Kansas Golf Cart Laws (2025)

Generally no - Kansas law forbids golf carts on public streets unless a city has passed an ordinance allowing it on specific low-speed roads. In short, golf carts are only street-legal in Kansas if you’re in a locality that has authorized their use (and then only on roads with a posted speed limit of 30 mph or less).

Yes, if you’re driving it on public roads. While Kansas statute doesn’t explicitly set an age, operating any vehicle on public streets typically requires a valid driver’s license. Local ordinances that allow golf carts almost always require the operator to be a licensed driver. (On private property or within golf courses, a license isn’t legally required by the state.)

Kansas state law doesn’t specifically mandate insurance for golf carts because they aren’t registered vehicles. However, any city that permits golf carts will often require liability insurance. For example, local rules may state that owners must carry insurance when driving on city streets, similar to other motor vehicles. It’s wise to have insurance if you plan to drive on public roads, and if you convert a golf cart to a fully street-legal LSV (with registration), insurance is required.

Standard golf carts typically are not required to have seat belts under Kansas law. If a golf cart remains an unregistered vehicle used under a local ordinance, the state doesn’t impose a seat belt requirement. However, if you upgrade a golf cart to an LSV (Low-Speed Vehicle) that’s road-legal, it would need to meet federal safety standards, which include seat belts. Kansas’ definition of a street-legal golf cart (used under local ordinances) focuses on lights (if driven at night) and a slow-moving vehicle emblem rather than seat belts.

By definition, a golf cart in Kansas is designed not to exceed 25 mph. Furthermore, even when allowed locally, you can only drive them on roads with speed limits of 30 mph or below. So, practical operating speeds are in the 20–25 mph range at most. If a vehicle can go faster than 25 mph, it wouldn’t be considered a “golf cart” under Kansas law – it would fall under the Low-Speed Vehicle category.

To drive on public roads, you should be a licensed driver – so effectively at least 16 years old. Kansas statutes don’t list a specific minimum age for golf carts, but since a driver’s license is required by implication, 16 is the usual minimum. On private property (like a golf course), there’s no state-enforced age limit, but local rules or insurance policies might impose restrictions.

Kansas does not provide for registration of traditional golf carts for road use. Golf carts are exempt from vehicle registration in the state. If your city allows golf carts on its streets, you generally don’t “register” the cart with the DMV – though the city may require you to get a local permit or adhere to certain equipment rules. If you have modified the cart to meet federal LSV standards (with lights, windshield, seat belts, etc.), it’s no longer just a golf cart – you would then register it as a low-speed vehicle through the Kansas DMV, similar to a car. But a standard golf cart operating under local permission does not have a state registration process.

If allowed by local ordinance, the golf cart must only be operated on 30 mph or lower roads during daylight (or have headlights and a slow-moving vehicle emblem for night use). Kansas defines the cart itself as having at most 4 wheels, 25 mph top speed, and under 1,800 lbs. Local rules typically require the driver to have a valid license and the cart to have basic safety features (e.g., reflectors, a flag or emblem, and lights if used at night). Importantly, you cannot drive it on state or federal highways or any road not specifically authorized by the local government. Apart from those requirements, Kansas leaves specifics (like permits, insurance, additional equipment) up to the local governments.