Florida’s year-round great weather makes golf carts a great way to enjoy weekends and community events like the monthly 3rd Friday event. Before you hit the roads in Safety Harbor to have fun, you should know which Florida rules and regulations that your golf cart needs to meet to be street legal.
Only one of the two recreational vehicles below is allowed to be driven on the roads of Safety Harbor. Can you guess which one it is?
Vehicle A Vehicle B
Although the above vehicles look similar there are important distinctions that make one of them allowed to be driven in Safety Harbor. The picture on the left (vehicle A) is a golf cart and cannot be driven on the roads of Safety Harbor. The picture on the right (vehicle B) is a Low Speed Vehicle and can be driven on certain roads in Safety Harbor. At first glance, golf carts and Low Speed Vehicles look alike but knowing which one you have could be the difference between getting a ticket or not.
What is a Low Speed Vehicle? Florida Statute §320.01(41) defines a Low Speed Vehicle (LSV) as four wheeled vehicle with a top speed between 21 -25 miles per hour and complies with the following safety equipment requirement required by Florida Statute §316.2122:
- headlamps
- front and rear turn signals
- stop lamps
- tail lamps
- parking brake
- windshield
- Vehicle Identification Number (VIN)
- seat belt for each seat
- red reflex reflectors one on each side and one on the rear of the vehicle
- driver’s side exterior mirror
- interior rear-view mirror or passenger side exterior mirror
In addition to the safety equipment, LSVs must also be registered, titled, and insured with both Personal Injury Protection and Property Damage Liability insurance.
LSVs can be driven on the streets of Safety Harbor where the speed limit is 35 miles per hour or less. This does not prohibit a LSV from crossing a road or intersection where the road has a speed limit more than 35 mph. In addition, LSVs can be driven by anyone with a valid driver’s license in his/her possession.
Interested in converting your golf cart to a LSV? Golf carts can be converted to LSVs by installing the required safety equipment and meeting the top speed requirement of 21-25 miles per hour. Once you have made the modifications, the vehicle will need to be insured, registered, and titled. In order to get the converted golf cart titled and registered you will need to get it inspected and assigned a vehicle identification number (VIN) at local department of motor vehicles (DMV) service center. To find out more about what documentation is needed and fees are required to convert a golf cart to a LSV, check out the Florida Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles website.
Buyer Beware: Buyers should be aware that if a golf cart has been modified to a LSV, the registration and title date do not reflect the manufacture date of the vehicle. Instead, it indicates the year it was registered and titled. This means that the vehicle could be older than the date listed on the title.
If you need additional information about LSV or getting injured while riding on one, contact me at 727-20-8800 as I am ready to immediately help.