Questions From a New Golf Cart Owner
 

My wife and I are new residents in TV and recently bought a golf cart. Last week, while my wife was driving the cart along Marsh Bend Trail, a Wildwood police officer pulled up alongside of her and made her stop. He informed her that the expired Illinois vanity plate on the rear of the vehicle was illegal and that she was traveling at 30 mph, which is in excess of the golf cart speed limit. When she mentioned that the cart was set to not exceed 23 mph, the officer suggested that maybe she was "going downhill" (on Marsh Bend Trail?). My wife did not argue further and that was the end of the conversation.

My wife's experience has me curious to understand the laws and rules pertaining to golf carts in TV. I have read sometimes conflicting legal information regarding the registration and need for insuring carts, such as:

"Golf carts that ride on public streets and are capable of traveling more than 20 mph and carry registration are considered LSVs, which means you must have insurance on them."

"In Florida, all golf carts operated on public roads require registration with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. All valid registrations must include a vehicle identification number. Golf carts must always display an up-to-date registration decal."

Other questions that I have include:

* I see license plates adorning golf carts all over TV, are they illegal?
* Do the golf cart lanes that adjoin roadways in TV qualify as "public roads" in the quote
above?
* When insuring a golf cart, what is the recommended coverage and what should I expect
to pay?

The officer was having a bad day.............who knows what happened at h

Yes.


Get 2 or 3 quotes......start with your homeowner's agent.

If I remember several years back I read in the paper that Sumter County Sheriff's Dept was going to start writing tickets for expired plates on golf carts. I never heard what happened to that because I just removed mine and stuck it on the garage wall.

I was told that was something you did when you moved into TV to show from which state you relocated.

If he actually clocked the golf cart at 30 MPH, you dodged a bullet as this would classify the golf cart as an unregistered Low Speed Vehicle, and you could have faced several charges including going to court, various offences, and the requirement to have the speed reset to 20 mph. I have never heard of the "illegal out of state tag" as well have a out of date PA license on our cart for several years. I am guessing you caught the police attention due to the excessive speed.
IMHO, I would consider you very lucky and then get the speed reset.

If the officer said you was going 30 mph obviously the cart juiced up even if you was on slight downhill grade. IMO even it’s goes 24 on flat and level ground IMO that’s too fast. You are pressing your luck ������. Which looks like you already used you luck up. I am surprised your village ready cart don’t have speedometer? If it does you need to check calibration if it’s readying slow? Unless you legally license the cart as LSV 23, 24 plus in violation as other suggested if caught again could be hefty fine. Just not worth it to me. But, that’s me.

The villages spread out over 3 counties, so you may get different officer opinions in each county. Bottom line you had license plate on cart that expired and you are driving it on public street.

The problem was by traveling greater than 21 mph you are now classified as LSV and need to have a tag and other requirements. Therefore he was telling you that you have an expired tag as a LSV is required to have a tag and if he checked would also have found out it was not the correct one for your cart (another problem). You actually were lucky at one time Sumter county issued $600 tickets for these offenses and you had to go to court. A golf cart which can not exceed 21 mph can have a tag from another expired vehicle on it.

There is also another 800 pound gorilla in the room.

If you have a cart that exceeds 20 mph, you may hot have insurance coverage even if you pay for cart insurance, simply because you are no longer operating a golf cart as that is defined in the law. That could mean that if you have an accident for which you are found to be liable, in whole or part, all of your assets may be attached for payment of any damages caused. I might add, that this scenario applies even if the accident occurred when you were operating it at under 20 mph.

And they would know your speed how?

So this is my perception of what you described, OP:

1. A golf cart that can go 23 MPH is no longer merely a golf cart, but an LSV - Low-Speed Vehicle.
2. LSVs must have plates, and be insured.

Your wife admitted that her cart was set to go up to 23MPH, putting her cart in the LSV category.
It had plates - from another state, expired.

So she broke the law. She was driving an LSV with expired plates.

It doesn't matter if she was speeding or not. What matters is the vehicle she is driving - is /not/ legally a golf cart. It's legally an LSV and the plates have to be current, representing actual registration, and the vehicle needs to be insured, and she has to be licensed to drive. All of these things have to be true. If any of them are not true, then she is breaking the law.

