drop-off is between 12pm – 5pm on the first day of the reservation. If you’d like to use the LSV in the morning of your first day, please start the reservation on day earlier. Golf cart LSV pick-up is between 8 am – 11am on the last day of the reservation. If you’d like to use the LSV on your last day, please end the reservation one day later.
Isle of Palms Golf Cart LSV Delivery:
Delivery is free for rental addresses on Isle of Palms SC. Island Rides will deliver the golf cart to your rental address at the start of the reservation and pick up the golf cart at the end of the reservation.
Isle of Palms Golf Cart LSV Driving Information
All of Island Rides’ golf cart Low Speed Vehicles (LSVs) are fully street legal vehicles, have license plates as well as all required Department of Transportation safety equipment (e.g. DOT safety windshield, windshield wiper, seatbelts, back-up camera, headlights, tail lights, turn signals, horn, speedometer and side-view mirrors). Our street legal golf carts can drive on any roads with a posted speed of 35 mph or less. Since the roads on and between Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island are 35 mph or less, you can drive the golf cart LSV as you would a car, including traveling along the main roads on each island. Our street legal golf carts can also drive from IOP to Sullivan’s Island and back over the Breach Inlet bridge. Driving the golf cart LSV is the same as driving a normal car, hence all relevant rules of the road apply. Golf cart LSVs are designed to be driven on roads only; off-roading is not allowed.
Although you can drive on or between IOP & Sullivan’s Island, the golf cart LSV must stay on these two islands at all times. Since both of the bridges to Mt. Pleasant (IOP Connector bridge from IOP to Mt. Pleasant and the Ben Sawyer bridge from Sullivan’s Island to Mt. Pleasant) have posted speed limits greater than 35mph, the golf carts cannot be driven to Mt. Pleasant.
Golf cart LSVs are not permitted to be driven on the beach, beach-access paths, sidewalks, bike paths nor the golf course paths.
Isle of Palms Golf Cart LSV Parking:
Our street legal golf carts can be parked in any ordinary car-parking spots on Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island. The golf cart LSVs can also park in any of the “Golf Cart Only” parking spots located on Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island. For easy beach access, there are designated “Golf Cart Only” parking spots where you can park the golf cart LSV while you head to the beach at 9th Ocean Boulevard, 25th Avenue, 28th Avenue and 31st Avenue along Palm Boulevard on Isle of Palms. Additional golf cart parking is available at the corner of Ocean Boulevard and JC Long Boulevard, as well as at the Marina on IOP.
Both Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island have parking signs around town to show where it is ok and not ok to park. Please note – Isle of Palms has “residential only” parking on various side streets during certain hours of the day, depending on the season. Please be sure to adhere to the rules listed on the parking signs to avoid getting a parking ticket.
Golf cart LSVs are not permitted to be parked on the beach, beach-access paths, sidewalks, bike paths nor the golf course paths.
Isle of Palms Golf Cart LSV Charging:
All Island Rides street legal golf cart LSVs are 100% electric. They are clean, quiet and fun to drive! The standard battery LSVs require charging when not in use to keep the batteries charged and ready to go. The lithium battery LSVs only need to be charged when their battery level starts getting low. All of our golf cart LSVs have an onboard charger and come with heavy duty extension cords that plug into a standard 3-prong household electrical outlet. All of our golf cart LSVs have a battery charge level indicator that shows roughly how much battery life is left, although this is only a guide and should not be taken literally.
Standard Battery LSV
- Standard battery LSVs need to be plugged into power when not in use to keep the batteries topped off and ready to go.
- Standard battery LSVs need to be plugged in each night and allowed to charge overnight.
- We do not recommend operating the golf carts with less than 50% remaining on the battery indicator.
- The golf cart LSV batteries should never be drained to below 30% charge level, as this can cause irreparable damage to the batteries. Under no circumstances should the golf cart LSV be driven to a charge of 0%.
Lithium Battery Powered LSV
- Lithium battery powered LSVs only need to be charged when their battery level starts getting low (we recommend recharging once they reach about 50% battery capacity remaining)
- We do not recommend operating the golf carts with less than 50% remaining on the battery indicator.
- The golf cart LSV batteries should never be drained to below 30% charge level to avoid running out of battery while on the road. Under no circumstances should the golf cart LSV be driven to a charge of 0%.
Isle of Palms Golf Cart LSV Rental Rules and Regulations:
- The primary renter/driver must be at least 25 years of age
- Anyone driving the golf cart LSV must be at least 21 years of age
- Anyone driving the golf cart LSV must have a valid driver’s license and current automobile insurance
- Driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is prohibited
- All normal automobile driving and parking laws apply to a street legal golf cart Low Speed Vehicle
- All drivers agree to be in compliance with all laws and government regulations in regarding to use and operation of the golf cart LSV
- Everyone must be seated in a seat and wear a seatbelt at all times when in/on the golf cart LSV
- The number of passengers cannot exceed the golf cart LSV’s designed and installed seating capacity (i.e. 4 passenger maximum for a 4 seater golf cart LSV)
- All drivers must sign the rental agreement and waiver
Cancellation Policy – Cancel Anytime Coverage:
Worried about a last minute unexpected change of plans? Island Rides’ Cancel Anytime Coverage is an optional add-on service that provides protection against life’s unknowns. If Cancel Anytime Coverage is purchased during the initial reservation booking, you can cancel your reservation anytime, up to 12pm the day before your rental start date and receive a full refund of all rental fees and taxes, minus the Cancel Anytime Coverage fees. Refunds are issued to the credit card used to book the reservation.
Cancellation Policy – Standard
If the optional “Cancel Anytime Coverage” is not purchased during the initial reservation booking, then Island Rides’ Standard Cancellation Policy applies. Refunds are issued to the credit card used to book the reservation. The amount eligible for refund depends on the number of days remaining from the date a cancellation request is received by Island Rides until the rental start date on the reservation, as follows:
- 30 days or greater until the rental start date: 97% refund is available
- 15 – 29 days until the rental start date: 50% refund is available
- 0 – 14 days until the rental start date: 0% refund is available
Please contact our office at reservations@IslandRidesSC.com or via phone/text at 843-730-3200 to make changes to an existing reservation.
Government Golf Cart & Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) Regulations:
Isle of Palms – https://www.iop.net/golf-carts-low-speed-vehicles
Sullivan’s Island – https://sullivansisland.sc.gov/residents/golf-cart-low-speed-vehicles
South Carolina Code 56-2-100 – https://www.scstatehouse.gov/code/t56c002.php