New Law Clarifies Golf Cart Insurance Coverage
August 23, 2023
Golf carts were originally designed and used for transporting golfers around the course, but today they are seen everyday on neighborhood streets. Conventional golf carts (both electric and gasoline-powered) are not required to be titled or registered but the person operating the vehicle needed to be at least 14 years old.
The traditional golf cart can still be driven by anyone fourteen or older. But, the Florida Bill that was recently signed by Governor Ron DeSantis will prohibit people under 18 from driving golf carts on certain roads without a learner's permit or driver's license. So drivers will need to be at least 15 with a learner’s permit or 16 with a valid driver’s license.
According to a study by the American Academy of Pediatrics, each year over 6,500 children are injured in golf cart-related incidents. After a 15-year-old in St. Johns County nearly lost their life operating a golf cart, the alarming statistics led Florida Representative Cyndi Stevenson to introduce House Bill 949. The aim of this new law is to address concerns of accidents involving underage individuals.
Legal Status as a Low Speed Vehicle
According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s Alternative Fuels Data Center, LSVs are four-wheeled electric vehicles that can reach speeds of 20-25 mph. Likewise, Florida makes a distinction between traditional golf carts and LSVs. In Sunshine State, an LSV is street-legal and can access public streets with a speed limit of up to but not exceeding 35 mph.
If you drive an LSV in the Sunshine State, make sure you have the required vehicle insurance coverage for personal injury protection and property damage liability. PIP covers 80 percent of all necessary and reasonable medical expenses up to $10,000 resulting from a covered injury, no matter who caused the crash. PDL coverage pays for damage to another person's property caused by you or someone else driving your insured vehicle.
The cost of Florida low-speed vehicle insurance for comprehensive collision coverage can vary based on factors like your age, where you live, your driving history, and the specifications of your street legal golf cart. If you have a traditional golf cart that is not registered with the DMV, your insurance agent may be able to cover the vehicle with a simple endorsement to your home insurance.
So does my golf cart need to be insured?
The new law (HB949) received unanimous vote in both the House and Senate and is takes effect on October 1, 2023. That means non-compliant drivers can be ticketed for a noncriminal traffic violation. In addition to serving as a powerful reminder of the need for responsible driving of seemingly harmless low-speed vehicles, Florida lawmakers reiterated the legal distinction between conventional golf carts and low-speed vehicles (LEVs).
In Florida, traditional golf carts are not allowed on public streets (unless otherwise designated) and only allowed to cross highways that divide a subdivision, trailer park, or golf course at designated and marked intersections. However, once your golf cart is modified and registered with the Florida Department of Motor Vehicles, it is considered by state and federal law to be a low-speed vehicle, this includes today’s popular street legal golf cars.
Although the distinction might not be apparent at first glance, golf carts that have been converted to low-speed vehicles will require proper licensing, titling and golf cart insurance. Moreover, your homeowners insurance may provide some coverage for your golf cart for a claim that occurs on your property but will not cover damage done to (or by) your golf cart, nor will it cover any injuries. You must have specified golf cart insurance with comprehensive collision coverage.
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Whether you need coverage for a traditional golf cart or a street-legal low speed vehicle, the independent agents at Nsurance Nation can help make sense of Florida’s golf cart insurance laws. We can review your existing insurance coverage and make recommendations for an endorsement to your home insurance or provide competitive quotes for a stand-alone policy for your street legal golf cart. Call us direct at 1-833-450-9490 to discuss your needs.
