Kentucky Golf Cart Laws (2025)

Not by default. Kentucky law does not allow golf carts on public roads unless a local government has passed an ordinance to permit it. Even then, the cart must meet the state’s safety requirements and can only be driven on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or less that the city/county has specifically approved for golf cart use.

Yes. Kentucky’s statute requires a valid driver’s license to operate a golf cart on public roadways under an ordinance. This means you must be at least 16 and hold a license. On private property (like a golf course or farm), a license isn’t legally required, but on streets opened to golf carts by a city, you must be licensed.

Yes. State law explicitly requires that a golf cart approved for road use have insurance meeting Kentucky’s minimum liability standards. Proof of insurance must be kept in the cart whenever it’s driven on public roads, just as you would for a car.

Yes – for carts that are being used on public roads under KRS 189.286. Kentucky’s definition of a road-approved golf cart includes seat belt assemblies for each seating position (meeting federal safety standards). Essentially, if you want to drive your golf cart on the street, it needs to be outfitted like a low-speed vehicle, which includes seat belts, among other required equipment.

Kentucky allows golf carts to be operated on public roads only if they are designed not to exceed 35 mph. By law, the cart can only be driven on roads with speed limits of 35 mph or below. So the maximum speed of the cart itself is about 35 mph, but many are actually slower (20–25 mph) in practice. If a cart can go faster than 35 mph, it wouldn’t qualify under Kentucky’s golf cart ordinance provisions.

You must be at least 16 years old and have a valid driver’s license to drive a golf cart on public roads in Kentucky. The law doesn’t allow any exceptions for younger drivers on the road. (On private property, an age limit isn’t set by state law, but such use would be at the property owner’s discretion.)

In Kentucky, you don’t register a golf cart with the state DMV like a normal car. Instead, if your local government allows golf carts on roads, you’ll need to get a local permit. The process usually involves having the cart inspected by an officer designated by the sheriff’s department to ensure it has all required equipment, then applying for a permit/sticker from the city or county. There are small fees for inspection and the permit. Once permitted, the golf cart is exempt from state title and registration requirements, meaning you won’t get a state license plate – the local sticker is what identifies it as approved.

To be street-legal in Kentucky under local ordinance, a golf cart must have a full array of safety equipment: headlights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals, reflectors, a horn, a parking brake, and seat belts for all seats. It also needs a slow-moving vehicle emblem on the back and must pass an inspection by the sheriff’s office. The cart can only be driven on approved 35 mph (or lower) roads during daylight (or at night only if it has proper lights). The driver must be licensed and carry insurance. Lastly, you have to obtain a permit decal from the local government, which you must display on the cart, to show it’s authorized for road use.