Florida Golf Cart Law (Revised Response)
Lt. O'Hara called me this morning. Some of my answers were not exactly correct. I removed the incorrect statements and put the amended answers are in blue.
I stopped by the Marion County Police Substation on route 42 and had a very nice chat with Lt. Tim O'Hara.
He did not give me statutes but was able to explain all of the points that I asked. The answers are as follows .
These answers only apply to Marion County. If you live in another county, you will have to check with the Sheriff's Office in that county.
1. Do the local police have the authority to issue tickets to golf carts driving on the recreational trails for speeding, open container, DUI, reckless driving?
The answer is no. Lt O'Hara thought that I was talking about the golf cart lanes that are part of the roads in Marion county.
2. What is the difference between the public roads (County supported) and private roads (CDD supported)? Does the local police have jurisdiction on the private roads?
Because The Villages in not a gated community, they have the authority to police all of the roads in Marion county.
3. What is the charge for speeding in a golf cart - speeding or operating an unregistered vehicle? I am pretty sure it is #2 and it is very expensive.
The charge is "operating an unregistered vehicle" and you have to go to court. The fine is usually the max.
4. Can the local police ticket people under age 14 operating golf carts on the recreational trails or the private roads?
Yes. Since the driver does not have a driver's license, a pseudo one is issued and immediately suspended. This is necessary because all violations need a DL number. The violation will be send to the state that the violator resides in. This could possibly deter the violator from getting a valid license when he/she turns 16. So, if you are a grandparent giving your grandkid a thrill, remember what the consequences could be.
BTW: In the case of an adult without a driver's license, the same process applies. This is so they can collect any fines if the violator decides not to pay.
5. Are these responses good in all counties of the Villages? Or do some have different criteria?
These answers only apply to Marion County. If you live in another county, you will have to check with the Sheriff's Office in that county.
Lt. O'Hara also mentioned that he and the other officers have published articles in the Daily Sun and in the VHA Villagers Voice (Friday's Daily Sun insert) covering all of these items. My response was that a lot of you are new here and probably missed the articles.
If you have any questions, you can contact Lt. Tim O'Hara at 753-2211 or email him at
tohara@marionso.com. If you live in another jurisdiction, I would like to suggest that one of you volunteer to take these items to your local sheriff's office to see what their answers are and post them.
Hope this helps.
Z
PS: Don't shoot the messenger.