Orlando Police warn illegal drivers of golf carts, tickets could be next

The Kennedys like to leave their car at home when they take their kids to school at Princeton Elementary in College Park. They, and several neighbors, instead pull up in their golf carts, which take up less room in the drop-off line.

But a few weeks ago, they were pulled over by an Orlando Police officer and issued a warning because their vehicle wasn’t titled, registered and insured, said Kris Kennedy, an Orlando realtor.

Others have received warnings too, which patrol officers are issuing as printed notices. One side lists various “low-speed vehicle violations,” while the other side is a guide on how to operate such vehicles legally in the city. A city commissioner said the focus comes amid complaints of dangerous golf-cart drivers.

Soon, the department may issue tickets, city commissioner Robert Stuart said.

“The city of Orlando does not have a golf cart ordinance, so therefore we go to the state law, which is that golf carts aren’t allowed,” he said. “If you’re driving a golf cart, and you’re a legal driver, you’re still violating the law.”

But while golf carts aren’t technically allowed on Orlando’s streets, they may be modified with various safety upgrades into so-called low-speed vehicles, which allow them to be legally driven in the city and throughout the state on roads with a speed limit of less than 35 mph. Recent changes in Florida’s golf cart laws are aimed at seeking more compliance with these requirements from drivers who want to take golf carts off the course.

Stuart said golf carts have been a problem in neighborhoods across the city, like Thornton Park, Baldwin Park and Lake Nona. Golf carts have been spotted on sidewalks and bike lanes and teens have been seen running stop signs, or piling several into a cart, he said.

He said the enforcement is an attempt to curb a safety issue.

“All we’re trying to say is please make your vehicle legal: get it properly insured, get a license tag and drive it like you’re supposed to,” he said.

OPD didn’t make any officers available for an interview.

In Florida, golf carts aren’t allowed on public roads unless a local city or county has an ordinance specifically allowing them. Stuart, first elected in 2006, said the city hasn’t considered an ordinance in his tenure.

Legal low-speed vehicles must have a windshield, seat belts, rear-view and side mirrors, headlights, tail lights, a parking brake and reflectors, in addition to a title, registration and insurance, according to the warning OPD officers are issuing drivers. They also must be able to go at least 20 mph, but not greater than 25 mph, according to Florida law.

Additionally, Florida lawmakers tweaked the state’s golf cart law, requiring a driver to have at least a learner’s license, or a valid driver’s license if they’re under 18. Adults must have a valid form of ID. The law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis earlier this year, went into effect Oct. 1.

Kennedy said his vehicle had all of the required safety features to be legal, except for registration and insurance, which he’s planning to get – even as he questioned whether enforcement was the best use of city resources.

“I don’t understand why people think it’s unsafe to have golf carts in the neighborhood,” he said. “For every golf cart that’s driving around, there’s one less vehicle.”

He said they don’t let their children drive it, and sometimes roll around the neighborhood to visit neighbors or look at houses. Potential homebuyers like that golf carts are an option in College Park, too, Kennedy said.

Lisa Lovell said she’s noticed golf cart usage increasing over the past year in Baldwin Park. At first, it was mostly families, but in recent months she said it’s often teens – and even younger – driving them.

“This area is like The Villages now. There’s so many golf carts,” she said.

Lovell said about a month ago she saw two children driving a cart, and make a left turn onto General Rees Avenue, as a speeding car whizzed by and missed them by a few feet. The cart continued on toward Corrine Drive, which has a 35 mph speed limit, but where drivers are known to travel much faster .

In 2021, a national study by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that 6,500 children are injured each year in golf-cart-related incidents, with more than half coming in children 12 and under.

The study, spanning 10 years, found most injuries were superficial, with fractures and dislocations as the second most common injury.

Lovell said she likes the idea of the electric golf carts but fears for untrained drivers.

“I’m just concerned for their safety,” she said.

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