California Golf Cart Laws (2025)

Yes, but only under specific conditions. California distinguishes between “golf carts” and “low-speed vehicles” (NEVs). A true “golf cart” (small, 15 mph max) is only street-legal in very limited areas – basically within one mile of a golf course and only on roads with speed limits 25 mph or less, and only if the local government allows it. In contrast, a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) or LSV that is registered and equipped for street use can be driven on public streets with speed limits up to 35 mph. So, if you upgrade and register your cart as an NEV (with all required equipment), it’s street legal on appropriate roads. But a plain golf cart is not street legal on regular public streets except in designated golf cart zones.

Yes. On public streets, the driver must be licensed. California Vehicle Code requires that any person driving on public roadways – including driving an NEV or a golf cart – hold a valid driver’s license. There is an exception that within gated private communities or on private property (like within a golf resort), an unlicensed person might drive a cart, but once you’re on a public road (even a 25 mph residential street), you need a driver’s license. In practice, that means 16 years or older with at least a California provisional license to drive a golf cart/LSV on the street.

If the golf cart is registered for street use, yes, absolutely – California’s financial responsibility laws apply. An NEV/LSV must have insurance just like a car. Even if your golf cart is being used in one of those special cases where it doesn’t need a plate (like crossing a road near a golf course), it’s wise to have insurance because any damage or injury could lead to liability. Practically, if you get it registered (which you must if you intend to use it beyond very restricted local zones), you’ll need to show proof of insurance to the DMV. So yes – a street-legal golf cart/NEV in CA needs to be insured.

If you’re talking about an NEV or LSV on the road, yes, seat belts are required. California’s rules for low-speed vehicles require that they comply with federal safety standards, which include seat belts. A true golf cart (unmodified) typically doesn’t have seat belts and isn’t meant to be on public roads except in the rare golf-crossing scenario. But any vehicle classified as an NEV must have seat belts for each seating position. So, if you plan to drive it on the street, install seat belts. Also, passengers including children must be buckled just as they would be in a car.

By law, a “Neighborhood Electric Vehicle” or LSV in California has a top speed of 25 mph. That’s part of the definition. Meanwhile, an unconverted “golf cart” as defined by CA law maxes out at 15 mph (and if it goes faster than that, it’s not legally a golf cart anymore – it would be an NEV). So, if your cart can go more than 15 mph, California will generally consider it an NEV/LSV and not just a golf cart. And as an NEV, it cannot exceed 25 mph by design. Also, remember you’re only allowed to drive it on roads with speed limits 35 or under, so you’ll be keeping it in that slower realm. In summary: ~25 mph is the max for street-legal operation of these vehicles in CA.

You need to be a licensed driver, so at least 16 years old (the age at which you can obtain a provisional driver’s license in California). There’s no special golf cart license or anything – it’s the same requirement as driving a regular car on public streets. Some private communities might let younger teens drive carts internally, but on public roads, you must be 16+ with a valid driver’s license. California does have a concept of a “slow vehicle permit” for farm equipment for under-18, but that does not apply to golf carts or NEVs.

California DMV offers a couple of options:

• If your vehicle is truly a Golf Cart (by CA’s definition: max 15 mph, 2-person, <1,300 lbs empty), you actually do not register it with DMV in the normal way. Instead, you can obtain a special Golf Cart sticker (which is a one-time $0 registration, for use only in golf cart zones). This is only if you operate it within one mile of a golf course or in a planned community that allows it.


• If your cart goes faster than 15 mph or you want to use it beyond those limited areas, you must register it as a Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV). To do that, you’ll need to have a 17-digit VIN for the cart, it must meet safety requirements, and you’ll go to DMV and fill out the forms like registering a regular vehicle. You’ll get a license plate and regular registration (and you’ll pay annual registration fees). The vehicle will be recorded as a “LSV” or “NEV” on the title.

California has clear-cut requirements depending on the path you choose:

• For a Golf Cart (15 mph max) operating under the special golf cart provisions: it must have at least 3 wheels, weigh <1,300 pounds, carry no more than 2 people including the driver, and be used only within a mile of a golf course or in a designated golf cart zone. It should have a slow-moving vehicle emblem and at least reflectors or lights if used after dark, and typically a city will require a permit or sticker.


• For a Street-Legal NEV/LSV: it needs to meet federal LSV standards. That means headlights, tail lights, turn signals, mirrors, windshield, windshield wiper, seat belts, reflex reflectors, and a parking brake. It must have a VIN and be certified by the manufacturer as meeting LSV specs. The top speed must be between 20 and 25 mph. You’ll need to register it with the DMV and carry insurance. Once that’s done, it gets a license plate and can be driven on public roads (≤35 mph limit).