Florida Golf Cart Laws (2025)

Yes, Florida is one of the most golf-cart-friendly states, but there are important conditions. Florida law allows unlicensed golf carts (top speed 20 mph) to be driven on certain local roads if the local city or county has approved those roads for golf cart use. These are typically roads with 30 mph or lower speed limits. In such areas (often signed for golf cart use), a golf cart is street legal. Outside of those designated roads, a golf cart must be made street-legal as an LSV – meaning it’s registered, has a tag, and meets safety requirements – to be on public roads. LSVs can go up to 25 mph and are allowed on streets with speed limits of 35 mph or less. So in summary: yes, on approved roads or if it’s an LSV; no if you just want to take a cart on any random road without those conditions.

It depends on the situation. For an unregistered golf cart on designated roads, Florida law says the driver only needs to be 14 years or older – no driver’s license is required at that 14+ age for those specific golf cart allowed areas. However, if you are driving a golf cart that’s been registered as an LSV on public roads, then you do need a valid driver’s license (because an LSV is treated as a motor vehicle). Also, many golf cart-friendly communities strongly encourage or require licensed drivers even if 14 is the legal minimum. And of course, to cross or drive on any road that isn’t explicitly approved for carts, you’d have to be in an LSV, which requires a license. So: 14 with no license in cart-approved zones; 16 with a license for LSVs or any other situation.

For an unregistered golf cart (the kind you might drive at 20 mph in a small community), Florida state law does not require insurance (since it’s not a titled/registered vehicle). However, if that cart is allowed on public roads by local ordinance, many counties or cities do require you to carry insurance as a condition of use – and even if not required, it’s highly advisable to have liability coverage.
For a registered LSV, absolutely yes, you need insurance. An LSV in Florida is a motor vehicle, and you must carry the minimum auto insurance (Personal Injury Protection and Property Damage Liability at least). You’ll need to show proof of insurance to register it and you must keep it insured. In short, if you’re driving any cart on public roads in FL, you should have insurance; legally, it’s mandatory for LSVs and practically essential for carts too.

If it’s a registered LSV, yes, by law it must have seat belts and you must use them. Federal regs require seat belts for LSVs and Florida includes that in the equipment requirements for street-legal LSVs. If you’re talking about an ordinary golf cart going 20 mph in a golf community, state law doesn’t require retrofitting seat belts to those unregistered carts. Many of those carts won’t have belts installed. Florida doesn’t force you to add seat belts to an unregistered golf cart for local road use (some local ordinances might encourage it, but it’s not common to require it). However, if you have kids on the cart, it’s obviously safer to have seat belts or hold them securely. But legally: belts required on LSVs, not on typical 20-mph carts.

A golf cart (not LSV) by definition in FL is designed for 20 mph or less. A Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV) can go up to 25 mph. Those are hard limits: if a vehicle can exceed 25 mph, it’s no longer an LSV in Florida and has to meet full car standards. So, practical speeds: unmodified golf carts ~15-20 mph. LSVs 20-25 mph. Also, note, if you’re driving a cart in a cart-designated area, it’s usually a 30 mph or lower zone, so you should be nearer to 20 mph for safety. And LSVs cannot be driven on roads above 35 mph limit, so you’re capped environment-wise as well. So max street speed for any cart-type vehicle in FL is 25 mph.

Florida is unique: you can be as young as 14 years old to drive a standard golf cart on public roads that are designated for golf cart use. That’s the minimum age specified in Florida Statutes. No license is required at that age for that specific purpose. However, to drive a registered LSV (which is essentially a faster, street-legal cart), you need to be at least 16 and have a driver’s license (so effectively 16). Also, if a local community has stricter rules, you need to follow those (some might say licensed drivers only, which would bump it to 16). But by state law, 14 is the bare minimum for the simpler scenarios.

If you want to make your golf cart street-legal beyond the limited local cart zones, you’ll need to register it as a Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV). To do that in Florida, the cart must be equipped with all required safety items: headlights, brake lights, turn signals, windshield, seat belts, reflectors, parking brake, rearview mirror, etc. It also needs a 17-digit VIN. Typically, people either buy a cart that’s manufactured as an LSV or have their cart converted by a professional who can certify it. Once it’s properly equipped, you’ll get it inspected (some DMV offices or law enforcement will do an inspection to verify it meets standards), then you take the Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin (or conversion documentation) to the DMV, along with proof of insurance, and apply for title and registration. You’ll pay the title fee, registration fee, and plate fee (and Florida’s initial registration fee if applicable). The DMV will issue you a license plate and registration just like for a car. After that, it’s an LSV and can be driven on roads up to 35 mph. Remember, you do not register a golf cart if you’re only using it under the 20-mph/local road scenario – registration is only if you’re elevating it to LSV status.

For an unregistered golf cart on local roads, the requirements are set by state and local rules: it must be equipped with efficient brakes, reliable steering, safe tires, a rearview mirror, and red reflectorized warning devices in the front and rear (those are state minimums for any golf cart on public roads). Local governments often add that it needs headlights and taillights if driven after dark (and some places allow night use only if it has lights). The driver must be 14+.
For a fully street-legal LSV, the requirements are broader: headlamps, stop lamps, turn signals, taillamps, reflex reflectors, parking brake, windshield, seat belts, and a VIN (these align with federal LSV standards). Essentially the vehicle should look like a mini-car in terms of equipment. It also must be electrically powered (Florida’s LSV definition assumes electric). Once it has all that, it can be registered. So, in summary: basic safety gear for a 20-mph golf cart in cart zones, and full DOT-equivalent safety features for a 25-mph LSV on wider roads.