Mississippi Golf Cart Laws (2026)

Only if you’re in a municipality that has passed a local ordinance permitting it. Mississippi’s state law does not blanket-authorize golf carts on every road – it gives cities the discretion to allow them on city streets via ordinance. If your town has adopted such an ordinance, then yes, a golf cart can be street legal there under the local rules. Absent that local approval, golf carts are not street legal on public roads in Mississippi.

Mississippi requires a valid driver’s license or a temporary driving permit for a person operating a golf cart or low-speed vehicle on public roads under a municipal ordinance. The earlier shorthand “16 with a license” is too narrow because the statute also allows a temporary driving permit.

Yes. The law specifies that a golf cart or LSV operated on public roads under a municipal ordinance must have proof of financial responsibility (liability insurance) just like a car. Additionally, when you register the golf cart with the city, you have to show proof of insurance. Driving without insurance would violate both the ordinance and state motor vehicle liability laws.

Mississippi’s 2021 law defines both golf carts and low-speed vehicles by reference to vehicles equipped in accordance with 49 CFR 571.500. That federal low-speed vehicle standard includes seat belts. Municipal ordinances may add practical inspection or equipment details, but do not assume a locally authorized Mississippi golf cart is exempt from the federal-equipment framing used in the state definition.

By definition in Mississippi, a golf cart is a vehicle that cannot exceed 20 mph, whereas a low-speed vehicle can go over 20 but not more than 25 mph. So a street-legal golf cart in Mississippi will top out around 20 mph (if it goes faster, it’s considered an LSV and must meet higher standards). Also, even with local permission, you can only drive these vehicles on roads with relatively low speed limits (and never on highways), so their operation is kept slow.

The state rule is tied to licensing status rather than a simple age number: the operator must have a valid driver’s license or temporary driving permit. Check Mississippi’s driver-license rules and the local ordinance for how that applies to a specific driver.

If your city allows golf carts on its roads, you must register the golf cart with the city (not with the state DMV). Mississippi’s law says the vehicle must be registered with the city and display a decal issued by the local tax collector. To do this, you typically go to your city hall or county tax office with proof of ownership, your driver’s license, and proof of insurance, and pay the local registration fee (the law allows a “reasonable fee” to cover administrative costs). Once you receive the decal, it must be affixed to the golf cart. This city registration doesn’t expire under state law (it remains valid as long as you own the cart), though some municipalities might require updates. Note: If a golf cart is upgraded to meet LSV standards, you would go through the regular DMV to title and tag it as a motor vehicle, but standard golf carts are only registered locally.

First, your municipality must permit golf carts by ordinance and you must obtain the city decal or local registration required by that ordinance. The operator must carry a valid driver’s license or temporary driving permit and proof of financial responsibility. Operation is limited to approved municipal streets where bicycles are permitted, with state and federal highways off-limits except for crossings. The state definitions use 49 CFR 571.500 equipment language for both golf carts and LSVs, and local ordinances may add inspection, decal, route, hour, or equipment rules.