Idaho Golf Cart Laws
Idaho is a large state filled with much open land and fun places to ride your vehicles.
And their laws on golf cart and low-speed vehicle use is usually quite broad and not very restrictive.
However, you must pay attention to these laws before you try to take your cart out on a road.
Thankfully, the following rules and regulations should be quite easy for most people to understand without difficulty.
Federal Interpretations of Low-Speed Vehicles
Under current federal regulations on motor vehicles, low-speed vehicles are subject only to state and local requirements.
These guidelines indicate vehicles that were manufactured to travel under 20 miles per hour and not those carts that were built to exceed those speeds.
If vehicles go above these speeds, they may fall under low-speed vehicle regulations and are considered motor vehicles.
At this point, any vehicle classed as a low-speed vehicle is subject to restrictions put in place by the federal government.
These include an inability to drive on federal or international highways.
These roads are considered too dangerous for low-speed vehicles.
In some limited areas, cart drivers may be able to ride over these roads if they are on appropriate city or state highways.
This loophole exists because people crossing highways in these carts are, technically, on a city or state road and not on the federal or international highway.
The road on which the cart drives must otherwise be eligible for cart travel.
It must also be indicated as an appropriate intersection by local, state, and federal laws.
Failure to do so may result in penalties and even jail time.
As manufactured, golf carts do not fall under these headings as most cannot go faster than 20 miles per hour.
However, if you increase their speed to go above this rate, they must then be treated as low-speed vehicles and not golf carts.
This importance is critical to understand because you need to take multiple appropriate steps to keep your golf carts ready for the road and safe to use in Idaho.
Classifications of Golf Carts
Idaho has fairly vague definitions of what they consider golf carts.
This may cause confusion in some people or make them uncomfortable riding on a cart.
However, low-speed vehicles are pretty specifically defined and protected by state law.
As a result, you can ignore what Idaho considers a golf cart as long as you are able to upgrade it to be a low-speed vehicle.
According to Colorado state laws, a low-speed vehicle must possess four wheels, an electric motor, headlamps, turn signals, tail lamps, stop lights, red reflectors on each side on the back of the cart, mirrors on the drivers side, passenger side, and center, parking brakes, a windshield, seat belts for each rider in the cart, and a vehicle identification number or a VIN.
They must travel between 20-25 miles per hour when on appropriate roads.
Riders can obtain a VIN from a DMV official.
Take the cart to your local DMV department and have them inspect it.
They will ride the cart, gauge its safety protection, and give you a VIN if appropriate.
Once you have a VIN, you can register your low-speed vehicle and get a license to place on the back.
You should also get insurance for your cart, including liability and damage to protect yourself from lawsuits.
The exact insurance needs may vary depending on your area.
Once your golf cart is upgraded, registered, and licensed, you can drive it on appropriate roads in your area.
However, not every city allows this type of transportation on their streets.
Strict restrictions may keep you from taking your golf cart out in your area.
As a result, you need to talk to local officials to learn where you can ride your cart and where use is more restricted.
Legal Considerations
The legal demands of Idaho for golf carts are typical for many states and even less demanding than others in some ways.
For example, you must have valid license plates and liability insurance as your cart, as previously mentioned.
However, you also need to have a valid driver’s license to take out one of these carts.
This factor is not an issue if you take your cart out on private roads – use is not restricted here.
While some states may let younger riders with permits take these carts on road by themselves – or accompanied by a licensed adult – Idaho is more restrictive in this way.
And road use will vary depending on the city in which you travel.
But any road on which you can ride a golf cart must have a top speed limit of 35 miles per hour.
Your cart, however, can only travel up to 25 miles per hour but never faster.
Therefore, you may need a slow-moving vehicle sign on the back of your cart whenever you take it out for rides.
Ask your local authorities about this factor before hitting the road.
Federal Golf Cart Laws
Helpful Links
www.one.nhtsa.gov
iltva.org
www.legislature.idaho.gov
Disclaimer
Even though our guides are thorough and researched, it is highly recommended that you perform your own research and check with your local municipality on rules as well.
Leave a Reply