Maryland Golf Cart Laws (2025)

In general, no – a standard golf cart cannot be driven on public roads in Maryland. The only exceptions are if a local government has specifically designated certain roads for golf cart use (as allowed by a 2024 state law change). Unless you’re in a town that explicitly permits it, driving a golf cart on the street is illegal. Maryland does allow fully-equipped Low-Speed Vehicles (LSVs) on 30 mph roads, but those are essentially treated like cars (they have MVA tags and meet federal safety standards).

Yes, absolutely – if you’re on a public road. Maryland requires a valid driver’s license to operate a low-speed vehicle on the road, and under the new golf cart allowance, the law also mandates that golf cart drivers have a license when on public streets. So you must be at least 16 and licensed. (On private property, like farms or private communities, a license isn’t legally required by state law, but on any public road or right-of-way it is.)

If it’s an actual registered vehicle (like an LSV with a Maryland title and plates), yes – it needs insurance just like any other car. For an ordinary golf cart allowed under a local ordinance (which would not be registered with MVA), Maryland’s vehicle insurance laws technically wouldn’t apply because it’s not registered. However, the 2024 law empowers local jurisdictions and many may require liability insurance as part of their ordinance. Even if not explicitly required, it’s wise to have insurance. Some Maryland towns that considered golf cart use did require owners to have liability insurance. So, short answer: LSVs require insurance by law; golf carts under local permit may or may not, depending on local rules, but it’s strongly recommended.

For a standard golf cart (unregistered) being driven under a local ordinance, Maryland state law does not mandate seat belts. The state’s new guidelines focus on lighting and time-of-day restrictions rather than retrofitting carts with seat belts. However, if the vehicle is an LSV (which is basically a street-legal cart that’s factory-built to federal specs), it will have seat belts because federal safety standards require them. So, in practice: regular golf carts = no seat belts required by law (unless a local rule says otherwise), LSVs = yes, they come with seat belts and you must use them.

Maryland’s new local-option law limits golf carts to roads with a 30 mph speed limit or less. The carts themselves are typically not fast – around 20 mph top speed. In fact, Maryland defines a Low-Speed Vehicle as one that goes over 20 mph but not over 25 mph, which is essentially the performance of a “street-legal” cart. So if we’re talking unmodified golf carts, they run ~15–20 mph. Any vehicle that can exceed 25 mph would be outside the “LSV” category and treated as a regular car (needing full compliance). So, practically, a street-legal cart/LSV in MD will go 25 mph at most, and only on 30 mph or lower roads.

At least 16 with a driver’s license for any public road use. Maryland doesn’t have a special golf cart license – you use your normal driver’s license. Some local experiments in the past (like a beach community) toyed with lower ages with adult supervision, but under current law, a license is required, so that sets the age at the standard driving age. On private property, there’s no set age limit, but minors operating motor vehicles unsupervised could pose liability issues.

You generally don’t register a plain golf cart with the Maryland MVA – they won’t issue it tags. Golf carts cannot be titled or tagged for road use because they don’t meet vehicle equipment standards (unless turned into an LSV). If your community allows golf carts on certain roads, the process usually involves getting a local permit or sticker from the city or county, not an MVA registration. For example, a town might require you to apply with the local police or town hall, show your license and insurance, and then you’d get a town-issued permit to attach to the cart. Conversely, if you have a vehicle that qualifies as a Low-Speed Vehicle (with a 17-digit VIN and manufacturer certification), you would go to MVA and register it like a car – obtaining a title, plates, and paying vehicle registration fees. But for a typical golf cart, there’s no state registration pathway, just whatever local permit process is in place.

If we’re talking about the new local-option golf cart use: the cart can only be operated on roads with a posted speed of 30 mph or less, and the local government must have officially allowed it. The cart doesn’t get registered with the MVA, but it must have whatever permit or safety features the local ordinance demands. State law as of 2024 requires the cart to stay in the right-hand lane and only cross higher-speed roads at designated crossings. The driver must have a valid license and obey all traffic laws. If operated after dark, the cart needs lights (most local ordinances would prohibit night use unless the cart has headlights/taillights). On the other hand, if by “street legal golf cart” one means an LSV, then the requirements are much stricter: it must have DOT-approved headlights, tail lamps, turn signals, mirrors, windshield, seat belts, etc., be able to go at least 20 mph but no more than 25 mph, and be titled/registered/insured like any other vehicle. Those are essentially neighborhood electric vehicles that come ready for the road. But a normal golf cart, to be used legally, is basically restricted to specific community roads under local law.