License plate for golf cart in texas

PLEASE NOTE: Golf Cart Laws may vary from City to City, so please be sure to check with your local municipality in regards to the laws in your area. We are in the process of gathering laws by municipality for you, however, this is a huge undertaking and does take time. Thank you.

This is an in-depth guide to Texas Golf Cart & Low-Speed Vehicle Laws. We’ve created this guide to help you, the consumer, in determining Texas’s laws.

Is this state Medium Speed Vehicle friendly? No State Law is Currently in Place.

Is License and Registration a Requirement? For LSVs, yes. For Golf Carts, no. To register your LSV visit your county’s Tax Assessor-Collector Office.

General Federal Law for Golf Carts:

Under current NHTSA interpretations and regulations, so long as golf cars and other similar vehicles are incapable of exceeding 20 miles per hour, they are subject to only state and local requirements regarding safety equipment. However, if these vehicles are originally manufactured so that they can go faster than 20 miles per hour, they are treated as motor vehicles under Federal law.

The standard requires low-speed vehicles to be equipped with headlamps, stop lamps, turn signal lamps, taillamps, reflex reflectors, parking brakes, rearview mirrors, windshields, seat belts, and vehicle identification numbers.

Find out more information on federal laws pertaining to golf carts and low speed vehicles here.

Texas Golf Cart & Low Speed Vehicle Laws

Guidelines for Golf Carts and PTVs (Personal Transportation Vehicles)

Texas law classifies a vehicle as a golf cart if it:

• has no less than three wheels,
• has a maximum speed of between 15-25 mph, and
• is manufactured primarily for operation on golf courses.

REGISTRATION IS NOT REQUIRED FOR GOLF CARTS. 

State law allows for 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 no more than 35 miles per hour.

A city can pass a local ordinance allowing for the use of golf carts on certain roads. The road must be within the boundaries of the city and have a speed limit of 35 mph or lower. The golf cart must be insured (with minimum liability insurance) and have the following equipment:

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

Guidelines for LSV (Low Speed Vehicle)

• a normal maximum speed of 20-25 mph (LSV) or 20-35 mph (NEV)
• seat belts
• head and tail lights
• a windshield
• a parking brake
• turn signals
• rear-view mirrors
• brake lights
• reflectors
• a valid 17-digit Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

To title and register your LSV or NEV, you must bring the following to the tax assessor-collector office:

• evidence of ownership, such as a Manufacturer Certificate of Origin or title,
• a completed Form 130-U, and
• proof of minimum liability insurance.

HELPFUL LINKS

www.capitol.state.tx.us

THE WOODLANDS, TX - Recent changes in Texas law now allow golf carts and most off-highway vehicles to be operated on public roadways. However, their operation is restricted to certain conditions, and there are certain stipulations that have to be met in order to legally do so. For the purposes of this advisory, an “off-highway vehicle” includes ATVs, ROVs, UTV‘s, and sand rails. The following are the conditions were golf carts and off-highway vehicles may be operated, and their requirements.

CONDITIONS
A person may operate a golf cart or off-highway vehicle in:
• A county or municipality approved master plan community containing a set of HOA/POA rules or restrictive covenant‘s; or
• A public or private beach approved for vehicle or travel; or
• A roadway for which the posted speed limit is not more than 35 mph, and the vehicle is operated during daytime hours in an area not more than 2 miles from the location where the vehicle is usually parked and used for transportation to and from a golf course.

REQUIREMENTS
• Golf carts and off-highway vehicles must display the appropriate license plate to legally operate on the roadway. The fee for the plate is $10, and the plate does not expire.
• Golf carts and off highway vehicles traveling at the speed of not more than 25 mph are also required to display slow moving vehicle emblem.
• All traffic laws pertaining to the movement and operation of regular motor vehicles apply, and must be obeyed while operating a golf cart or off-highway vehicle in a public roadway.
• The Texas Attorney General’s office has stated (No. KP-0364) that the requirement to possess a valid driver’s license to operate a vehicle on a public roadway applies to the operation of golf carts and off-highway vehicles while on a public road. Yes, an operator of a golf cart or off-highway vehicle must possess a valid driver’s license (or learners permit with adult present) to drive on a public roadway.

How do I get a license plate for my golf cart in Texas?

Do you need insurance on a golf cart in Texas?

Do you need a license for a golf cart in Texas?

Is it legal to drive a golf cart on the road in Texas?