Oak Island from above
Golf carts & LSVs

Can you drive a golf cart on Oak Island?

The short answer

Not on the beach. On the streets, you need a registered, street-legal low-speed vehicle (LSV) and a licensed driver 16 or older, and LSVs can't use roads posted above 35 mph. A plain golf cart that isn't registered as an LSV may be driven only by people with a mobility impairment, never on Oak Island Dr, Beach Dr or Ocean Dr, and at no more than 20 mph. Exception: low-speed vehicles may not use E Oak Island Dr between SE 19th and SE 38th St, even where it is posted 35 mph (Town rule; see the Town's speed limit notice).

Town code Sec. 28⁠-⁠5, 28⁠-⁠6

The rules

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Nothing with a motor on the sandMotor vehicles, golf carts, e-bikes and any other electric vehicle are banned on the beach strand and the dunes at all times (Sec. 28⁠-⁠5).
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The one beach exceptionThe Code lets a person with a state handicap placard or plate use a Town-approved beach accessible vehicle on the sand; low-speed vehicles don't qualify under it (Sec. 28⁠-⁠6). A newer Town update lets people with a qualifying mobility impairment drive an approved LSV or electric golf cart onto the beach at designated accesses only, parked close to the access and never driven along the beach: see the Town's Mobility Device Program update.
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Street-legal LSVsOnly NC-registered low-speed vehicles may drive on public streets, with a valid driver's license, and not on roads posted above 35 mph (they may cross a 45 mph road at an intersection). Exception: low-speed vehicles may not use E Oak Island Dr between SE 19th and SE 38th St, even where it is posted 35 mph (Town rule; see the Town's speed limit notice). The Town asks drivers to avoid long trips on Oak Island Dr and use Yacht Dr, Beach Dr, E Holly Dr, E Oak Dr or Ocean Dr instead.
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Plain golf cartsA golf cart that isn't registered as an LSV can't be driven on public streets, except by a person with a mobility impairment whose cart is registered with the Town (Sec. 28⁠-⁠38). Those carts may not use Oak Island Dr, Beach Dr or Ocean Dr, or any road posted above 35 mph.
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BikesRegular pedal bikes aren't on the beach ban list, but bikes aren't allowed on the scenic marsh walkways (Sec. 22⁠-⁠4) or on the pier (Sec. 22⁠-⁠12).
Quick answers

Common questions

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Are golf carts street legal on Oak Island?Only one registered in North Carolina as a low-speed vehicle (LSV), with a driver who has a valid license, on roads posted 35 mph or less (an LSV may cross a 45 mph road at an intersection). Exception: low-speed vehicles may not use E Oak Island Dr between SE 19th and SE 38th St, even where it is posted 35 mph (Town rule). Unregistered golf carts cannot be driven on public streets, except Town-registered carts used by a person with a mobility impairment (Sec. 28⁠-⁠38).
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Can you drive a golf cart on Oak Island beach?No. Golf carts and other vehicles are banned on the sand. The exceptions are for mobility: a Town-approved beach accessible vehicle used by someone with a state handicap placard or plate (Sec. 28⁠-⁠6), and, under a newer Town update, an approved LSV or electric golf cart driven onto the beach at designated accesses by someone with a qualifying mobility impairment.
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Are e-bikes allowed on Oak Island beach?No. E-bikes and other electric vehicles are banned on the beach at all times.

All the beach rules Beach wheelchairs & access More questions

These rules are the Town of Oak Island's. Caswell Beach, at the east end, is its own town with its own golf cart rules: Caswell Beach golf carts. From the Town of Oak Island Beach Rules and Code of Ordinances (Chapters 22 and 28) and the Town's Low-Speed Vehicle page. Rules can change, and the Town is the final word.