VISITOR AND LOCAL INFORMATION – Local Laws

State Laws

Seat belts must be worn at all times in a moving vehicle.

Open containers of beer, wine, or liquor are prohibited in vehicles or any public place including streets, sidewalks, and beach areas. Vehicle headlights must be on if operating windshield wipers due to rain or poor road conditions.

Motorcyclists are required to use headlights at all times.

Right turns may be made on a red light throughout the state, except where a sign denotes “No Right on Red.” Remember, stop before turning and give way to traffic already in the intersection.

Fireworks

Discharging of fireworks is illegal within the city limits of municipalities along the Grand Strand.

Cruising

Cruising is regulated by the Myrtle Beach Police Department between 3rd Ave. S. and 21st Ave. N. on Ocean Boulevard from 2 a.m. - 6 a.m. March 1 - Oct. 1.

Driving

It is unlawful for any person to drive or operate any motor vehicle on the beach or in public marsh areas.

Shep

Established in 1996 by SCDOT (South Carolina Department of Transportation), SHEP (State Highway Emergency Program) now serves motorists traveling Interstates in the Charleston, Columbia, Myrtle Beach, Rock Hill, and Greenville/Spartanburg urban areas. Prepared to handle a variety of situations, SHEP responders make minor repairs to disabled vehicles, assist with traffic control and incident management, and provide first aid until emergency medical services arrive. For assistance, dial *HP on your cellular phone, ask for SHEP.

Myrtle Beach - Dogs in public must be on a leash at all times. No animals are allowed on the beach or Ocean Boulevard from 13th Ave. S. to 21st Ave. N. in Myrtle Beach during any time of the year. No dogs are allowed on the beach

9 a.m. - 5 p.m., May 15 - Sept. 15. Pet owners are responsible for removing pet waste from any public property, including beaches. Horses and riders are allowed on the beach within the city of Myrtle Beach from the third Saturday in November until the end of February, in groups of six or fewer. No “staging” is allowed within the city limits (access to the beach is through Myrtle Beach State Park), and riders must clean up droppings west of the high tide line.

Sea Oats

It is illegal to cut, break, or otherwise destroy sea oat plants, beach grass, or sand fencing. sea oats provide nature’s first line of defense against shore erosion. They build up the dunes by trapping sand blown inland from the beaches. Please leave the beach as you found it.

Swimming

Swimming is not permitted beyond 50 yards from the beach or over shoulder depth, unless otherwise stated by the lifeguard. Jumping or diving from piers is prohibited. Swimming within 50 yards of a pier is prohibited. Only canvas rafts may be used in the ocean. Rafts must be equipped with safety ropes. It is illegal for anyone to wear a thong bathing suit.

Package Stores in SC are identified with large red circles. Hours are 9:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. daily, except Sundays and holidays. Legal drinking age is twenty-one.

Below are answers to some commonly asked questions about beach do’s and don’ts:

• Only canvas rafts with ropes are allowed in the ocean.

• Littering is punishable by a $200 fine. Offenders may be required to assist officials in cleaning up litter.

• Sleeping on the beach is not permitted from 9:00 p.m. until sunrise.

• No solicitation is permitted on the beach.

• Boaters and wind surfers must refrain from operating in the swimming areas which extend fifty yards from the high tide line.

Visitor And Local Information

Did You Know?

Ocean water temperature along the Grand Strand beaches is about 20 degrees warmer than New York ocean water during the summer months and approximately 10 degrees warmer during the winter months.

Annual Averages

(Based on 30 years of data)

• Sunny days - 215

• Days when maximum temperature is more than 90˚ Fahrenheit - 46

• Days with .10 inches of rain or more - 117

• Average air temperature in Fahrenheit - 64˚

• Average water temperature in Fahrenheit - 66˚

• Average relative humidity at 1:00 p.m. - 56%

Average Water and Air Temperatures

Myrtle Beach, through private contractors, provides lifeguards on the beach from 8:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. in season. Lifeguards use a flag system to inform swimmers on ocean conditions.

Green Flag Safe Conditions

Yellow Flag Caution, rough currents or unfavorable winds Red Flag Danger, swimming prohibited

Traditional Foods

Butter Beans

Flat beans, like lima beans, shelled before cooking, butter beans are often served with rice.

Calabash-style Seafood

This name comes from the Southern method of dredging fish in cornmeal and frying.

Chicken Bog

Strictly speaking, this is a rice pilau (pronounced perloo) or pilaf, which combines rice, meats and chicken broth.

Country Style Steak

Thinly sliced or cubed round or sirloin steak which has been dipped in batter and fried.

Country-style Vegetables

Vegetables which are native to Southern soils, such as corn, okra, tomatoes, beans and peas that are cooked slowly with a bit of fatback or bacon to flavor and are also highly seasoned.

Grits and Maters

Coarsely ground corn cooked to a mushy softness and served with stewed tomatoes.

Hushpuppies or Corndoggers

Fried pieces of cornmeal dough seasoned with onion salt or minced onion and most often served with fried fish. Originally, “hushpuppies” came from the leftover cornmeal used for frying the fresh fish at the campsite near the edge of the water. The name is derived from the original use of these morsels thrown to the dogs (puppies, to Southerners who never go into the wilderness without at least one “puppy”) to keep the animals at bay while their human counterparts ate the fish.

Pig Pickin’

The meat of a pig is slowly cooked over hot coals in a pit and basted until the meat, dripping with juices, falls off the bones.

She-Crab Soup

A cream-style soup, not unlike bisque, always with crabmeat or crab roe or red crab eggs, flavored with cayenne pepper and sherry.