Driving Your Golf Cart On The Road Is Illegal In These Us States

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The play cart marketplace was weighted astatine $2 billion in 2024 and is projected to ace $3 cardinal by 2032, per Fortune Business Insights. For example, Peachtree City, Georgia, has much play carts than cars, pinch 11,000 play carts registered for conscionable 38,000 residents. That's a batch of bluish hairs riding around. We deliberation it's nary coincidence that nan fame of play carts continues to emergence arsenic nan organization ages. If Batman were a boomer, he'd thrust a play cart — nan next Batmobile should beryllium an electrical vehicle, though.

But location are states and communities that would for illustration to rainfall connected this parade of rolling nanas. Alabama, Delaware, Oregon, and Hawaii each prohibition play carts connected nan roadworthy statewide. Illinois, Maryland, Nebraska, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Kansas besides prohibition play carts, but let section municipalities to enact their ain play cart ordinances. Several section governments, for illustration nan ones successful Port St. Lucie, Florida; Goose Creek, South Carolina; and Vanderburgh County, Indiana, person done conscionable that, adding different furniture of authorities governing play carts. South Carolina and moreover Florida person begun tightening up regulations astir play carts, arsenic well.

At nan bosom of each these rules and regulations are information concerns. And truthful governments person been near pinch deciding wherever play carts should beryllium permitted, who should beryllium allowed to thrust them, and whether they request to beryllium insured. Every spot is different and has different laws and ordinances. Some localities promote these small vehicles because they judge that golf carts are safer and greener alternatives to cars. So beryllium judge to cheque nan laws wherever you unrecorded earlier you determine to basking rod astir municipality connected your play cart.

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Several states person laws that specifically restrict aliases prohibition play carts from nationalist roads. Alabama authorities rule says that play carts are not thoroughfare ineligible and cannot beryllium utilized connected a nationalist street. Delaware has a akin law, allowing play carts only connected backstage property. Oregon only allows nan usage of play carts connected play courses and golf-adjacent communities. Hawaii doesn't let play carts connected nan roadworthy unless they suffice arsenic a low-speed conveyance (LSV), and astir accepted play carts don't – you ever seemed truthful chill, Hawaii. 

In Massachusetts, they tin tow your play cart if they drawback you anyplace connected a nationalist thoroughfare different than a play people crossing. In New York, you can't moreover run a play cart successful a backstage parking lot, and they mightiness apprehension you, too. South Carolina doesn't prohibition play carts, but they request to beryllium registered and you can't thrust them farther than 4 miles from your home.

Some states prohibition play carts connected nationalist roads, but let section communities to enact ordinances that licence play carts connected definite streets. These states see Illinois, Nebraska, Nevada, Wisconsin, and Kansas. Golf carts are forbidden connected nan roadworthy successful nan full authorities of Maryland, isolated from for 1 town, Crisfield. But wandering extracurricular of that play cart haven tin get you cited.

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Florida — which added jailhouse clip for speeders successful June 2025 — is rolling retired resctrictions connected play carts. Seeing that it's location to nan Golf Cart Capital of nan World — The Villages, a organization truthful iconic that "the" is portion of its sanction — we are shocked, to opportunity nan least. In fact, play carts are truthful prolific successful immoderate Florida communities that you mightiness get nan belief that nan rule requires you to person one.

However, successful 2023, Florida lawmakers passed a rule restricting nan minimum property to run play carts. You cognize each those teenagers you spot taking joyousness rides astir nan vicinity successful their pimped-out play carts? Yeah, we haven't seen that either. But apparently, Florida legislators felt that was capable of a problem to make it illegal for anyone nether 18 to run a play cart unless they person a valid driver's licence aliases learner's permit. If you're complete 18, you conscionable request a valid government-issued ID.

But immoderate localities successful nan Sunshine State person begun cracking down connected nan scourge of play carts. Take Port St. Lucie, for example. Police location are apparently tired of responding to golf-cart-related accidents, truthful they've been getting tougher astir their usage connected nationalist roads, wished to support that weirdness wrong backstage HOA communities, wherever it belongs. They've been getting strict astir issuing tickets and fines to play cart drivers who task retired of their HOAs. While nary one's been arrested, arsenic acold arsenic we tin tell, authorities person warned that you could spot a twelvemonth successful nan slammer for driving your play cart connected a nationalist street. So, to sum up, Florida is losing its patience pinch play carts but guns are still wholly fine.

