City weighs golf cart use: Focus on adult authorization, not youth bans, as new state law expands vehicle options

By Greg Fugitt
Contributing Writer

As city leaders consider how to address golf cart use on public streets, the focus should shift away from banning minors, something already addressed by state law and towards passing an ordinance that would allow adult use safely and legally. At the same time, a new state law, Senate Bill 63, is giving local governments broader authority over special-purpose vehicles like ATVs and UTVs.

Under Kentucky Revised Statute 189.286, golf carts may only be operated on public streets if a local ordinance is in place. The law requires that, “The operator has a valid operator’s license in his or her possession … The golf cart displays a slow-moving vehicle emblem … A golf cart operating on a public roadway … shall be insured in compliance with KRS 304.39-080.” These provisions mean minors, who generally cannot obtain a valid driver’s license.  are already barred from operating golf carts on public roads. Without a local ordinance, golf carts remain illegal on city streets, regardless of who is driving.

To authorize adult golf cart use, city officials would need to pass an ordinance that designates which streets (posted 35 mph or less) are approved for golf cart use, requires inspections and permits as mandated by state law, limits use to licensed drivers, requires slow-moving vehicle emblems and proof of insurance, and limits operation to daylight hours. Such an ordinance would align the city with state law and provide a legal framework for safe golf cart operation.

Senate Bill 63, which took effect June 27, 2025, gives cities and counties the option to allow “street-legal special-purpose vehicles” (SPVs) on public roads. These include ATVs, UTVs, and minitrucks. Under SB 63, SPVs must have required safety equipment such as headlights, seatbelts, mirrors, roll bars, and mufflers; be inspected by a certified inspector and display a permit decal; be registered with the county, paying a $10 fee and a $25 annual inspection fee; and stay within 20 miles of home on public roads. Local governments must opt in for these vehicles to be permitted on their roads.

City and county officials should be deciding whether to authorize adult golf cart use, whether to allow SPVs, and how best to ensure safety and compliance with state law. And not so much as to banning youth.