Oregon Golf Cart Laws (2025)

Not in their stock form. Regular golf carts (top speed ~15 mph) are generally not street legal in Oregon. They cannot be driven on public roads unless a local jurisdiction has specifically authorized it for a particular area (and even then, only on low-speed streets). On the other hand, Oregon does allow LSVs – basically golf-cart-type vehicles that go 20–25 mph and have proper safety equipment – on roads with speed limits up to 35 mph.

Yes, if you’re driving it on public roads. On private property or golf courses, there’s no state license requirement. But for any street operation (whether it’s an LSV or a locally permitted cart), the driver must be a licensed driver (16 or older). The law treats an LSV like a normal vehicle, which requires a driver’s license. Local cart ordinances in Oregon also universally require a valid driver’s license.

Yes. If your cart is registered as a Low-Speed Vehicle, Oregon law requires it to be insured just like any other motor vehicle. Even for carts allowed under a local ordinance, liability insurance is typically required. It’s both a legal requirement and a prudent safeguard, given that you’re sharing the road with other vehicles.

For a true LSV, yes – federal standards mandate seat belts (among other safety features). A cart that’s been converted to street use as an LSV must have seat belts for all occupants. For ordinary golf carts used only in private settings or in a small town cart zone, seat belts might not be strictly required by state law, but installing them is strongly recommended for safety.

Oregon-adopted standards for Low-Speed Vehicles cap their speed at 25 mph. So a street-legal LSV (which a golf cart would have to be classified as) will go 20–25 mph by design. They are only allowed on streets with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or lower. Regular golf carts, which go ~15 mph, aren’t allowed on public streets at all unless a local rule creates an exception.

At least 16 years old with a valid driver’s license to drive on public roads. For an LSV, the operator must be licensed (so the standard driving age, 16). There’s no specific age restriction for driving a golf cart on private property (for example, on a golf course, policies may vary), but on any public roadway or cart zone the driver would need to be a licensed driver.

You generally cannot register a standard golf cart through the Oregon DMV. To be street legal, the vehicle must meet the definition of a Low-Speed Vehicle. That means it should have a 17-digit VIN and certification from the manufacturer that it meets federal LSV safety standards. Some specialty golf cart manufacturers or converters can issue this. If you have such an LSV, you would title and register it like a car at the DMV (and then you’d get a plate). If it’s just a regular golf cart, you would only get a local permit sticker if your city offers one for limited local road use – there’s no statewide DMV registration for conventional golf carts.

It essentially needs to qualify as an LSV. Oregon defines an LSV as a four-wheeled vehicle with a top speed between 20 and 25 mph, weighing under 3,000 lbs, and equipped with all the safety features required by 49 CFR 571.500 (headlamps, turn signals, mirrors, windshield, wipers, seat belts, etc.). In practice, this usually means buying a purpose-built neighborhood electric vehicle or heavily modifying a cart. Once it meets those specs, it can be titled and registered. Without meeting LSV criteria, a golf cart can’t be made street-legal statewide (though it might be usable under a local ordinance in a limited area).