Connecticut Golf Cart Laws (2025)

Not in the traditional sense. Connecticut does not allow regular golf carts on public roads. The only small vehicles allowed are those classified and registered as Low-Speed Vehicles (LSVs). If a “golf cart” has been modified to meet LSV requirements (with lights, seat belts, etc.) and is registered with the DMV, then it can be driven on roads with speed limits 35 mph or under. But an ordinary golf cart from the course, without registration, is not street legal anywhere in Connecticut on public roads. Unlike some states, CT does not have a law letting towns permit golf carts on local streets – it’s simply not allowed unless it’s a registered LSV.

Yes, if you’re driving it on public roads (as an LSV). Connecticut requires a valid driver’s license to operate any motor vehicle on public streets, and an LSV is considered a motor vehicle. So you must be at least 16 and have a Connecticut driver’s license (or a valid license from another state if you’re visiting) to drive an LSV/golf cart on the road. On private property (like driving a cart within a privately owned complex or golf course), a license isn’t legally required by the state – but on any public road, absolutely yes.

Yes. If your golf cart is registered as an LSV and has Connecticut plates, you are required to have it insured just like any other vehicle. You’ll need to show proof of insurance when registering it. Connecticut’s mandatory insurance laws apply to all registered motor vehicles. So a street-legal LSV/golf cart must carry at least the state minimum liability insurance. Driving without insurance (or with an unregistered cart) on public roads would be illegal and subject you to fines and other penalties.

For any golf cart that’s going to be street legal (i.e., an LSV), yes. Seat belts are one of the required safety features. Federal law requires LSVs to have seat belts for each seating position, and Connecticut will only register an LSV that meets those standards. So if you’re on the road in Connecticut in a small electric vehicle, it better have seat belts and you should be wearing them. Regular golf carts that stay on golf courses don’t come with seat belts typically, but since those aren’t allowed on the road, it’s a non-issue. In short: street = seat belts required.

Connecticut’s definition of a low-speed vehicle limits it to 25 mph maximum. So a street-legal golf cart (LSV) in Connecticut can go 25 mph at most. They are not allowed on roads with speed limits above 35 mph, and they themselves are speed-governed to 25. Regular golf carts usually go around 15 mph and would exceed that only if modified – but if you modified one to go faster than 25, it wouldn’t qualify as an LSV and you couldn’t register it as such. So practically speaking, expect ~20–25 mph to be the top speed of any legal cart/LSV on Connecticut roads.

You need to be old enough to hold a driver’s license – so 16 years old in Connecticut (16-and-3-months for a junior license, to be precise, which allows driving with some restrictions). Connecticut has no special category for underage driving of golf carts on public roads. So the same age rules as driving a car apply. On private property, you might see younger teens or even kids driving carts (for example, helping out on a farm or within a campground), but on public streets, they absolutely cannot. It must be a licensed driver.

To register a golf cart for street use in Connecticut, it must meet the criteria of a Low-Speed Vehicle. Assuming it does, the registration process is similar to any car: you’d fill out a registration application (Form H-13), provide ownership documents (Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin or title), proof of insurance, and pay the registration fee and sales tax. The vehicle will be assigned a standard license plate (Connecticut doesn’t have a special golf cart plate; it would likely be registered under the code for “electric car” or similar). Importantly, the DMV will only register it if the Manufacturer’s Certificate states it complies with FMVSS for LSVs – otherwise they’ll refuse. Once registered, you get a plate and can legally drive it on appropriate roads. If it’s a regular golf cart without that paperwork, the DMV will not register it and you’ll have to keep it off public roads.

It must be built or modified to be a Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV). Key requirements include: a top speed between 20 and 25 mph; headlights, tail lights, stop lights, turn signals, reflex reflectors, exterior mirror(s), a windshield, seat belts, and a parking brake – all per federal LSV standards. It also must be an electric vehicle (Connecticut’s law specifically mentions “electric” low-speed vehicles). The cart/LSV needs a 17-digit VIN and a Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin certifying compliance with NHTSA’s LSV standards. Only with all that can you go to DMV and get it registered. Without meeting those requirements, you cannot legally drive a golf cart on Connecticut roads. There’s no loophole to just slap a slow-moving vehicle triangle and go – it truly has to be an LSV by design and paperwork.