Tybee permits limited use of registered, inspected carts on city streets, except Highway 80, which carts may only cross at designated locations identified by the city. Drivers must be licensed and 16 or older.
What we haven’t checked. This page rests on the city’s cart page and its flyer. We haven’t read the city code section behind them (sec. 66-8).
State law: see golf cart laws in Georgia.
Do you need a driver’s license to drive a golf cart in Tybee Island?
Yes. Carts are for licensed drivers.
How old do you have to be to drive a golf cart in Tybee Island?
Licensed drivers 16 or older.
Does a golf cart need a permit or registration in Tybee Island?
Yes. Every cart is inspected each year and carries a T-number sticker on the bottom left of the windshield. The sticker is a one-time $15; renewals are free. Both are done at Parking Services, 1509 Strand Avenue (call ahead: officers are sometimes out). Tybee residents bring a vehicle registration showing Chatham County District 3.
Insurance must meet the state minimum for cars ($25,000 per person, $50,000 per accident, $15,000 property). Homeowner’s policies aren’t accepted. Keep proof in the cart.
Required equipment: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals, a top-mounted flashing amber light, a horn and seat belts. The cart can’t be able to go faster than 20 mph.
Where can golf carts go in Tybee Island?
The city’s flyer says it permits limited use of carts, and that registered, properly driven carts may use city streets except Highway 80. Carts may cross Highway 80 only at designated locations identified by the city. The flyer lists them as:
- Highway 80/Butler Avenue, “at locations south of Park of 7 Flags” (an area, not one marked crossing; ask the city exactly where)
- the traffic light at 14th Street
- the traffic light at Campbell Avenue
- the traffic light at Jones Avenue
No carts on sidewalks.
Golf cart or LSV: what’s the difference in Tybee Island?
Tybee’s cart rules are written for carts that can’t go faster than 20 mph. Under Georgia law, a low-speed vehicle (LSV) is a separate class: a four-wheeled electric vehicle with a top speed over 20 mph and not over 25 mph. We didn’t find LSV rules on the city’s cart page, so ask the city before you drive an LSV here. Under Georgia law an LSV can’t travel along roads posted over 35; lawful crossings are separately regulated.
Can you drive a golf cart at night in Tybee Island? Hours and lights
The city’s cart page and flyer don’t list hours. We haven’t read the full ordinance, so that isn’t proof there’s no hours rule; ask the city. Every cart must have headlights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals and a top-mounted flashing amber light.
Parking
Cart parking is paid like any other: meter, the ParkTYB app or a decal. Rental carts may already have a pass.
Fines
The city’s flyer says violations can bring fines up to $1,000 or up to 12 months in jail.
Follow the law and posted signs. Follow applicable law, posted restrictions and lawful directions from officers. If permission is unclear, don’t use that road or path until confirmed. Rules can change after we check them.
Using SlowGo here
SlowGo routes on roads posted 35 mph or under by default; it doesn’t establish cart access here.
Check local rules before you ride. It doesn’t know Tybee’s Highway 80 rule or its designated crossing locations yet, so if a route runs along or crosses Highway 80 anywhere else, don’t take it in a cart.
Where these rules come from
- Motorized Cart Information — City of Tybee Island
- Golf Cart Safety Rules & Regulations flyer — City of Tybee Island (PDF)
- Georgia HB 877 (2014), the enacted bill that set the state’s cart (PTV) rules — Georgia General Assembly
- Georgia Code: low-speed vehicles — Georgia Department of Public Safety
Town staff: see something out of date? Email hello@slowgoapp.com and we’ll fix it quickly.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Always follow posted signs and local rules.