Certain Florida characteristics make the state recognizable: street-crossing gators, orange trees, gorgeous beaches, and the country’s greatest number of golf courses.
Golf is a fun summer activity, especially in the Sunshine State. If you live in Florida, you likely have encountered residents driving around in golf carts. You may already own one or can see yourself trekking the green in a little canopied cart.
Many Floridians use golf carts to easily move from hole to hole or ride around their neighborhoods. Golf carts are even environmentally friendly, especially if they’re electric.
But, as with your car, riding around in golf carts comes with some important laws and requirements in Florida.
What Is (and Isn’t) a Golf Cart in Florida?
You probably have a good idea of what a golf cart is already: a small, four-wheeled vehicle with a roof and no doors.
Florida golf cart laws define a golf cart as a motor vehicle made to use for recreational or sporting purposes that doesn’t go faster than 20 miles per hour.
The problem is other so-called “low-speed vehicles” (LSVs), which go slightly faster, may look the same. Still, because of the differences in speed, the rules that apply to these vehicles are different.
Similar But Not the Same: Low-Speed Vehicles in Florida
Florida LSV law defines low-speed vehicles as four-wheeled vehicles that reach a top speed of less than 25 miles per hour but greater than 20 miles per hour. The law gives neighborhood electric vehicles as an example, which weigh a maximum of 3,000 pounds.
You might find LSVs, like neighborhood electric vehicles, in Florida neighborhoods and on college campuses. You can drive an LSV on most public roads if the speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less.
Despite having a top speed significantly slower than cars, LSVs require a driver license, title, registration tag, and Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and Property Damage Liability (PDL) insurance. Think of an LSV as a step down from your typical car and a step up from a golf cart.
And although owning an LSV is a significant step down from owning a car, it still needs the following equipment:
- Headlights
- Brake lights
- Turn signals
- Tail lights
- License plate
- Rear-view mirror
- Side mirrors
- Reflex reflectors
- Parking brake
- Windshield
- One seat belt per seat
- Vehicle identification number (VIN)
Golf Cart Rules in Florida
Before you peel out of your driveway in a brand-new golf cart, there are some laws you need to be aware of to avoid a ticket—and yes, you can get a ticket while driving a golf cart.
First Things First: Look Out for the Exceptions
Different local governments in Florida have different golf cart laws. If you’re unsure about what you’re allowed to do with your golf cart or what you need to equip it with, it’s best to double-check with your local authorities online.
Do You Need a License To Drive a Golf Cart in Florida?
No, you do not need a license to drive a golf cart in Florida.
Do Golf Carts Need License Plates in Florida?
No, you do not need a license plate on your golf cart in Florida.
How Old Do You Have To Be To Drive a Golf Cart in Florida?
The current age required to drive a golf cart in Florida is 14.
However, a new golf cart bill in Florida introduced in early 2023 may change the legal golf cart driving age to 15. According to the bill, anyone under 18 would not be able to drive a golf cart on certain roads unless they had a valid learner’s permit or driver license.
This would make the minimum age that a person can drive a golf cart 15 years old because that’s the youngest age you can get a learner’s permit in Florida.
Is Golf Cart Insurance Required in Florida?
No, you are not required to have insurance for a golf cart in Florida, but you can get golf cart coverage if you choose.
Most auto and home insurance plans don’t include golf cart coverage, but adding it separately when you can is smart. As the owner of the golf cart, you are liable for all accidents, no matter who was behind the wheel.
With OpenHouse, if you have an unmodified golf cart, you can add golf cart coverage to your home insurance policy to protect against various dangers like collision, theft, weather, bodily injury, and property damage.
Can You Drive a Golf Cart on the Road in Florida?
It’s legal to drive a golf cart only on roads specifically designated for golf carts and with a speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less. To drive a golf cart on these roads, it needs to meet street-legal requirements, which you can see in the next section.
Which roads the local government decides to designate for golf cart use varies from city to city. You can see some example cities later in this article.
It’s also legal to drive a golf cart in a neighborhood on residential roads.
Street-Legal Golf Cart Requirements
To be a “street-legal” golf cart and drive on permitted roads, your vehicle must have the following specific equipment:
- Headlights
- Tail lights
- Brake lights
- Turn signals
- Side and rear-view mirrors
- Seat belts for each seat
- Windshield
- Reflex reflectors
Special Circumstances: Operating Golf Carts on Roads in Florida
There are other specific circumstances when you can operate your golf cart on a public road.
For instance, you may drive your golf cart across a public road if it divides a golf course or mobile home park. In other words, if you have to cross a street to get from one side of a golf course or mobile home park to another, you may cross in a golf cart. Still, these roads will have signs to make it clear that you can cross in a golf cart.
Another scenario when you may drive your golf cart on a public road is on Florida State Park roads with a speed limit of less than 30 miles per hour.
Can You Drive a Golf Cart on the Sidewalk in Florida?
Florida golf cart laws prohibit driving on sidewalks unless the path in question has signage that designates it as a golf cart path.
Otherwise, driving a golf cart on the sidewalk may result in law enforcement ticketing you.
Can You Drive a Golf Cart at Night in Florida?
Florida law states that you can only operate your golf cart between sunrise and sunset unless the appropriate local government says otherwise.
However, in the case that your city or county allows you to drive your golf cart at night and you plan on some nighttime driving, you’ll need to equip your golf cart to be street-legal even in those locations you usually wouldn’t—like the golf course.
Florida Golf Cart Violations
As with any motor vehicle, you can get a ticket or fine for violating Florida law in your golf cart. So, no, you can’t drink a cocktail while driving a golf cart (unless it’s an Arnold Palmer).
Some examples of golf cart violations include:
- Driving your golf cart while intoxicated
- Operating your golf cart in illegal areas (e.g., a sidewalk)
- Failing to yield the right of way
- Running through a stop sign
- Driving underage
- Modifying your golf cart without registering it as an LSV
What Happens If You Modify Your Golf Cart?
As we discussed earlier, golf carts in Florida can’t reach a speed higher than 20 miles per hour, and a Florida golf cart does not need to be registered at the DMV.
That said, if you modify your golf cart to reach a speed higher than 20 miles per hour, the state then classifies it as an LSV. As an LSV, your former golf cart needs an inspection and VIN from an FLHSMV motor vehicle service center.
The new LSV also needs all the requirements we mentioned earlier in this article, including insurance, a title, and registration. If you fail to meet these requirements, local authorities may fine you.
Examples of City-Specific Florida Golf Cart Rules
Golf cart laws in Florida outline the general limits to your driving privileges, but some local governments in the state grant more or less freedom. We recommend finding out about your city’s golf cart rules through your local government.
Let’s look at a few examples of city-specific rules.
- The Villages: This central Florida community allows nighttime golf cart driving so long as your vehicle has headlights, brake lights, turn signals, and reflectors in the front and rear.
- Leesburg: This central Florida city lets you drive your golf cart on certain city streets as long as their posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour or less.
- Gulf Breeze: This city in the Panhandle allows you to drive golf carts on any designated road with a speed limit of less than 25 miles per hour, virtually limiting you to only residential neighborhood roads. However, the Loop at Gulf Breeze is a shared-use path for golf carts and some other recreational vehicles.
Your Low-Speed Adventure
Driving a golf cart in your neighborhood or local golf course is a practical and enjoyable way to get around, but it’s important to stay informed about the Florida laws for golf carts and LSVs.
Your safety and the safety of anyone else in and around your golf cart override convenience.
Above all else, be smart about where you drive your golf cart and how—whether you have golf cart insurance, whether you or your 14-year-old child is driving, or whether you’re driving on the green or a public road.