Golf cart vs low-speed vehicle (LSV): why the difference matters

In Florida, a golf cart can’t go faster than 20 miles per hour and doesn’t need to be registered. A low-speed vehicle (LSV) has a top speed above 20 and up to 25 miles per hour, and it must be titled, registered and insured with the same PIP and property damage liability as a car.

They can look almost identical in the driveway. To the state, and to your insurer, they’re very different vehicles.

The two definitions

Golf cart: a motor vehicle designed and made for use on a golf course, not capable of going faster than 20 miles per hour (Fla. Stat. 320.01).

Low-speed vehicle: a four-wheeled vehicle whose top speed is greater than 20 but not greater than 25 miles per hour, including neighborhood electric vehicles, built to federal and state safety standards (Fla. Stat. 320.01).

So the line is speed, and what the vehicle was built to be.

Side by side

Where you can drive it

• Golf cart: only on roads the county or city has designated for golf carts, plus certain crossings and communities (Fla. Stat. 316.212).
• LSV: on streets posted at 35 miles per hour or less, and across faster roads at intersections, unless a local government or the state has restricted them (Fla. Stat. 316.2122).

Title and registration

• Golf cart: generally not required (Fla. Stat. 320.105).
• LSV: titled and registered, with a license plate.

Insurance

• Golf cart: no state requirement that I’ve found, though your home policy may not cover it on the road. More on that here.
• LSV: required. It must carry personal injury protection (PIP) and property damage liability, like any registered car. (How PIP works.)

Who can drive it

• Golf cart: under 18 needs a learner’s license or driver license; 18 and older needs a government-issued photo ID.
• LSV: a valid driver license, in your possession.

Equipment

• Golf cart: brakes, steering, safe tires, a rearview mirror and reflectors.
• LSV: headlamps, stop lamps, turn signals, tail lamps, reflectors, parking brake, mirrors, a windshield, seat belts and a VIN.

Why the difference matters for insurance

The insurance has to match what the vehicle actually is. A policy written for a golf cart may not respond the way you expect if the vehicle is legally an LSV, and an LSV on the road without PIP and property damage liability isn’t meeting Florida’s requirement.

Modified carts are where it gets tricky

Speed kits and upgrades are popular. But the golf cart definition says not capable of going faster than 20 miles per hour. A cart modified to go faster may no longer fit that definition, and it isn’t automatically a legal LSV either.

Florida does let you convert a golf cart into an LSV properly. According to the FLHSMV, the cart has to be made street-legal first, then brought through a regional Motorist Services office for inspection and a VIN, after which it can be titled and registered. The paperwork includes an affidavit for a converted golf cart (form HSMV 86064), receipts for the conversion parts and proof of insurance.

Buying a used one?

The FLHSMV warns that when a golf cart has been converted to an LSV, the title and registration date reflect the conversion, not when it was built. The vehicle could be older than the title suggests. Ask for the conversion paperwork, and make sure the policy you buy describes the vehicle correctly.

Good to know

1. Know your top speed. It decides which set of rules you’re under.
2. Insure the vehicle you actually have. Tell me about any modifications, especially to speed.
3. Check local rules. Cities and counties can restrict where LSVs and golf carts go.

Not sure which one you have?

Send me the title or registration (or a photo of the vehicle’s label if there’s no title) and tell me about any upgrades. I’ll tell you which rules apply and which kind of policy fits.

Talk to Elona