Whether the cop chose to do anything about it is another matter entirely, but it looks like he was explaining all this to your wife. This would also explain why he ordered her to stop - because the cart was going faster than 20mph. Whether 23, or 30, it's still exceeding the limit for a golf cart, and still has an illegal plate for an LSV.

Also - LSVs aren't allowed to be capable of going 30mph so even if it was legally registered, IF he clocked her at 30, then she'd be breaking the law anyway.

Probably the same way they know how fast you are going in a car when there is an accident. Accident investigation teams and technology have come a long way. If there are injuries the big guns come out because and Dan and Morgan guys will be in the middle of it.

FYI ... Wildwood has a traffic enforcement unit.

A Wildwood police officer who last year created a traffic enforcement unit has been selected as officer of the year.

Police Chief Randy Parmer said the officer “showed a propensity for traffic enforcement” when he created the unit last June.

Since then, he has made 381 traffic stops and issued 288 citations, including 89 for criminal violations. He has made 17 arrests and issued 113 verbal warnings. The officer who joined the department three and a half years ago, also was honored by the Wildwood American Legion post at a meeting Monday of the Wildwood City Commission.

Cars have sensors to monitor such things, plus GPS info to help detect the speed. They can also use skid marks to help determine the speed. But with the advent of ABS, that doesn't help much anymore. The only time I've locked up the brakes in my golf cart was on wet grass...

You've watched too many episodes of ChiPs if you think they're doing forensic investigations on golf cart accidents...

I'd be interested to know how many of those 288 citations resulted in fines actually paid - compared to how many were contested and dismissed, or nolled.

Mike&Silvia....you must attend the golf cart safety clinic for rules and regulations of the road. The REAL answers. It is given every month ( it's free). This month it is October 18 at Colony Cottage rec center 9AM. It could save your life or avoid expensive tickets. Also, since you are new here, also go to the new resident night....given Oct 10 also at Colony ( 7:00 PM- also free)

Use a gps app that will tell your acurate speed. Registration of a lsv Requires more than just insurance It requires you have the proper lighting windshield wipers there are many things. The vehicle goes a maximum of 25 M p h. Once your vehicle is registered you will get a license plate that is why you can Not put a license plate on it. A golf cart has a maximum speed of 20 miles per hour no higher.

I have heard of people being fined up to $800 for going the speed your wife was driving. They don't hit you for a speeding violation, they fine you for all the missing features on a vehicle that can do 30 mph. You got real lucky.

Turn in retired plates
 

In Jersey, you are required to return your old plates when they are no longer used. Not sure about other states. Of course I know a fella who shall remain nameless that has a bird house made from old NJ plates.

I doubt she was going 30 and that was an overinflated guess. The officers should be trained to know when a license plate is decorative and not rmv related.

Carts
 

In general VERY few carts are street legal and need a plate most plates and tags you see are ornamentation to show people where they came from. You can get picked up for being a unregistered motor vehicle going over 24 on a street and they can impound your cart. Many people have the cart set at 24 and just watch it on hills. Golf Cart Requirements | The Villages Florida

Maybe just stop putting decorative state plates on golf carts and stick to sports license plates.

[QUOTE=Mike&Silvia;2263273]My wife and I are new residents in TV and recently bought a golf cart. Last week, while my wife was driving the cart along Marsh Bend Trail, a Wildwood police officer pulled up alongside of her and made her stop. He informed her that the expired Illinois vanity plate on the rear of the vehicle was illegal and that she was traveling at 30 mph, which is in excess of the golf cart speed limit. When she mentioned that the cart was set to not exceed 23 mph, the officer suggested that maybe she was "going downhill" (on Marsh Bend Trail?). My wife did not argue further and that was the end of the conversation.

My wife's experience has me curious to understand the laws and rules pertaining to golf carts in TV. I have read sometimes conflicting legal information regarding the registration and need for insuring carts, such as:

"Golf carts that ride on public streets and are capable of traveling more than 20 mph and carry registration are considered LSVs, which means you must have insurance on them."

