What to look for in street legal golf carts

Street legal golf carts are getting more and more popular these days. That is because such mini vehicles are not restricted to a golf course anymore. They are now treated just like other sport utility vehicles as they could be used other than in playing golf. Many local governments are now legalizing and allowing any street legal golf cart to roam the roads these days. In fact, many golfers use their special golf carts to roam golf course communities, retirement homes, resort areas, sanctuaries, and open ranges.

Golf carts street legal are also called Neighborhood Electric Vehicles or NEVs. They are lightweight carts and are using electric power. Many consumers consider them as the predecessors of modern hybrid and electric vehicles. If you are planning to buy one, you should not intend to use such golf carts, no matter how street legal they are, for long-haul or far-stretched distances. However powerful and reliable a golf cart model is, it is not designed to assume capability for long-hour and long-mile drives.

Electric golf carts have become the more popular street legal carts available. That is because such equipments are ultimately better engineered and are cheaper compared to the gas powered ones (which are also widely marketed and distributed across the market). They also offer more choices for transportation doors. Environmentalists rave about electric golf carts because the vehicles run without fuel and fumes, a characteristic necessary for carts that are made with lower emissions. However, their capacity and distance could be significantly limited.

There are still many other types of street legal golf carts available across the market. You should contact the local dealer nearest you or you could check out more information across the Internet. Before you choose and buy the street legal golf cart for you, do not forget to check out the vehicle's battery power, suspension, seating capacity, brake lights, windshield, front and rear mirrors, seat belts, turn signals, and reflectors. Make sure the unit you consider buying conforms to local and national laws covering such public carts. Several legislative and administrative requirements are as follows.

• The street legal golf cart should be able to accommodate at most four passengers, including the driver. That is because lightweight golf carts could not surely carry more weight than it should.


• The vehicle should take a maximum speed capacity of about 35 miles per hour. Golf carts are logically slow moving compared to regular cars and other utility vehicles.


• A seat belt should be included always. Every seat in the golf cart should have one for safety purposes.


• Just like in normal vehicles, a street legal golf cart should feature interior and exterior mirrors that come along with necessary reflex reflectors. This again is for overall safety reasons.


• Be sure the golf cart you are buying has its own identification number.


• Just like in all vehicles, the cart should have its own brakes and windshields. This is very important especially if you would want to make the vehicle street legal. Authorities would not allow your cart on the streets otherwise.


• It is always important to secure a manufacturer's certificate indicating the slow speed required for your vehicle. This serves as a perennial reminder to any user that such a golf cart should not in any way replace the functions of a regular vehicle.


• The golf cart is lightweight. Take note of its weight limit and capacity. In general, a good and reliable cart should carry a maximum weight limit of about 2,200 pounds. Observe this limit at all costs all the time.


• Every street legal golf cart should contain lamps (tail, stop, front, and rear). It is most important there is a headlight to make sure you could use it well and safely when inevitable instances come, like if you would be caught by darkness in and out of the golf course.

Such requirements apply to all NEVs. Failure to comply with any of the regulations could subject you to a number of possible legal offenses.