Golf Cart Craze: Nine US Towns Where Golf Carts Are Legal for Transportion

Are you seeking a retirement community where you can drive your golf cart around town? Do you hate being forced to drive a regular vehicle and long for a more eco-friendly and safe option? Does driving a golf cart simply sound more fun to you? If you are seeking to live or vacation where you can drive your golf cart instead of a car, there is good news for you! There are many villages, communities, and towns around the country where golf carts are legal transportation, either on the regular city streets or on specially-made golf cart paths.

You can easily see that most of these towns are either retirement communities or small villages focused on tourism. Many are beach towns or are located in sub-tropical areas where the weather is warm year-round. However, there are exceptions such as Peachtree City, GA, and Put-in-Bay, OH. Many towns are now limiting golf cart use to electric carts only, so in these areas, you will need to make sure your cart has an excellent, reliable battery like those from alliedlithium.com. Here are a few specific towns and communities where driving golf carts might be permitted under certain conditions

The Villages, Florida

The Villages is a large retirement community in Florida known for its extensive network of golf cart paths and streets, where golf carts are a primary mode of transportation. There are miles of paths for carts and they even have special tunnels to be used in crossing roads and highways that don’t allow golf carts. While golf carts are allowed in most areas of the community, there are some restrictions. For example, they cannot be driven by children under 14, they have to be equipped with lights to legally use them at night, and they cannot go over 20 MPH. 

Peachtree City, Georgia

Peachtree City is a planned community south of Atlanta that boasts over 100 miles of golf cart paths, making it convenient and safe for residents to use golf carts for transportation. Like The Villages, Peachtree City has created a network of paths, trails, roads, and tunnels allowing golf carts to traverse much of the area. Restrictions include age limits for drivers (no children under 12 can drive golf carts, and those between 12 and 16 must have an adult in the front seat), speed limits, and headlights for night use.

Sun City, Arizona

Sun City is a retirement community in Arizona where golf carts are a common mode of transportation within the community and along designated routes. In this community, golf carts can be used on roads just like cars as long as the speed limit is less than 35 MPH. The golf carts must be licensed and registered with the state to be legal on the streets in Sun City.

Bald Head Island, North Carolina

Bald Head Island is a resort community accessible only by ferry, and golf carts are the main form of transportation on the island’s car-free streets. The speed limit here is only 18 MPH and misusing golf carts by speeding, driving without a license, and failing to follow street signs can result in traffic tickets, just like it can when driving vehicles. This community is a wonderful vacation destination.

Seaside, Florida

Seaside is a planned community along the Florida Panhandle known for its pedestrian-friendly streets and golf cart-friendly atmosphere. Residents and visitors often use golf carts for transportation within the community. Vacationers are pleased to know they don’t need to use a vehicle to get around the town, and you can even hire a local golf cart owner to drive you to farther destinations, like a taxi service!

Ocean City, Maryland

Ocean City allows golf carts on designated streets and areas with lower speed limits, providing an alternative mode of transportation for residents and visitors, especially during the summer months. Golf carts can only be driven on streets with speed limits less than 35 MPH, and other restrictions also apply.

Daufuskie Island, South Carolina

Daufuskie Island, located near Hilton Head Island, is a golf cart owner’s paradise. While ordinary vehicles are allowed on the island, golf carts are the primary and preferred form of transportation and you won’t see many large vehicles. South Carolina requires golf carts to be permitted and registered as well as having working lights, in order to be legal on streets and roads.

Catalina Island, California

The small town of Avalon on Catalina Island permits golf carts as a primary mode of transportation for residents and visitors due to its small size and limited car access. Golf carts are a fun novelty enjoyed by tourists and visitors and they offer a convenient and environmentally friendly way to navigate the town’s hilly terrain and enjoy the warm weather. 

Put-in-Bay, Ohio

One of the few towns on this list that isn’t located in a warm climate, Put-in-Bay, a small town on South Bass Island in Lake Erie, allows golf carts for transportation around the island. This community is a popular vacation destination among tourists during the summer months. Golf carts provide a convenient way to explore the island’s attractions and scenic views. Regulations apply, including age limits for drivers, and golf cart drivers must follow the laws for licensed vehicles.

Conclusion

These are just a few examples, and there are likely many other towns and communities across the United States where driving golf carts is permitted or even encouraged under specific circumstances and within designated areas. It’s essential to check local regulations and restrictions before operating a golf cart in any town or community.