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

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.

Nebraska Golf Cart & Low Speed Vehicle Laws

Guidelines for Golf Carts and PTVs (Personal Transportation Vehicles)

Golf Carts in Nebraska are defined as the following:

• A vehicle that has at least four wheels
• Has a maximum level ground speed of less than twenty miles per hour
• Has a maximum payload capacity of one thousand two hundred pounds
• Has a maximum gross vehicle weight of two thousand five hundred pounds
• Has a maximum passenger capacity of not more than four persons
• Is designed and manufactured for operation on a golf course for sporting and recreational purposes
• Is not being operated within the boundaries of a golf course

Individual cities may allow the use of golf carts on public roadways as long as they are adjacent and contiguous to a golf course. You will need to check with your local municipality in regards to their laws for golf cart use on local roads. Here are a few laws that are mandatory statewide:

• Anyone operating a golf cart must have a valid Class O operator’s license, and the owner of the golf car vehicle must have liability insurance coverage for the golf car vehicle
• Golf Carts may only operate during the hours from sunrise and sunset and on roadways with a posted speed limit of 35 MPH or less.
• The golf cart may not be operated in excess speeds of 20 MPH.
• Golf Carts may not be operated on a state or federal highway, but is allowed to CROSS a highway that intersects with a street.

Guidelines for LSV (Low Speed Vehicle)

• 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 17-digit conforming vehicle identification number (VIN) – If a low-speed vehicle does not have a manufacturer’s vehicle identification number, the owner of the low-speed vehicle may apply for a certificate of title by presenting a manufacturer’s statement of origin for the low-speed vehicle, a statement that an inspection has been conducted on the low-speed vehicle and a vehicle identification number as described in section 60-148.
• 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.
• May be allowed to cross state highways with speed limits above 35 mph.

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.nebraskalegislature.gov – Golf Carts
www.nebraskalegislature.gov – Low Speed Vehicles

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.