Texas Golf Cart Laws
Not legal advice. This is a summary of state laws, not legal advice. Laws change — verify with your local DMV before driving. Last verified: March 2026.
- Minimum Age
- 16
- License Required
- Yes
- Max Speed
- 35 mph
- Allowed Roads
- Roads in master-planned communities with speed limits of 35 mph or less, Public beaches, Unincorporated county roads where authorized, Highway crossing at designated points
- Permitted Hours
- Daylight hours only
Texas has one of the most permissive golf cart frameworks in the country for master-planned communities and golf course areas. Under Texas Transportation Code Chapter 551, golf carts may be operated on public roads in specific circumstances: on roads in master-planned communities with a speed limit of 35 mph or less, on public beaches, and on roads in unincorporated areas where the county has authorized it. Golf carts may cross divided highways at designated crossings. Texas does not require registration for golf carts operated within these permitted areas, but operators must be 16 or older and hold a valid driver's license. Golf cart operation on public roads is limited to daylight hours.
Tex. Transp. Code § 551.401 Definition of Golf Cart
In this subchapter, 'golf cart' means a motor vehicle designed by the manufacturer primarily for use on a golf course.
— Tex. Transp. Code § 551.401
Texas law defines a golf cart as a motor vehicle designed by the manufacturer primarily for use on a golf course. Golf carts are not classified as low-speed vehicles (LSVs) under Texas law. The Transportation Code treats them in a separate chapter from neighborhood electric vehicles, with different road-use authorization rules.
Tex. Transp. Code § 551.403 Operation of Golf Cart on Public Road — Master-Planned Community
A golf cart may be operated on a public road that is located in a master-planned community, as defined by Section 209.002, Property Code, that encompasses 2,000 or more acres if the speed limit is not more than 35 miles per hour.
— Tex. Transp. Code § 551.403
A golf cart may be operated on a public road in a master-planned community if the road has a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less and the master-planned community encompasses 2,000 or more acres. The operator must be 16 years or older and hold a valid driver's license. Operation is permitted only during daylight hours. A golf cart operated under this section is not required to be registered or titled.
Tex. Transp. Code § 551.404 Operation of Golf Cart on Public Beach
Golf carts may be operated on a public beach open to vehicular traffic. The operator must hold a valid driver's license. This provision is particularly relevant for coastal communities along the Gulf Coast where beach driving is permitted.
Tex. Transp. Code § 551.405 Operation of Golf Cart in Unincorporated Area
The commissioners court of a county may authorize the operation of golf carts on public roads in the unincorporated area of the county that have a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less. The county may also authorize golf carts to cross a divided highway at an intersection where the highway intersects with a road on which golf cart operation is permitted.