Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - Golf cart speeds
Thread: Golf cart speeds
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Old 03-16-2021, 09:26 PM
John Mayes John Mayes is offline
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Originally Posted by John_W View Post
If you're on a MMP (Multi-modal path) the police will not give a golf cart driver a ticket for speeding because it is private property. However, they will and can give you an open container ticket if you have an open container of alcohol while operating a golf cart on the MMP. The police have also been known to ticket the driver in a golf cart sitting parked at the squares while the driver has the engine turned off and is only listening to music. If you decide to go the square and have a alcoholic drink take a chair and sit next to the cart and not in the cart, you'll be OK.

If you're driving in a cart on a public street such as Hillsborough, Pinellas or St. Charles for example in the golf lane, they will give you ticket if your cart is going more than 20mph. It's not a speeding ticket, Florida law states the definition of a golf cart is
"Golf cart” means a motor vehicle that is designed and manufactured for operation on a golf course for sporting or recreational purposes and that is not capable of exceeding speeds of 20 miles per hour.

Because of the way the definition of a golf cart is written, if you are exceeding the speed limit of 20, they don't consider you a golf cart, but a LSV (low speed vehicle) in layman's terms, a street legal cart. In which case you need a Florida license tag, full auto insurance, windshield wipers, seat belts and one piece windshield. Since you're operating as LSV but are NOT licensed as such, you'll receive the unregistered vehicle ticket. Also, you do not need to be going more than 20mph, if your cart is simply capable of going more than 20, such as 27 mph mentioned by a poster, that is an illegal cart and be ticketed even if you're not speeding.

From past violators who have posted on TOTV, we've learned that you must appear in County Court in Bushnell and need to bring a letter from a certified mechanic that cart has been dialed back to the appropriate speed for a golf cart. You probably will pay a fine and court costs that are about $450 and if by chance you show up wearing shorts in court, you'll stay until the last case of the day, about 4:30 to be heard.
Holy cow!! You’re not speaking from personal experience, are you? LOL.