Short answer: In Illinois, a golf cart is a non-highway vehicle and may be driven on a public road only where the local government (or the state for its roads) has authorized it, and then only on roads posted 35 mph or less, by a licensed driver, with liability insurance and specific lights and safety equipment. A low-speed vehicle (LSV, top speed above 20 but not above 25 mph) may be driven on streets posted 30 mph or less unless a road authority prohibits it, and it must be titled, registered, insured and driven by a licensed driver.
Last verified against the Illinois Compiled Statutes on the Illinois General Assembly website (625 ILCS 5/1-123.9, 1-140.7, 3-101, 7-203, 11-1426.1, 11-1426.2): . 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 Illinois: side-by-side
| Rule | Golf cart | Low-speed vehicle (LSV) |
|---|---|---|
| Legal definition | Vehicle designed to carry one or more people and their golf clubs or maintenance equipment on a golf course (625 ILCS 5/1-123.9); a type of non-highway vehicle (5/11-1426.1(a)) | Four-wheeled vehicle with a top speed above 20 mph but not above 25 mph that meets 49 C.F.R. 571.500 (5/1-140.7) |
| Where you can drive | Only roads a local government or the Department of Transportation has opened to non-highway vehicles, and only roads posted 35 mph or less; may cross faster roads at intersections (5/11-1426.1) | Any street posted 30 mph or less unless prohibited; streets posted above 30 and up to 35 mph only where the local government allows it (5/11-1426.2) |
| Driver | Valid driver's license (5/11-1426.1(b-5)) | Valid driver's license (5/11-1426.2(g)) |
| Title and registration | Not addressed in the sections we reviewed; check with your local government for permits | Certificate of title and valid registration required (5/11-1426.2(l)); title applies to LSVs manufactured after January 1, 2010 (5/3-101(e)) |
| Insurance | Required: the state's mandatory liability insurance law applies (5/11-1426.1(g)) | Required: the state's mandatory liability insurance law applies (5/11-1426.2(i)) |
| Night driving | No state time-of-day ban in 5/11-1426.1; headlight and tail lamp must be lit whenever the cart is on a roadway | No time-of-day ban; headlight and tail lamps must be lit as Section 12-201 requires |
Where can you drive a golf cart in Illinois?
The default rule in 625 ILCS 5/11-1426.1 is that non-highway vehicles, including golf carts, may not be driven on streets, highways or roadways. The exceptions are:
- Locally authorized roads. A municipality, township, county or other local government, or the Department of Transportation, may open roads under its jurisdiction after weighing traffic volume, speed and character and finding public safety will not be jeopardized. Signs must be posted.
- 35 mph cap. Even when authorized, operation is limited to roads posted 35 mph or less.
- Crossings. A cart may cross a faster road at an intersection. Tollroads, interstates and controlled-access highways may not be crossed directly; other state highways may be crossed only at an intersection with another public road.
- Shared roads. Where more than one government has jurisdiction, each must agree.
LSVs follow different rules in 5/11-1426.2: streets posted 30 mph or less are open unless the road authority prohibits LSVs and posts signs. An LSV may cross a street posted 45 mph or less at an intersection, and a faster street only at a traffic light or four-way stop.
What equipment does a golf cart need in Illinois?
To use an authorized roadway, a golf cart needs all of the following (5/11-1426.1(e)):
- Brakes, a steering apparatus and tires
- A rearview mirror
- Red reflectorized warning devices on the front and rear
- A slow-moving vehicle emblem
- A white headlight visible from 500 feet
- A red tail lamp visible from at least 100 feet
- Brake lights and turn signals
The headlight and tail lamp must be lit whenever the cart is on a roadway. The statute also applies Illinois DUI law to anyone driving a golf cart on a roadway.
How old do you have to be to drive a golf cart in Illinois?
The state does not state an age; it requires a valid driver's license issued in the driver's name by the Secretary of State or another jurisdiction (5/11-1426.1(b-5)). The same license rule applies to LSVs (5/11-1426.2(g)).
Do you need registration and insurance in Illinois?
Golf carts: anyone operating one on a roadway is subject to the mandatory insurance requirements in Article VI of Chapter 7 of the Vehicle Code (5/11-1426.1(g)). Section 7-203 sets the minimum liability amounts at $25,000 for injury or death of one person, $50,000 for two or more people in one crash and $20,000 for property damage. State title and registration for golf carts are not addressed in the sections we reviewed; check with your local government, which may run its own permit system.
LSVs: the owner must obtain a certificate of title and display valid registration (5/11-1426.2(l)) and meet the same mandatory insurance law (5/11-1426.2(i)). Section 3-101(e) applies the title requirement to LSVs manufactured after January 1, 2010.
What makes a golf cart street legal (an LSV) in Illinois?
The vehicle must meet the LSV definition: four wheels, a top speed above 20 mph but not above 25 mph, and compliance with the federal standard at 49 C.F.R. 571.500. On the street it must have at least (5/11-1426.2(f)):
- A parking brake, steering apparatus and tires
- A windshield meeting the federal glazing standard
- A vehicle identification number
- Seat belts
- A rearview mirror and a driver-side exterior mirror
- Red reflectorized warning devices on each rear side and at the center rear
- A white headlight visible from 500 feet and a red tail lamp visible from at least 100 feet
- Brake lights and front and rear turn signals
See our federal street-legal requirements guide for the national standard.
Can you convert a golf cart to an LSV in Illinois?
Not specified in the statutes we reviewed. The LSV sections describe what an LSV must be and require a title and registration, but they do not lay out a procedure for re-titling a modified golf cart. Contact the Illinois Secretary of State before converting. Penalties are not stated in 5/11-1426.1 or 5/11-1426.2.
Sources
- 625 ILCS 5/11-1426.1: Operation of non-highway vehicles on streets, roads and highways
- 625 ILCS 5/11-1426.2: Operation of low-speed vehicles on streets
- 625 ILCS 5/1-123.9: Golf cart definition
- 625 ILCS 5/1-140.7: Low-speed vehicle definition
- 625 ILCS 5/3-101: Certificate of title required
- 625 ILCS 5/7-203: Minimum liability insurance amounts