Golf Cart Registration
 

I was reading today that a commissioner in CCD9 is suggesting that we register all golf carts in the Villages. My question is, what is the purpose? What will be gained by requiring everyone to pay an annual fee to register their golf cart? Is this just another way for residents to have to pay another fee?

Money
Money
Yes

No thanks, don't need any more government regulations.

If the intention is to collect yet another tax, nothing is certain but death and taxes.

If the intention is to identify carts that violate some aspect of the traffic laws----sure, right after they register and identify every bicycle in TV. Who knows, some of them might actually stop or yield when a sign directs them to do so (probably not)

The flip side, this could be a way to eliminate the illegal Low Speed Vehicles (aka any golf cart that can go over 20 MPH), and restore some sanity to the Multi Modal paths. I am not sure if I am for or against this. It will have no impact on us as our golf cart will only go 19.5 to 20 MPH. Of course the follow-up will be how often this will need to be renewed. I am looking forward to the discussion.

I already pay a trail fee every year...

I don't remember hearing about a problem that this would solve.

Would this help to identify carts hitting gates? Few carts should even approach gates so they can't be the bulk of the problem. I didn't see anything in the article about a license plate requirement but maybe they are thinking about a registration sticker. If that is the case, would the camera have enough resolution to read the numbers off the sticker?

Is there some other problem occurring with golf carts that a registration might solve?

The GA area they mentioned has a $15/year registration fee. A $900,000 yearly income might be enough reason for the VCCDD to enact this.

Another question is how would this be enforced? Can it be enforced?

What you were reading didn’t state why he was proposing the registration? Where did you read this?

Remember the lady that was bitten by a dog at the dog park and the owner took off in a golf car. This would have identified him and the lady would not have had to go through with the treatments. I don't see any problem with it.

Only if someone actually was able to record the registration#...

There were people there that identified the golf car owners initials or first names and had it been registered with a large number that would have done the deed. This would also help in locating stolen carts or identifying those who might be involved in hit and run. When we were kids back in the 50's we had to pay to register our bicycles and get a sticker for them, it wasn't a problem then and don't see a problem with these now.

Agree, IF it comes with a large number. Maybe across the windshield blocking the driver’s view? Perhaps stenciled across the front at the owners expense? Maybe a State-issued license plate? And then, this would potentially solve that single issue in the past few years.

Ah yes....a good example of enforcement (lack of it) all the "registered" vehicles on the road......

registration of golf carts for Identification/policing is a complete fantasy.......great theory zero effect in practice!!! Just like the automobiles in TV.

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:censored:

Even if a golf cart had a standard size license plate on back if someone was run off the MMP by a reckless golf cart driver what is the chances that person being in a scared and excited state could remember those details? The only chance the offender would be caught was if his cart was disabled as well.

All we can do is drive defensively among the clowns that percieve the golf cart as a toy.

Endless SPIN on the same subject. There is no shortage of people who do not follow the rules.
A golf cart is top heavy with a short narrow wheelbase. Brakes, most of them have brakes on only the rear wheels.

People do not like intervention. Aside the legal speed is 20 mph. A ticket for violations. Police a guy 55-85 driving a red golf cart. Pay another fee. Gasoline is like $3.00 a gallon.
Your tank holds 6 gallons. I would expect the fee to be around the price of a tank of gas.

Sadly, not a surprise to anyone, it is needed.

There have been several incidents lately where someone in a golf cart either hit or caused damage to someone else and just drove away. If they require some sort of registration, they will need to provide a plate or something large enough to be seen from a distance.

You couldn't see the #s on those bicycle stickers unless you had the bike in your hands...

The names people put on their carts are HUGE. Very easy to read.

Unless you're talking about putting a license plate sized # on the cart, it's useless...

I see the logic in your response, but that would require displaying some type of license plate with large enough numbers to read. Most carts now display the license plate from their home state prior to moving here, so that creates some ill feelings by having to replace it with one that TV comes up with. A registration sticker would be difficult, if not impossible, to read on a moving cart.

In Ohio license plates are manufactured in our state prison. It's doubtful the state would consider doing the same for golf carts. I'm uncertain if any policing agency would enforce a violation of failing to display a golf cart registration plate required by our powers to be here in the bubble. There would need to be a state statute or municipal ordinance in effect to warrant a citation, but that too is probably not going to happen. You'll notice I said "probably" - nothing surprises me anymore about Florida lawmakers.

