Short answer: In Connecticut, a golf cart may be driven on a public road only where the local traffic authority has permitted it, only in daylight, only on roads posted 25 mph or less, and only by a licensed driver; the cart needs a horn and a flag, and the DMV does not register golf carts. Since October 1, 2024, a low-speed vehicle (LSV, 20 to 25 mph) may be driven on roads with a speed limit of 25 mph or less, but it is treated as a motor vehicle and the state will not title a homemade LSV or a retrofitted golf cart.
Last verified against the Connecticut General Statutes (sections 14-289m and 14-300g), Public Act 24-20 and Office of Legislative Research reports: . Reviewed by Mike Burdman and Joe Magaro, Low Speed Living / Cart Life TV (20 years combined golf cart experience). This page is general information, not legal advice; cities, counties and HOAs can add stricter rules.
Golf cart vs. LSV in Connecticut: side-by-side
| Rule | Golf cart | Low-speed vehicle (LSV) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal definition | Section 14-300g regulates golf carts without setting a speed threshold in the text we reviewed | Same meaning as the federal definition in 49 CFR 571.3 (CGS 14-1, as amended by P.A. 24-20): a four-wheeled vehicle that can go more than 20 mph but not more than 25 mph, with a gross vehicle weight rating under 3,000 lb |
| Where you can drive | Only on local roads where the town, city or borough traffic authority has permitted golf carts, and only roads posted 25 mph or less (CGS 14-300g(a)) | Highways with an established speed limit of 25 mph or less, unless the local traffic authority or the Office of State Traffic Administration has prohibited or limited LSVs there (CGS 14-289m(a)) |
| Driver | Must hold a valid motor vehicle operator's license (CGS 14-300g(a)) | Valid driver's license, according to the legislature's bill analysis of P.A. 24-20 |
| Title and registration | The DMV does not register golf carts (OLR Report 2020-R-0259) | Required as a motor vehicle, according to the bill analysis. No title for a homemade LSV or a golf cart retrofitted to qualify as one (CGS 14-12(f)(7)) |
| Insurance | The DMV commissioner may set requirements by regulation; none had been adopted as of OLR's October 2020 report | Required as for other motor vehicles, according to the bill analysis. Amounts are not stated in the sources we reviewed |
| Night driving | Not allowed. Daylight hours only (CGS 14-300g(a)) | No night restriction appears in CGS 14-289m |
Where can you drive a golf cart in Connecticut?
By default, nowhere on public roads: the DMV does not register golf carts, and driving an unregistered motor vehicle on a public road is an infraction (CGS 14-12(a), as described in OLR Report 2020-R-0259). The exception is section 14-300g, which lets a town, city or borough traffic authority permit golf carts on streets under its jurisdiction, with these state conditions:
- Daylight hours only.
- Roads posted 25 mph or less. The authority cannot approve a road with a higher posted limit.
- Licensed driver. The operator must hold a valid motor vehicle operator's license.
- Horn and flag. See the equipment section below.
The traffic authority can add its own conditions. Breaking the state or local conditions is an infraction. OLR's 2020 report cites East Lyme as one municipality that has adopted a golf cart ordinance.
LSVs may be driven on a highway with an established speed limit of 25 mph or less. A local traffic authority, or the Office of State Traffic Administration for state roads, may prohibit or limit them on particular roads (CGS 14-289m(a), effective October 1, 2024). Whether an LSV may cross a faster road is not addressed in the text we reviewed.
What equipment does a golf cart need in Connecticut?
A golf cart driven under a local authorization must have (CGS 14-300g(a)):
- A working horn that meets the state's horn requirement in section 14-80(e)
- A flag placed so that drivers of other vehicles can see the cart
Your traffic authority may require more. An LSV must carry the equipment required for motor vehicles under sections 14-80 to 14-106b, except where a requirement does not apply to, or conflicts with, the federal LSV standard in 49 CFR 571.500 (CGS 14-289m(b)).
How old do you have to be to drive a golf cart in Connecticut?
The statute sets no separate minimum age. It requires every golf cart operator on a permitted road to hold a valid motor vehicle operator's license (CGS 14-300g(a)), so the practical minimum is the age at which you can be licensed. The legislature's bill analysis says LSV drivers must also hold a valid driver's license.
Do golf carts need registration or insurance in Connecticut?
Golf carts: The DMV does not register them. Section 14-300g(b) allows the DMV commissioner to set golf cart insurance requirements by regulation; OLR reported in October 2020 that none had been adopted. We could not confirm whether any have been adopted since, so check with your town and the DMV.
LSVs: Public Act 24-20 added LSVs to the statutory definition of "motor vehicle". The legislature's bill analysis explains that this makes them subject to registration, title and insurance like other motor vehicles. Insurance amounts and fees are not stated in the sources we reviewed; confirm them with the Connecticut DMV.
Penalties: Violating section 14-300g or section 14-289m is an infraction. OLR's 2020 report put the ticket for a golf cart violation at $117 under the court fine schedule then in effect; the current amount may differ.
What makes a golf cart street legal (an LSV) in Connecticut?
Connecticut uses the federal definition: a four-wheeled vehicle that reaches more than 20 mph but not more than 25 mph, built to the federal LSV safety standard. OLR Report 2023-R-0242 summarizes the federal equipment as:
- Headlights, turn signals, tail lights and brake lights
- Reflex reflectors
- A driver-side exterior mirror plus a passenger-side exterior mirror or an interior mirror
- A parking brake
- A federally compliant windshield
- Seat belts and a compliant VIN
- A pedestrian alert sound for electric and hybrid vehicles
That 2023 report predates the change in the law: it says Connecticut did not authorize LSVs at the time. Public Act 24-20 authorized them from October 1, 2024. See our federal street-legal requirements guide for the national standard.
Can you convert a golf cart to an LSV in Connecticut?
No. Public Act 24-20 added subdivision (7) to CGS 14-12(f), which bars the DMV commissioner from issuing a certificate of title for a homemade low-speed vehicle or for a golf cart that has been retrofitted to qualify as a low-speed vehicle. To drive on Connecticut's 25 mph roads as an LSV, buy a vehicle that was manufactured as an LSV.
Sources
- Connecticut General Statutes, Chapter 249, section 14-300g: Operation of golf carts. Equipment. Insurance.
- Connecticut General Statutes section 14-289m: Operation of low-speed vehicles. Penalty.
- Public Act 24-20 (Substitute Senate Bill 183), sections 33 to 35: low-speed vehicles
- Office of Legislative Research bill analysis for SB 183 (2024), as amended by Senate A
- OLR Report 2020-R-0259: golf carts on local roads
- OLR Report 2023-R-0242: low-speed vehicles (pre-2024 law and federal standards)
- Summary of Public Act 25-159, section 63: low-speed vehicle dealers