"In Florida, all golf carts operated on public roads require registration with the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. All valid registrations must include a vehicle identification number. Golf carts must always display an up-to-date registration decal."

Other questions that I have include:

* I see license plates adorning golf carts all over TV, are they illegal?
* Do the golf cart lanes that adjoin roadways in TV qualify as "public roads" in the quote
above?
* When insuring a golf cart, what is the recommended coverage and what should I expect
to pay?[/

https://www.thevha.net/event/golf-ca...te/2023-10-18/
Best place to learn all you need to know about owning and using a golf cart.

Last week I was driving on St. Charles and clocked a golf cart without a license plate doing 35 mph in the golf cart lane. That’s the fastest I’ve seen. I think the original poster is failing to realize that she had a real license plate on her cart from another state, expired. What some people have is, say, plates showing team or state support. Those are legal.

Thank you for the reminder and especially for the details that you took extra time to post.
As new residents, if we learn ONLY one thing about golf cart safety, it is well worth the time.
We've been golf cart owners most of our adult lives in NC, but TV is a whole different animal.

We feel very confident with the speed debate.
We're very, very comfortable to have anyone pass us, as we're just happy to enjoy life.

We leave the house early enough to get to our destination and have always factored in the ENJOYMENT of the travel, but that's us.

Take most of the advice here with a grain of salt. Most people I know have carts that go above 20 mph and don’t register them, especially since they don’t have registration numbers. I don’t know about tags.

No, when it's against the law you don't make excuses you remove the plate. Sorta like the people with those plastic covers on their car license plate. Tinted or clear, it's illegal in Florida and a few other states.

Thank you very much. We will try and attend both events.

You have to remove the expiration date sticker off the license plate or they can ticket you.

Yes, as if she drove her golf cart down from Wisconsin.

I don’t know any traditional looking golf cart that goes anywhere near 30 MPH

I wish they would start cracking down on all these carts that go over 20. It’s annoying being tailgated and passed when going the speed limit.

Great post!

Mike and Silvia,
There are many areas of Marsh Bend Trail where golf carts are not allowed.
Your post did not say she was in a golf cart lane on MBT, just that she was on MBT.
Being new Villagers it's very easy to wind up being on a real road, meaning that she missed a sign that said no golf carts past this point and she should have exited the road and continued on the multi-modal path.
Is that what actually happened??

I use the Speed Box app on my iPhone to check the max speed on my golf cart. The Speed Box app uses the GPS built into the iPhone to determine the speed.

The cops would bring in a FORTUNE with little effort around here. Courts would be very busy.

Golf cart criminals :)
 

You were fortunate to get just a warning. Anything over 20 mph can be ticketed, and I hear it isn't cheap.
-If your cart is "street legal" you are required to have a lit, current tag (just like a car)
-If "street legal" liability insurance (like a car) is required.

-regular golf carts are restricted to certain approved roads or MM paths.
-since new golf carts are costing 20k + it's a good idea to spend about a dollar a day to protect that investment.
Keep in mind that some Nimrod can unlock your parking brake and roll your cart up on a trailer and it can be "Gone in 60 seconds" There have been any number of "chop shops" that can have your cart taken apart and posted on e-bay before you finish your dessert.

As far as insurance at a minimum liability coverage. Depending on the value of the cart and your risk tolerance, you should look into collision and comprehensive. This may run you around $250 - $300. Liability only $75 - $100.

My EZGO will top out at 37 with the highspeed gears. But I rarely drive over 18 or 19 as I'm not in a hurry. I get passed all the time. Yes, I'm sure it's illegal but as I said I usually drive Under 20.

You are missing the point the law says "capable of" going over 20 MPH, also I would bet your insurance company may deny coverage if they find out about the speed of your cart.

My opinion the officer thought your cart was a “street legal” cart. And was confused by the home state license plate.

You need to insure your cart and if you have an umbrella insurance package (everybody with money should) you will need to have the higher coverages just like your cars and home. I know friends that have been in head on collisions or accidents in their golf carts and you want the protection from an insurance policy if you get sued or send somebody to the hospital. Insurance is cheap