Oklahoma Golf Cart Laws
Riding golf carts or low-speed vehicles on Oklahoma roads is dictated by a variety of different laws and guidelines.
Fully understanding these elements can ensure that your cart use is safe and legal.
Federal Rules
The federal government sets no rules for golf cart use in states but does ask that all low-speed vehicles feature a variety of safety upgrades.
These include headlights, stop lights, turn signal lights, taillights, reflex reflectors, parking brakes, rearview mirrors, windshields, seat belts, and a vehicle identification number or VIN.
Golf Cart Laws
Oklahoma, like many states, does not allow golf cart use on their state-owned highways.
However, they reserve the right for cities and municipalities to enable cart usage on their roads.
They do set a variety of guidelines that dictate when and where these golf carts can be used.
Sometimes, these rules will vary based on a county-wide or a city-wide basis, so make sure you investigate thoroughly before riding.
For example, the state dictates that carts cannot travel above 20 miles per hour.
That’s because golf carts are, as manufactured, unable to hit these speeds.
If they can, then they are no longer golf carts but low-speed vehicles.
At this point, they are subject to the rules and laws dictating their use.
Make sure to investigate this facet, as well, to ensure that you don’t end up breaking the law by accident.
Other limitations include sticking to roads with a speed limit of 25 miles per hour or less and the inability to drive outside of daylight hours.
Daylight hours are legally defined as those between sunrise and sunset.
So the appropriate riding times will vary depending on the season and how daylight is affected by these changes.
Check your local weather report to see when the sun rises and sets.
And all golf carts must have appropriate signage, as dictated by the county or city commissioners in the area in which you ride.
Typically, this will include blinking lights and a “slow-moving” vehicle sign.
Lastly, all drivers must be at least 16 years or older to ride golf carts are appropriate roads.
If they are between 12-16, they must take a safety course that allows them to ride the cart.
Low-Speed Vehicles Guidelines
If you upgrade your golf cart to become a low-speed vehicle, you must follow a multitude of different guidelines.
That’s because your cart is now considered a motor vehicle by law.
The upgrades mention previously – including headlights, brakes, and windshields – must be installed appropriately.
You also need to register and license your cart to make it road-legal for any roads in Oklahoma.
After you register your vehicle, you need to investigate where a city allows you to ride on its roads.
While Oklahoma allows cart use on roads with a speed limit of 35 miles per hour or lower, some towns may not allow this usage.
Talk to city officials to see where and when you can drive carts.
Remember: they can control cart use on their roadways but not on those of the state.
So if there is an appropriate state road that has a speed limit of 35 miles per hour, you can likely ride on your low-speed vehicle.
That said, cities do have the capacity to restrict some road usage situations within their city limits.
So, as always, talk to your local officials to learn more about what to expect from this situation.
Doing so can ensure that you don’t run into any legal troubles.
And if you are driving a low-speed vehicle, you must have a valid driver’s license on your person at all times.
Remember: your cart is not a golf cart any more but a low-speed vehicle.
Therefore, you also need to have valid Personal Injury Protection and Property Damage Liability insurance.
These policies help to ensure that your cart is safe to drive and that you don’t run into any financial problems.
Medium-Speed Laws
Oklahoma is one of a handful of states to have laws for medium-speed vehicles on their books.
These vehicles are those that can travel above 25 miles per hour but no more than 35 miles per hour.
Some golf carts or even low-speed cars may be upgraded to meet these standards.
If you want to drive one of these vehicles in Oklahoma, you need to stick to roads of 45 miles per hour or less.
And you cannot travel faster than 35 miles per hour while on these roads.
Often, these rules will vary depending on the city in the state.
So make sure that you reach out to officials near you to learn more about what to expect.
They can help you fully understand what to expect.
Some cities may not allow you to take these vehicles on certain roads, so get a map that showcases where you can go.
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.
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