Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) Basics: What Does Street Legal Really Mean?

You have a golf cart, and you want to take full advantage of its benefits. You don’t want to be limited to use on the golf course and bebopping around your property. You want to be the cool Dad who takes his son and his friends to watch a high school soccer match in your golf cart. Golf carts are open air, so you’d like to be able to meander around the neighborhood, smell the roses and socialize a bit. Maybe you are a grandparent, and you want to take your grandkids for ice cream in your golf cart. You may even want to take your dog for a ride in your cart so he can experience the ultimate joy that comes with his ears flapping in the wind. 

If you want to be able to take short drives on the road in your golf cart to make your life more convenient and fun, you may want to consider making your golf cart street legal or purchasing a golf cart that is already street legal. 

What does street legal really mean for a low speed vehicle (LSV) like a golf cart? It means that you can drive down roads that are 35 mph or less. It may not be a car, but your golf cart will still require personal injury and liability insurance as well as a registration to be street legal. You can acquire your golf cart registration by filling out an application for title, paying plate, title and registration fees (registration fees vary by golf cart weight) and providing a certificate of origin and proof of Florida insurance. Plus, keep in mind that although your golf cart is not a car, it must be operated by a licensed driver when it is operated on the road.

You will also have to meet certain safety criteria for your golf cart to be street legal. There are U.S. Federal Safety Standards that require your golf cart be equipped with safety items such as seat belts, turn signals, mirrors, lights, a windshield, wipers, on-road tires, a horn and a parking brake. 

Gulf Atlantic Vehicles, New Smyrna Beach’s trusted source for top-quality golf cart sales as well as professional golf cart customization, can help. Give us a call at 386-427-9778 or stop by our convenient Pioneer Trail location.

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