BOARD OF DIRECTORS
After Year-long Evaluation, LSVs Banned
options, the KICA Board of Directors voted 4-2 to
ban LSVs on Kiawah Island, on all KICA roads.
The rule took effect on Jan. 6, 2020 and LSVs are no
longer permitted on the island’s roads.
Low speed vehicles (LSVs) have been a frequent topic
of conversation since they started appearing on the
island a few years ago. Under KICA regulations, LSVs,
which look similar to golf carts but are licensed for
road use by the SC Department of Motor Vehicles,
were permitted on the island’s roads. In 2018, with
increased rental LSV usage on the island, members
expressed their frustrations to the KICA Board of
Directors, including concerns about operators not
following traffic laws and traffic backups on the
parkway in the wake of an LSV. In early 2019, the
board of directors responded to member concerns,
enacting a test program to monitor LSVs and evaluate
their impact.
Tony Elder, KICA director of Security, worked with
rental company LightningBugz to implement the
LSV rental test program. The program controlled
the number of rented LSVs that were allowed on the
island at any one time and allowed KICA Security to
track the GPS of a rented LSV. The board encouraged
members to report problems to KICA Security. After
approximately eight months, the program ended in
December with 28 communications from members in
opposition to LSVs, most of which highlighted safety
concerns, and two in support of LSVs. Additional
complaints about the operation of specific LSVs
were fielded by KICA security during 2019.
While the comments received from members were
largely against the use of LSVs on the island, it wasn’t
a cut and dry decision by the board. (To hear each
director’s perspective on the issue, view the Jan. 6
board meeting at kica.us/livestream.) After reviewing
the results of the test program and evaluating the
2 | KIAWAH ISLAND DIGEST
Vice-chair Sue Schaffer struggled with her position,
but ultimately pointed to several reasons she voted in
favor of the ban. KICA’s mission is to provide services
that meet the needs of homeowners; the study
overwhelmingly showed that these vehicles were
being used “almost, if not exclusively, by renters, not
by homeowners.” Sue also expressed concer with the
considerable staff time it took to monitor and track
rented LSVs, and it would take more effort and time
to enforce rules. If LSVs continued to be allowed, but
the rules were not adequately enforced, “we have a
safety issue.”
KICA is currently aware of only four LSVs owned
by members. The board granted a limited exception
to the ban for those members who had purchased
their LSVs prior to the Jan. 6, 2020 board meeting.
LSVs that meet all of the following conditions will be
allowed to continue to operate:
• The LSV was purchased prior to Jan. 6, 2020
when the ban was put in place,
• The LSV is registered with the SC Department of
Motor Vehicles,
• The LSV is operated by the owner or their
immediate family only,
• The operator of the LSV complies with all SC
traffic laws and town ordinances, and
• The LSV is registered with KICA as a vehicle,
with a bar code and/or owner’s pass visible.
LSVs that are grandfathered in will not be eligible
for replacement or to be transferred with property
sale. If you own an LSV that does not have a KICA
barcode, you must register your LSV by Friday,
Feb. 28, 2020 in order to continue to operate it on
the island. Simply complete the barcode application
at kica.us/gate to get the registration process started
or contact KICA Member Services at 843-768-9194
with questions.