You cannot legally drive a side-by-side on the road in South Carolina. State law requires every motor vehicle used on a highway to be registered and plated, and the SCDMV does not register UTVs or issue license plates for them.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 56 Chapter 3 A bill now sitting in a House committee would open certain secondary roads to permitted UTVs, but as of early 2026 it has not become law. Until it does, your side-by-side belongs on private property or designated off-road areas.
Why It’s Illegal Right Now
South Carolina Code Section 56-3-110 requires every motor vehicle driven on a highway to be registered and licensed. Operating an unregistered vehicle on a highway, or knowingly letting someone else do it, is a misdemeanor.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 56 Chapter 3 Because the SCDMV does not register UTVs, side-by-sides sit outside the system entirely. Adding headlights, turn signals, mirrors, and seat belts does not change that. There is no plate the DMV can issue you.
The registration exemptions in state law cover government vehicles, farm implements that only incidentally cross a highway, and certain special mobile equipment. A side-by-side used for general transportation fits none of them.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 56 Chapter 3
You Still Need to Title It
Even though registration is unavailable, South Carolina requires you to title a UTV as proof of ownership. The SCDMV handles ATV and UTV titling with Form 400, proof of ownership (either the manufacturer’s certificate of origin for a new vehicle or an assigned title from the seller for a used one), and payment of sales tax at the time of titling. ATVs and UTVs are not subject to the sales tax cap that applies to passenger cars.2SCDMV. All-Terrain Vehicles
Because UTVs are not registered, the $250 Infrastructure Maintenance Fee that applies to passenger cars does not apply either.3South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code 56-3-627 – Infrastructure Maintenance Fee The title documents ownership for insurance claims, resale, or theft recovery. It grants no road-use rights.
The Bill That Could Change This
South Carolina lawmakers have tried for several sessions to open some roads to UTVs. The current version, House Bill 3293, was referred to the House Committee on Education and Public Works in January 2025 and remained there as of early 2026.4South Carolina Legislature. 2025-2026 Bill 3293 – Utility Terrain Vehicles Similar bills in the 2023–2024 session did not pass. Nothing in these proposals is enforceable yet, and any final version could change.
If H.3293 passed as written, a permitted UTV could be driven on public roads only under tight limits:
- Daylight hours only, with a narrow nighttime exception for barrier islands where a local ordinance specifically allows it.
- Secondary roads with speed limits of 55 mph or less. Interstates, primary highways, and faster roads would stay off-limits, though a permitted UTV could cross a higher-speed highway at an intersection while traveling an otherwise qualifying road.
- Within 10 miles of the address on the registration certificate, or within 10 miles of the entrance to a gated community. A municipality or county could shrink that radius to as little as 2 miles.
Owners would get a permit decal from the SCDMV by showing proof of ownership and liability insurance and paying a $5 fee. The driver would have to be at least 16 and hold a standard driver’s license, carry the registration and insurance card while riding, and keep all passengers in factory seats with seat belts fastened. The UTV itself would need working headlights, brake lights, taillights, turn signals, and lap-and-shoulder belts at every seat. Riders under 21 would need motorcycle-grade helmets and eye protection.6South Carolina Legislature. 2025-2026 Bill 3293 – Utility Terrain Vehicles
The bill defines a UTV as a side-by-side, four-wheel-drive, off-road vehicle with a steering wheel, a non-straddle seat, an engine of at least 450cc, a top speed above 35 mph, a maximum width of 80 inches, and a gross vehicle weight rating no higher than 4,000 pounds. Golf carts and vehicles designed for disabled persons are excluded.5South Carolina Legislature Online. 2025-2026 Bill 3293 – Utility Terrain Vehicles
A UTV Is Not a Golf Cart
South Carolina has allowed permitted golf carts on certain roads for years under Section 56-2-90, and owners sometimes assume the same rules let them drive a side-by-side. They don’t. A golf cart permit costs $5 and lets you drive on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less, during daylight, within 4 miles of your home.7South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 56 Chapter 2 No equivalent exists for UTVs. The proposed UTV legislation explicitly excludes golf carts from its definition, and the golf cart statute does not cover UTVs. Owning a side-by-side gives you no road-use rights under either framework.
What Happens If You Ride on the Road Anyway
Operating an unregistered motor vehicle on a South Carolina highway is a misdemeanor, not a simple traffic ticket.1South Carolina Legislature. South Carolina Code of Laws Title 56 Chapter 3 A conviction creates a criminal record, and the vehicle can be impounded. If you crash on a public road, the illegal road use becomes evidence of negligence in any civil case brought by an injured party, and you likely have no insurance coverage to draw on.
South Carolina’s DUI laws apply to side-by-sides as well. A UTV counts as a motor vehicle under the impaired-driving statutes, so an operator stopped under the influence faces the same license suspension, fines, and potential jail time as a driver in a car. That exposure exists whether you are on a public road or on private land.
What to Do Until the Law Changes
Title your UTV through the SCDMV so ownership is on record.2SCDMV. All-Terrain Vehicles Keep the vehicle on private property or designated off-road areas. If you want to be ready in case H.3293 or a successor bill becomes law, outfit the UTV with headlights, brake lights, taillights, turn signals, and lap-and-shoulder belts at every seat, since every version of the proposed legislation has required them. You can track the bill’s progress on the South Carolina Legislature’s website. Based on the language in earlier versions, a signed bill would likely take effect one year after the governor’s signature.