South Carolina will let registered side-by-sides operate on public roads from November 18, 2026, under a law signed in May that creates a UTV registration framework from scratch.

Act 164 of 2026 — Senate Bill 222, sponsored by Senators Ott and Stubbs — adds a new Article 5 to Chapter 2, Title 56 of the state code. It passed the House 109–3 and cleared the Senate on concurrence 26–18.

What counts as a UTV

The definition at Section 56-2-5000 is specific, and a machine has to meet all of it:

• a side-by-side, four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle for people, cargo or both
• a top speed over 55 mph
• an engine of at least 450cc
• 80 inches or less in overall width
• four or more wheels, tracks, or a combination
• a steering wheel, not handlebars
• a nonstraddle seat
• a gross vehicle weight rating of no more than 4,000 pounds

Note the tension built into that first requirement: the machine must be capable of more than 55 mph to qualify, but the roads it may use are capped at 55.

Registration and cost

The machine needs a title, which carries the brand “off road use only” — the law revises that definition specifically so a branded title no longer blocks road registration.

To run on a public highway an owner must present proof of ownership and liability insurance, register as they would a passenger vehicle, obtain a plate and fix it unobscured to the rear, and pay a ten-dollar biennial fee.

That fee splits three ways: two dollars toward producing the plates, four dollars to the State Highway Fund, and four dollars to the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank. Owners are exempt from property tax on a registered UTV in the county where it is registered, but sales tax still applies.

Who may drive one

The operator must be at least 17, hold a driver’s licence permitting operation of a motor vehicle at any time, and carry the plate and registration certificate, proof of liability insurance and their licence.

Several licence types are expressly excluded: a beginner’s permit — even with a licensed driver alongside — a moped-only licence, a temporary alcohol licence, a route-restricted licence, a provisional licence, and a motorcycle-only licence.

Passengers, belts and gear

No child under eight may ride in a UTV on a public highway.

Anyone under 21, driving or riding, must wear the protective gear the code already requires for motorcycles.

Everyone aboard must wear a fastened seat belt, and the machine must be fitted with a Type 2 seat belt assembly meeting 49 CFR 571.209 at every designated seating position, plus operable headlights, brake lights, taillights and turn signals.

A modified exhaust louder than the machine’s manufactured design makes road operation unlawful.

Where you can actually drive

This is the part most likely to disappoint. Interstates are off limits entirely, and the Department of Transportation may prohibit UTVs on any highway on safety grounds.

Absent a local ordinance, a registered UTV may only be operated on a secondary highway with a speed limit of 55 or less, and only within ten miles of the address on the registration — or within ten miles of the entrance of a gated community, if that is where the address sits. Crossing a faster highway at an intersection is permitted.

Municipalities and counties may set their own hours, methods and locations by ordinance, including permitting night operation, still capped at roads of 55 or less. But they may not charge any tax or fee for road operation, and may not demand proof of property ownership or a long-term rental agreement before issuing a decal.

Two provisions worth noticing

Farmers. A farmer holding a valid SCATE card from the state Department of Agriculture and a driver’s licence may operate a UTV or similar machine with a top speed under 55 mph without restriction, within ten miles of their agricultural operation.

Insurance. The act amends the definition of “individual private passenger automobile” to include UTVs registered for road use, which is what makes ordinary auto liability coverage available for them.

The law also limits dealer and manufacturer liability for road use of machines not designed for public roads, except where a defect existed when the product left the manufacturer’s control.

Read it yourself

The full text, history and vote records are on the South Carolina Legislature site for S.222 (Act 164).

Because so much is delegated to municipalities and counties, the state framework is only half the answer. Where you can actually run depends on whether your town or county has passed an ordinance — and until one exists, the ten-mile default applies.

This article was researched and drafted with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed, fact-checked and edited by Leonidas Clark before publication. It is general information, not legal advice. Local ordinances vary; check with your municipality or county.