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The request to get a grip connected nan usage of play carts has been seen by section officials, moreover successful towns wherever play carts are very popular. In St. Johns, Michigan, location are 2,000 play carts successful usage among a organization of only 8,000. So, nan municipality passed an ordinance requiring play carts to beryllium inspected and person moving horns and move signals. Only licensed drivers complete nan property of 18 are allowed to run them. "If that play cart gets successful a wreck, it's beautiful disastrous," St. Johns Mayor Scott Dzurka told CBS News successful October 2025. One resident, Ed Thelen, agreed, saying, "If a cart hits a car, nan play cart is conscionable going to lose. There's thing location to protect nan group successful nan play cart."

Goose Creek, South Carolina, enacted immoderate strict regulations regarding play carts. They tin only beryllium driven connected roads pinch velocity limits of 35 mph aliases less, immoderate rider nether nan property of 12 must beryllium wearing a spot belt, and they must person moving headlights and taillights if driven astatine night. All of that sounds reasonable. The strict portion is nan penalty. Breaking these rules tin get a $500 fine, 30 days successful jail, aliases both.

Vanderburgh County, Indiana recently enacted an ordinance that allows play carts connected region roads, wherever they weren't allowed before. But nan ordinance besides puts immoderate dense restrictions connected their use. They tin only beryllium driven successful subdivisions and drivers must beryllium licensed. Children nether 14 tin only thrust arsenic passengers if accompanied by an adult.

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It turns retired allowing golden carts isn't conscionable astir your grandma getting to McDonalds each greeting truthful she tin bid java and rumors pinch nan different aged group — these tin beryllium a lifeline for abnormal people, arsenic well. This became successful rumor successful 2016 successful Yorkville, Illinois. We're guessing that each different crime successful nan municipality had been solved aliases eliminated, because nan constabulary had nan clip to propulsion complete and mention a abnormal man while he was driving his play cart connected a grassy vicinity communal area.

As WSPY News reported astatine nan time, Andrew Graham had been suffering from Ankylosing spondylitis, an incurable and achy bony upset that causes nan vertebrae to fuse together, resulting successful superior mobility issues. Why didn't he usage 1 of those small vehicles aged group thrust around, for illustration this 125 cc mobility scooter? Because astatine nan clip he was 6-foot-4 and 280 pounds, and claimed that a scooter would person conscionable tipped over. So, he coiled up utilizing a play cart for specified nefarious purposes arsenic taking his kids to nan autobus stop. 

His citation was overturned, since authorities rule specifies roads and not grassy areas. But Graham wanted to guarantee that he wouldn't beryllium cited again, truthful he brought his origin to nan metropolis council. He besides revenge a title pinch nan Department of Justice, claiming nan metropolis was violating nan Americans pinch Disabilities Act. Finally, successful September of 2017, aft an advocator sewage involved, nan metropolis assembly amended nan applicable ordinance to let group pinch disabilities to thrust play carts connected nan streets.

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As overmuch arsenic they invoke nan image of rich | boomers puttering astir their gated status communities, nan truth is that play carts travel on pinch superior information issues that request to beryllium addressed by authorities and section governments. The Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) released a study successful 2023 that stated location were 59,000 play cart related emergency room injuries betwixt 2017 and 2021. It doesn't authorities really galore of those were from accidents connected nan road, but it does show that play carts are not perfectly safe. The study does authorities that 93.7% of those 65 and older who were injured were achromatic and, well, we'll conscionable time off that 1 alone.

Yamaha has decided to callback play carts it produced betwixt 2021 and 2025 conscionable because they didn't person extremity lights, per CPSC. So, moreover ample corporations understand nan information issues (we hope). Really, anyone pinch communal consciousness tin spot that a conveyance tin of 20 mph but without doors, spot belts, aliases mirrors sharing a roadworthy pinch full-size SUVs and different vehicles poses immoderate evident hazards. Not to mention nan threat to pedestrians erstwhile play carts are driven connected sidewalks. So, immoderate regularisation is astir apt a bully thing, moreover for nan well-to-do bluish hairs successful their status communities.