Due to questions and concerns about the safety and legality of operating golf carts on city streets, the Amarillo Police Department wants to remind everyone about the state law that applies to that practice.
A golf cart is defined by law (Texas Transportation Code 502.001) as a motor vehicle. Since it is, all on-street legal requirements apply to the use of a golf cart, except that no license plates or proof of insurance is required. However, the operator must be a licensed driver and obey all traffic laws when operating the golf cart on a public street. These rules do NOT apply to operation on private property or a golf course, only on public roadways. By state law, a golf cart can be driven on a street under one of two conditions ONLY:
In a master planned community. The Greenways, Colonies, and La Paloma are the three listed by the City at this time,
OR for transportation to or from a golf course during the daytime on a road with a posted speed limit of not more than 35 miles per hour, and no more than two miles from where the owner usually parks the golf cart. Golf cart drivers are allowed to cross intersections of streets that have a speed limit over 35 MPH when being driven this way.
Golf carts driven on the roadway must have a slow-moving vehicle emblem, often seen as the orange triangle sign affixed other vehicles. It must be clean, reflective, visible from a distance of at least 500 feet in car headlights, be mounted at the rear of the golf cart, and 3-5 feet above the road surface.
Operating a golf cart outside of the law can be very dangerous for anyone in the cart. Golf carts are quiet, smaller than a vehicle that drivers are accustomed to looking for, and often difficult for other drivers to see. They are not designed to withstand collisions with cars, and do not offer the same protection to driver and passengers that a regular vehicle provides. Officers can issue traffic citations that carry a fine of up to $500 for violating this state law or permitting juveniles to violate this law.