Unfortunately or maybe fortunately, golf cart registration is not within the realm of authorities granted to the CDDs by FS190, neither is the power to enforce such a regulation.
This even being mentioned by a CDD supervisor makes me question 1) does this individual understand or even know the responsibilities of the position they are elected to, and 2) if the do understand their responsibilities and authorities then what is their motivation for even suggesting such actions?
As previously mentioned, exactly what problem are they trying to solve?
If someone truly believed that there was an absolute need for golf cart registration, the place to start is with our state legislators in the house and senate, you’ll need your ducks in a row and a very strong argument to make any traction.
More likely this is just a political stunt, a nothing burger.

If this is really a problem, easy fix and huge revenue generator for the county.
Just put a sheriff at the intersection and write tickets, golf carts can’t cross 466a.

You got that right

Uggh, this sounds more like living in NJ

Pretty sure street legal carts can cross 466A at Pinellas Place. At least one of those carts coming from Beaumont is street legal. They are fine on the street, but when they hit the MMP to head South to Brownwood they are trespassing.

Registration can be as simple as a decal like those used in apartment complexes, etc all around the world. It does not require fees, frequent renewals, etc and is simple to operate. The cameras can read them on the fly and others can record them when they are illegally parked, ignoring stop signs, illegally letting their dogs out to defecate etc, etc, etc. Being able to identify the ones smashing gates would benefit us all. This would be a passive, non privacy invasive system that would help reduce the number of negative incidents regularly committed by those protected by anonymity.

Useless
 

BS. How are you going to see a window sticker on a golf cart "speeding" away??

The problem is it’s another way the government keeps track of you. Wake up people enough is enough. It’s all about control. Just another way of making money. Doesn’t matter that it’s only a couple dollars it adds up in their pocket.

Since it's mainly cars and not golf carts hitting the gates that's a big stretch.

More Taxes
 

People from other states left when they voted, and voted for more taxes, and when the taxes became to expensive, they moved to Florida or Texas. Repeating past mistakes only brings the issues here. Don't vote us into poverty.

Registration for e-bikes also?

Money. That’s all. It’s time for CDD9 to get rid of that commissioner.

I don't know what you're driving, but I've never seen a "top heavy" golf cart. Every golf cart I've ever seen has a plastic roof (might weight 5 pounds) but the engine/motor & batteries plus drive axle, which are the bulk of the cart's weight, are under and behind the seat. That's why you never see a golf cart tipped upside down. It might be on it's side but not completely overturned.

You got that right, once the can of worms is open who knows what would be next? Annual safety and emissions inspections, excise tax, GPS monitoring and taxes per mile driven? People enjoy golf carts because they are NOT cars, keep it that way.

Money,money,money is the answer Just another way to tag another fee for something

You answered your own question. It's for money. But, it is because people are damaging gates (yes on golf carts) and parking on the grass in Sawgrass Grove. The latter cost $35,000 in landscaping to try to correct carts parking on the grass. Registration would pay for some of that. In fact, I've been warning the people in the Southern Oaks area that registration might happen if they don't stop parking on the grass.

Be careful. They implemented this on Galveston Island, Texas. You pay an annual fee to the city (currently $25) for a sticker that must be placed on your cart. For some reason they wont mail it and you have to pick it up in person at a city office. The kicker is it also requires an annual cart inspection, which varies in price but is generally around $100, but more if they come to you. It also requires certain safety features depending on where the cart is operated (seat belts, reflectors, slow moving vehicle sign, etc.). Just another hassle and shadow tax.

I remember when we could register our bicycles too! I think it was just a $1 registration fee - they'd write our name, address, and phone number down in a ledger, and get a sticker to put just under the handlebar. Each sticker was numbered.

It was intended as a theft deterrent. Bike thieves would steal bikes that weren't registered first, because it's less work they have to do, to ensure that they don't get caught. No sticker to remove (and they didn't just peel off, you had to scrape them off, which could damage the frame, which makes it harder to sell for parts).

We got our stickers every summer at the playground, it was a service offered by the parks and rec department of the town.

I don't think a registration plate would even be necessary. Just a chip under the steering column or under the front end of the cart above the driver's side tire. That chip could even be made to open the gates - no card needed. But it would also record that -that- vehicle just went through -that- gate. So if your vehicle was stolen and driven away somewhere, the police would be able to track it better.

Again - a deterrent - not a true prevention. But still, I'd pay $10 for that every year, especially if I had a newer model golf cart that someone might actually want to steal.

Registration, insurance, and require people to have a motorcycle license to drive one. They're just as dangerous as mopeds.

Nope
 

That was a post by someone in CDD 7, not someone in CDD 9.

There seems to be an increase in the number of cart-cart hit and runs. If a cart is taken in for suspicious damage registration may help the enforcement process. Rental carts registered as well as personally owned. I’d pay a modest price if it helped victims recover some of the costs of repair/medical expenses. And it would certainly be fun to look at the bad parking photos and identify the transgressors…might even improve the situation.