Child safety rules, DUI laws, open container bans apply behind the wheel of a golf cart
As golf carts multiply across beach towns and resort communities like Cape Charles, local officials are pressing drivers to understand that the same rules governing full-sized vehicles also apply to the compact, open-sided rigs buzzing around town streets this summer.
Cape Charles has added a second decal to the required permits that must be displayed on all carts — one permit decal and a separate placard listing 10 rules of the road. On rented golf carts, the rules decal must appear in the center of the steering wheel, where it cannot be missed.
Driving while impaired laws apply to golf carts, and no open containers of alcohol are permitted on board. Drivers must be at least 16 years old and hold a valid driver’s license, which must be in their possession while operating the vehicle. Children younger than 8 years of age must ride in car seats, and those under two must ride in rear-facing seats, just as you would do in a normal automobile.
There will be a fine of $50 for first offenses and up to $500 for second offenses.
The local rules in Cape Charles reflect a broader reckoning taking hold in communities nationwide as golf carts surge in popularity far beyond the fairway.
Golf carts aren’t just for golf courses anymore–They are becoming increasingly more common on streets and roadways as a convenient mode of transportation in many communities–even on the busy streets across the bay in Virginia Beach.
A Growing Presence — and a Growing Risk
The numbers tell the story. Emergency departments treated an estimated 6,000 golf cart-related injuries annually in 1990. That figure climbed to 18,000 by 2015, and current estimates put the annual toll approaching 26,000 injuries across the United States, according to data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System. Children account for nearly one-third of those injuries.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has recorded 130 fatalities associated with golf carts on public roads.
When accidents happen on streets rather than courses, the consequences are significantly worse. Crashes on public roads are typically 40% more severe than those on golf courses, according to safety data, because carts interact with larger vehicles moving at higher speeds — and because most golf carts lack doors, seat belts, airbags, or structural protection that passenger cars are required to have.
In Florida’s sprawling Villages retirement community, researchers found an average of 135 golf cart crashes each year. Nearly half of those accidents resulted in hospital stays, severe injuries, or death. One county in the area logged 54 cart crashes in just the first quarter of 2024, putting it on pace for more than 200 annually.
Communities Scramble to Catch Up
Towns like ours have been moving to enact or update ordinances as the number of carts in town grows.
Indiana’s Columbus area passed a similar ordinance in April 2026, following Bartholomew County’s own action in August 2025. South Carolina enacted statewide golf cart legislation in May 2025, requiring seat belts for passengers under 12 and authorizing municipalities to layer on additional local rules. Multiple other states, including California and Florida, have developed layered regulatory frameworks distinguishing between basic golf carts and street-legal Low-Speed Vehicles, or LSVs.
Under federal law, a golf cart modified to reach 20 mph or more is classified as an LSV and treated as a motor vehicle, carrying with it requirements for a vehicle identification number, registration, insurance, and safety equipment including headlights, taillights, turn signals, mirrors, and seat belts.
A 2025 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety report found that only 62% of golf cart owners carry full coverage, even as more states move to mandate insurance for LSVs.
“Use Common Sense”
As usual, driver behavior remains the biggest issue.
Golf carts have a high center of gravity that makes them prone to tipping on uneven ground or during sharp turns. About 40% of accidents involve someone falling out of an open-sided cart. Injury rates among seniors have increased by nearly 70% over the past decade, even as the vehicles remain a staple of retirement communities and resort towns.
The seasonal spike is real: data show that on streets and highways, the share of golf cart incidents more than doubles in December compared to the annual average, suggesting that holiday gatherings and tourism contribute to elevated risk.
Contributing: Local municipal records, National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, U.S. Department of Transportation, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety
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