street legal golf carts neighborhood electric vehicles
Street Legal Golf Carts
Neighborhood electric vehicles and street legal golf carts are environment-friendly vehicles. They are fast gaining public acceptance because of their easy operation. This article talks about the laws concerning these vehicles.
Golf carts are powered by electricity which is stored in the on-board batteries. More than 40 states have laws relating to all available vehicles that are termed as street legal. These laws apply specifically to slow moving electric vehicles.
Laws for Permissible Golf Carts
In case of golf carts, laws defining them and regulating their use, are as following:
- They must not be capable of moving at a speed which exceeds 35 miles per hour.
- Maximum seating capacity is of 4 persons for each cart.
- Each vehicle must be provided with safety features such as head lights, tail lights, brake lights, and turn lights.
- They must also be provided with reflectors on the sides, stretching from the front to the rear end of the vehicles.
- It is mandatory for the carts to have internal and exterior mirrors. Exterior mirrors are required to be mounted on the driver and passenger side.
- A windshield, parking breaks, and vehicle identification number is a necessity for each of these vehicles, although windshield wipers are not mandatory.
- Every cart must be provided with three-point seat belts.
- Each vehicle must have a manufacturer's Certificate of Origin, declaring it to be a low-speed vehicle.
- A golf cart does not require insurance, but an electric golf cart needs to be insured.
- Each vehicle must carry a label warning that it should not be driven at a speed higher than 35 miles per hour.