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So you hit a surprising bit of traffic the other day: a row of cars crawling along at 15 mph, and then you saw a golf cart creeping along at the front of the line. You wondered, How can ist it legal to drive that thing on the road? Well if you live in one of six states: It absolutely was not. It’s illegal to drive golf carts on any public road in Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Missouri, or Rhode Island. New York City has the same law, but also bans golf carts from sidewalks and parking lots. The other 44 states may not prohibit them, but towns can.

What’s going on in New York? I understand a law against wheeled vehicles on sidewalks. In many places, any large wheeled vehicle needs to move with traffic and follow traffic laws. So you can’t terrorize a bunch of pedestrians running your bicycle down the sidewalk. Makes sense that golf carts fall in this category. But parking lots? Many of those are private property and New York State doesn’t even have jurisdiction.

So what about the 44 other states? Most leave it up to municipalities to decide whether golf carts are allowed. And I think this is wise. A small lake town with a quiet downtown might prefer residents roll up to dinner in a golf cart instead of jamming up roads and parking with cars and trucks. But in other places, with fast traffic, golf carts could cause headaches. And they would be especially dangerous in a crash.

Golf cart drivers and passengers top on a public road to talk with a pedestrian, other golf carts and cars visible behind them.
Golf carts on the road | LIVINUS via iStockPhoto

Which brings me to the next obvious question: Are golf carts safe to drive next to heavy, fast cars? The federal government, which oversees crash test ratings, has a “low speed vehicle” category which includes golf carts. In most places, these vehicles can’t exceed 25 mph (but they must be able to move 20 mph to keep up with traffic). They aren’t allowed on faster roads. And even if they don’t have airbags and crumple zones they need other safety equipment to be on a public road: Seat belts, headlights, mirrors, turn signals, windshield wipers, etc. They have titles and license plates like regular cars.

Many states add other statewide requirements. In California, golf carts aren’t allowed on any road without fenders. In Vermont, they can only be considered for the LSV loophole if they are electric. So even though only 6 states ban all golf carts, many states ban some golf carts. But I still don’t understand that parking lot rule.

Next, find out the states that allow your passenger to drink while you drive, or see the dos and don’ts of driving a golf cart on a public road in the video below:

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Staff Writer

Henry Cesari

Henry Cesari joined MotorBiscuit in 2021 and brings his deep interest in vintage cars, trucks, and motorcycles to the site. Having restored his first classic car at just 16 years old, Henry has wrenched on everything from overland campers to Japanese motorcycles and even pre-war Bugattis. Henry is also an avid attendee at local car shows and genuinely enjoys connecting with fellow auto enthusiasts.

Henry earned a Bachelor’s in Anthropology and English from the University of Vermont. He has since incorporated his love of the written word with his admiration of classic cars. While Henry is interested in vintage cars, he believes the golden age of cars is yet to come. He is confident journalists will play an important role in this revolution by exposing the industry as it is now and envisioning its possible future.