Mississippi Golf Cart Laws
The great state of Mississippi has many rules and regulations that help to keep it a safe state.
Some of these come in the form of a golf cart and low-speed vehicle laws.
These guidelines help to keep drivers safe and regulate how golf carts are used.
Fully understanding them can keep you safe on the roads of Mississippi and make your visit or life there easier to handle.
The Federal Rules for Golf Carts
Let’s start here by discussing the federal regulations for golf carts and low-speed vehicles.
These impact how you register your low-speed vehicle and cause other complications that must be fully understood.
For example, the federal government does not regulate golf carts if they are incapable of reaching speeds of 20 miles per hour.
By their rules, they are subject to state and local requirements.
However, these demands change if your golf cart is upgraded to a low-speed vehicle.
At this point, a car that can travel faster than 20 miles per hour but does not exceed 25 miles per hour is considered a low-speed vehicle.
This qualification is different than that of a medium-speed, which can reach speeds of up to 35 miles per hour.
The rules for those vary based on various factors.
For now, let’s focus on golf carts and low-speed vehicles.
Once carts fall under this heading, they must be tweaked and upgraded to make them safe for the road.
The federal government demands these changes as a way of protecting many drivers.
For example, it will help the cart drivers and those on the road with them.
Upgrades that you need to add to your cart include:
Headlights
Taillights
Stop lights
Turn signals
Reflex reflectors
Parking brakes
Rearview mirrors
Seat belts for each rider
Windshields
Vehicle identification numbers or a VIN
These upgrades help to make a cart easier to spot when it is on the road.
They also make it easier for drivers to see other vehicles in rougher driving conditions.
Beyond these upgrades, the federal government does little to regulate low-speed vehicles.
However, they do ban them from national and international highways.
The top speeds here are too high and could be dangerous for golf carts.
Mississippi State Golf Cart Laws
Like all states, Mississippi has been left to its own devices when it comes to golf carts and low-speed vehicles.
Currently, the state has no laws on the books about golf carts.
They have passed this duty on to local areas.
As a result, you need to pay attention to where you are located when traveling in Mississippi.
Not every town has made driving golf carts a legal activity.
However, many started to do just that in 2018.
For example, Ocean Springs passed a law in that year that allowed golf carts to drive alongside cars on roads with a maximum speed limit of 30 miles per hour or less.
They asked that these carts include the upgrades necessary for federal low-speed vehicles.
That said, they do not demand that you get a VIN for your car or that it reaches a specific speed.
Similar laws have passed in Diamondhead Ordinance, Pass Christian Ordinance, Pascagoula Ordinance, Bay St. Louis Ordinance, Waveland Ordinance, and Long Beach Ordinance.
Here’s a list of the Ordinances:
- Pass Christian Ordinance
- Pascagoula Ordinance
- Bay St. Louis Ordinance
- Waveland Ordinance
- Long Beach Ordinance
- Diamondhead Ordinance
When visiting these areas, talk to the local law authorities to learn more about what you can and cannot do with golf carts.
As for low-speed vehicles, these must pass the federal safety regulations above and cannot travel outside of sunlight hours.
These are defined as between the hours of sunrise and sunset.
However, local governments may change this ruling, if they like, allowing carts with the proper lighting to ride in their community.
Again, you need to talk to the appropriate authorities to find out if this applies to your area.
And all carts used as a low-speed vehicle must reach speeds of 20 miles per hour but no more than 25 miles per hour over a one-mile stretch on a paved level.
Each must be inspected to meet Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, be under 3,000 pounds, possess a valid VIN, and have registration and licensing.
These facets help to make your cart legal and more comfortable to ride without legal troubles.
Other rules to consider include being incapable of riding on roads with a limit over 35 miles per hour, the ability to cross state roads at designated intersections, and the necessity for a driver’s license.
A permit won’t do – you’ll need a valid and up-to-date driver’s license to control a low-speed vehicle.
You also need insurance, including liability and collision protection, to keep you and other riders safe on the road.
However, you can get more intensive coverage, if you want.
That type of policy isn’t strictly necessary, however, and may cost more than it is worth for your protecting your cart.
Federal Golf Cart Laws
Helpful Links
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