South Carolina's UTV road law starts on 18 November, and kei trucks are not named

South Carolina has no mini truck class, and a new law on 18 November 2026 does not create one. It does open limited public highway use to registered utility terrain vehicles, and a reader looking at kei trucks should know exactly what that law says.

Act No. 164 of 2026 (Senate Bill 222) was signed on 18 May 2026 and takes effect six months after approval, on 18 November 2026 ¹. It defines a UTV as a side-by-side, four-wheel drive, off-road vehicle with a top speed over 55 mph, at least 450 cc, 80 inches or less wide, a steering wheel, a nonstraddle seat and a gross vehicle weight rating of no more than 4,000 pounds ².

A registered UTV may use public highways, but never an interstate ³. Without a local ordinance it may run only on secondary highways posted 55 mph or less, within ten miles of the address on its registration, and it may cross faster highways at intersections ⁴. On a public highway it needs a plate, registration, liability insurance, seat belts at every seat, headlights, brake lights, taillights, turn signals and a driver at least 17 with a full license ⁵. A farm exception covers holders of a SCATE card within ten miles of their operation ⁶.

Whether the Department of Motor Vehicles will register a four-wheel drive kei truck as a UTV is not stated in anything read ⁷. The one written rule for a foreign vehicle that does not meet federal safety standards lets the department brand its title Off Road Use Only at its discretion, and a vehicle with that brand is not registered for the road ⁸. The department publishes no policy on how it uses that discretion, and a 25 year import is exempt from the standards and not compliant with them ⁹.

South Carolina's chapter in the Mini Truck Roadbook marks this as unsure for that reason.

This post reports the public record as read on 28 October 2026. It is general information and not legal advice.