Oregon Golf Cart & Low Speed Vehicle Laws

PLEASE NOTE: Golf Cart Laws may vary from City to City, so please be sure to check with your local municipality in regards to the laws in your area. We are in the process of gathering laws by municipality for you, however, this is a huge undertaking and does take time. Thank you.

This is an in-depth guide to Oregon Golf Cart & Low-Speed Vehicle Laws. We’ve created this guide to help you, the consumer, in determining Oregon’s laws.

Is this state Medium Speed Vehicle friendly? Yes. It must meet the vehicle safety standards as provided in OAR 737-010-0020 (see below) and the Medium-Speed Electric Vehicle Certification, Form 7213, must be completed as well.

Is License and Registration a Requirement? For LSVs and Medium Speed Vehicles, yes. For Golf Carts, no.

General Federal Law for Golf Carts:

Under current NHTSA interpretations and regulations, so long as golf cars and other similar vehicles are incapable of exceeding 20 miles per hour, they are subject to only state and local requirements regarding safety equipment. However, if these vehicles are originally manufactured so that they can go faster than 20 miles per hour, they are treated as motor vehicles under Federal law.

The standard requires low-speed vehicles to be equipped with headlamps, stop lamps, turn signal lamps, taillamps, reflex reflectors, parking brakes, rearview mirrors, windshields, seat belts, and vehicle identification numbers.

Find out more information on federal laws pertaining to golf carts and low speed vehicles here.

Oregon Golf Cart & Low Speed Vehicle Laws

Guidelines for Golf Carts and PTVs (Personal Transportation Vehicles)

There are no set requirements in regards to mandatory safety equipment pertaining to golf carts.

A road authority, on any of its own highways that are located adjacent to a golf course, may permit the operation of golf carts between the golf course and the place where golf carts are parked or stored or located within or bounded by a real estate development.

It seems that the laws pertaining to golf carts on public roads are maintained by the local authorities. Reach out to your local municipality for more information.

Guidelines for LSV (Low Speed Vehicle)

A Low-Speed Vehicle is as follows:

• Has four wheels.
• Within one mile can reach a speed of more than 20 miles per hour (mph) but not more than 25 mph on a paved level surface.
• Has a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of less than 3,000 pounds.
• Must be certified to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) to be registered and operated on public streets, roads, or highways.
• Not be operated on any roadway with a speed limit above 35 mph.

An LSV must also be equipped with the following:

• Headlamps
• Front and rear turn signal lamps
• Taillamps
• Stop lamps
• Reflex reflectors: one red on each side as far to the rear as practicable, and one red on the rear
• Has a vehicle identification number (VIN) that complies with 49 CFR Part 565
• An exterior mirror mounted on the driver’s side of the vehicle and either an exterior mirror mounted on the passenger’s side of the vehicle or an interior mirror
• A parking brake
• A windshield that conforms to the Federal motor vehicle safety standard on glazing materials (49 CFR 571.205).
• A Type 1 or Type 2 seat belt assembly conforming to Sec. 571.209 of this part, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 209, Seat belt assemblies, installed at each designated seating position

Guidelines for MSV (Medium-Speed Vehicles)

A medium-speed electric vehicle must Comply with the following Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) found in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Title 49, Part 571, 2008 edition.

A Medium-Speed Vehicle must also have the following equipment:

• Lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment.

• Rearview mirrors.

• Theft protection and rollaway prevention standards.

• Light vehicle brake systems.

• Door locks and door retention components.

• Seat belt assemblies. A Type 1 or Type 2 seat belt assembly conforming to FMVSS No. 209, installed at each designated seating position, and whose mounting complies with FMVSS No. 210.

• Roof crush resistance.

• Electric-powered vehicles: electrolyte spillage and electrical shock protection.

• A windshield of AS–1 or AS–5 composition, that conforms to the American National Standards Institute’s ‘‘Safety Code for Safety Glazing Materials for Glazing Motor Vehicles Operating on Land Highway,’’ Z–26.1–1977, January 28, 1977, as supplemented by Z26.1a, July 3, 1980.

• Comply with the federal Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) requirements found in 49 CFR Part 565.

• Be equipped with a horn in good working order and capable of emitting sound audible under normal conditions from a distance of not less than 200 feet, but no horn shall emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound.

• Be fully enclosed and may not be an open-body type vehicle.

For information on titling your LSV or MSV visit the Oregon DMV’s Website Here.

Disclaimer
Although each of these state guides gives a thorough approach to the golf cart laws in your state, it is recommended that you perform the research on your own and reach out to your local municipality.