Indiana Golf Cart & Low Speed Vehicle Laws

Shop Golf Carts in Indiana

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

Is this state Medium Speed Vehicle friendly? No State Law is Currently in Place.

Is License and Registration a Requirement? For LSVs, yes. For Golf Carts, no. Golf Carts cannot be registered in the state of Indiana.

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.

 

Indiana Golf Cart & Low Speed Vehicle Laws

Guidelines for Golf Carts and PTVs (Personal Transportation Vehicles)

Golf carts cannot be registered in the state of Indiana, however that does not mean they cannot be driven on public roads.

“A city, county, or town may adopt by ordinance traffic regulations concerning the use of golf carts or off-road vehicles, or both on a highway under the jurisdiction of the city, county, or town.” – Ordinance IC 9-21-1-3.3 found here

In other words, your city may allow the use of golf carts on public roads. You need to check with your local jurisdiction to see if they allow this.

UPDATE (04/30/18): For the city of Knox, IN, golf cart registration and placement of the Knox Golf Cart Permit on the front driver’s side area of the golf cart is now required in order to operate on city streets. Please find more information about this here.

UPDATE (06/11/18): The city of Noblesville adopted a golf cart-friendly ordinance in January 2018 which now allows golf carts to operate on city streets within certain subdivisions and neighborhoods. You can find out all the information regarding golf cart laws in Noblesville, IN here.

Guidelines for LSV (Low Speed Vehicle)

    • Has four wheels.
    • Has a maximum design speed of not more than thirty-five (35) miles per hour.
    • Has a 17-digit conforming vehicle identification number (VIN)
    • 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.
    • Is equipped with:
      (A) headlamps;
      (B) front and rear turn signal lamps, tail lamps, and stop lamps;
      (C) reflex reflectors;
      (D) exterior or interior mirrors;
      (E) brakes as specified in IC 9-19-3-1;
      (F) a windshield;
      (G) a vehicle identification number; and
      (H) a safety belt installed at each designated seating position
    • Has not been privately assembled as described in IC 9-17-4-1.

    The term does not include a golf cart or an off-road vehicle.

    NOTE: A manufacturer’s certificate of origin for a low speed vehicle must indicate that the motor vehicle is a low speed vehicle 

  • LSVs may look like a golf-cart to the casual observer, but is actually a motor vehicle requiring a valid driver license, registration, and insurance.

    HELPFUL LINKS

    www.iga.in.gov – LSV Laws
    www.iga.in.gov – Golf Carts on Roads

INDUSTRY NEWS

2024 “Best Of Golf Carts” Survey Results

We conducted a survey from July 22,2024 to August 14, 2024. During this timeframe, over 2,400 Golf Car Consumers from around the nation responded...

STRYTEN ENERGY INKS LICENSING AGREEMENT WITH DRAGONFLY ENERGY TO LAUNCH ITS BATTLE BORN BATTERIES®...

ALPHARETTA, GA & RENO, NV (July 30, 2024) — Stryten Energy LLC, a U.S.-based manufacturer of advanced energy storage solutions, today announced a strategic...

Introducing T-BUGGY® EV: Revolutionizing Autonomous Driving with Advanced ADAS and Connectivity

The Oribay Group proudly announces the launch of the T-BUGGY® EV, a groundbreaking next-generation autonomous, connected, and electric golf cart designed to transform the...

CLUB CAR PROUD TO DRIVE THE WORLD’S TOP GOLFERS WITH 2024 SOLHEIM CUP PARTNERSHIP

GAINESVILLE, VA (July 15, 2024) — Club Car®, a global leader in innovation and design for golf cars, low-speed utility vehicles and personal-use transportation...

EA CARTS ANNOUNCES BOLD ENTRY INTO RECREATIONAL GOLF CART MARKET WITH MAJOR PARTNERSHIPS

INDIANAPOLIS (July 25, 2024) — EA Carts, founded by entrepreneur Theodore “TJ” Johnson, is thrilled to announce its entry into the recreational golf cart...

MAZZONE ADVISES VALORBRIDGE PARTNERS ON ITS INVESTMENT IN ATLAS CARTS

July 2024 — Mazzone & Associates (“Mazzone”) is pleased to announce that it acted as exclusive financial advisor to ValorBridge Partners (“ValorBridge”) with respect...

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.

Recent News & Helpful Articles

2024 PGA Merchandise Show Recap

The 2024 PGA Merchandise Show was a historic week for the Golf Car / LSV...

Yamaha Golf Car introduces a Concept Hydrogen Engine Golf Car

Yamaha Golf Car introduced the industry's first Hydrogen powered golf car, the DRIVE H2.  The...

Club Car Receives GolfCartResource.com’s “Best Golf Car for the Course” Award

The GolfCartResource.com team was proud to present Club Car the "Best Golf Car for the...

Tips and Rules for Renting a Golf Cart or LSV on Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island

If you are a frequent visitor to Isle of Palms or Sullivan’s Island, or are...

Euro NCAP Performs Golf Cart Crash Test at 31mph

Wowza. If you've ever wanted to see what a golf cart going 31mph and crashing...