Is Your Golf Cart Street-Legal?

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pixabay

If you live in Florida and own a golf cart, is it legal for you to drive it on the street?  The short answer is not unless it’s been converted to the Low Speed Vehicle specifications required by the state.  It also needs to be inspected, licensed, and insured before you can drive it on the road.  Neglect any of the abovementioned steps and you could be fined, and/or your golf cart could be impounded.  That being said, below is what you need to know if you are thinking about making your golf cart street legal.

Golf carts were never intended to be used on the street. That’s why they lack many of the amenities and required safety features of automobiles.  This means you’ll need to add such things as headlights, taillights, brake lights, turn signals, rearview mirrors, seat belts, a horn, and a speedometer before you can take your golf cart onto the road, even if you only intend to drive down the street to the nearby Wynn Dixie.  You’ll also need to replace the standard fold-down golf cart windshield with a shatter-resistant one designed to protect you from flying stones and dirt kicked up by passing vehicles. After all that, you’ll need to have your cart registered, insured, and inspected. Then you’ll need to add a vehicle identification number, and a license plate affixed to a lighted license plate mount to be 100% street legal.  Even if you buy all the required parts online and do the modifications yourself, expect to spend a significant amount of time and money to upgrade your ride. 

Where can you legally drive a street legal golf cart?  A golf cart driver needs to follow the same rules and regulations as any other motorist.  That means should you get pulled over by the police, you’ll need to show your license, insurance, and registration.  Unlike other motor vehicles, street legal golf carts are not permitted to drive faster than 25 MPH.  Nor are they permitted on roads that have speed limits in excess of 35 MPH.  The only exception to this rule is they’re permitted to cross a state highway if you need to get from one side of your neighborhood to the other.  The reason for these restrictions is obvious.  Not only do street legal golf carts lack the speed to keep up with faster traffic, but they also lack many of the safety features required in today’s modern motor vehicles.  Face it, not only do golf carts lack airbags, but the majority of them also lack doors.

Who may legally operate a street-legal golf cart in Florida? – To be 100% legal, you’ll need to touch base with your local police department, since the regulations vary from neighborhood to neighborhood.  However, here are a few basic rules you’ll need to know:  

1. Can you get a ticket while driving a golf cart?  Just like any other motorist, street legal golf cart operators are subject to all the rules of the road.  While you probably won’t get a speeding ticket, you can receive a moving violation for failing to stop at a stop sign or receive a DUI should you operate the vehicle after having a few alcoholic beverages.  Additionally, you can be ticketed should you drive your golf cart in a bike lane or on the sidewalk.

2. How much does it cost to convert a golf cart?  That depends on where you source the add-ons needed to make your cart street legal.  A street-legal kit providing lights, turn signals, and a horn can set you back anywhere from $168-$299. A shatterproof windshield will cost you somewhere in the $200 range.  Seat belts run $20-$80 per seat.  Mirrors are $30-$40 a pop.  A lighted license plate mount averages $50.  All the required items could set you back $1,000 or more, not including installation.  A friend of mine who’s currently involved in the process of converting his golf cart wrote, “I haven’t totaled up the cost yet.  It will be somewhere around $1300 when it’s all said and done.  That doesn’t include the registration & inspection fees.” 

3. What does it take to get a golf cart inspected? First, you’ll need to contact Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to have them send you the Golf Cart Requirements and Low Speed Vehicle Packet (ASPT-LSV Packet) that you’ll need.  The Jacksonville Field Supervisor is Cynthia Porter. The phone number is 904-365-2681.  Once you’ve made the specified conversions to your golf cart, you’ll need to have your golf cart weighed.  To do this requires you to trailer it to a certified inspection station since you can’t yet legally drive the cart on the street.  That’s as far as my friend has gotten in the process.  But it isn’t the end of the line.  There’s still the final inspection followed by insuring, registering, licensing, and adding the VIN number to the cart, along with paying all the appropriate fees. 

4. How much does it cost to buy a street-legal golf cart? If you think that spending a lot of time and money to pimp your cart sounds a bit extreme, there’s always one other solution: Buy a street legal golf cart.  A quick online search yielded street legal carts from $5,000 to $15,000 depending on the options and seating.  Gas-powered carts were cheaper than all-electric.  2-seaters cost less than 4-seat models.  

5. How much does it cost to insure a street-legal golf cart? Depending on the size, price, and seating capacity of your cart, policies start at around $10 a month.

6. Is it worth the hassle of making a golf cart street legal? Whether you retrofit your existing cart or purchase a street-legal version from a dealer, when you add up all the extras and red tape, while it’s possible to make a golf cart ready for the road, it probably won’t save you all that much compared to buying a cheap used car instead.  

Catherine Powell is the owner of A Plus All Florida, Insurance in Orange Park, Florida.  To find out more about saving money on all your insurance needs, check out her website at http://aplusallfloridainsuranceinc.com/