Contact: Vehicle Titles and Registration
Phone: (512) 465-7611
 

August 28, 2009

 

New Golf Cart Rules Take Effect September 1, 2009

AUSTIN - A new state law instructs the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to stop registering and titling golf carts, but these owners won’t be stuck in their driveways.

The law takes effect September 1, 2009, and allows cities to regulate golf cart use in their communities

“While we will stop registering golf carts you will still be able to drive these vehicles on public roads, providing you follow the state laws governing golf cart operation,” said Rebecca Davio, director of TxDOT’s Vehicle Titles and Registration Division.

State law allows the use of golf carts with a slow-moving vehicle emblem in the following situations:

  • in master planned communities with a uniform set of restrictive covenants in place,
  • on public or private beaches,
  • during the daytime and no more than two miles from where the owner usually parks the golf cart and for transportation to or from a golf course, or
  • to cross intersections, including a road or street that has a posted speed limit of more than 35 mph.

“Cities also can allow golf carts with the proper equipment on certain roads, but you need to check with your city government to find out where or if they are permitted,” Davio said.

A city can pass a local ordinance allowing golf cart use on roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or lower. However, the golf cart must be insured and have the following minimum equipment:

  • headlamps,
  • tail lamps,
  • reflectors,
  • parking brake,
  • mirrors, and
  • a slow-moving vehicle emblem.

The state, a county, or a city can ban golf cart operation on all or part of a public road in the interest of safety.

Note: An exception for Grayson County allows for the issuance of Golf Cart License Plates.

More information on golf carts, neighborhood electric vehicles, all-terrain vehicles and recreational off-highway vehicles is available at www.txdot.gov or by contacting us.

The Texas Department of Transportation

The Texas Department of Transportation is responsible for maintaining nearly 80,000 miles of road and for
supporting aviation, rail and public transportation across the state. TxDOT and its 15,000 employees strive to
empower local leaders to solve local transportation problems, and to use new financial tools, including tolling and
public-private partnerships, to reduce congestion and pave the way for future economic growth while enhancing
safety, improving air quality and preserving the value of the state's transportation assets. Find out more at
www.txdot.gov.