New golf cart regulations go into effect July 1 … Do you know what they entail?
One of the biggest changes to take place in a very long time is about to occur on July 1, when the newly-signed golf cart law goes into effect. House Bill 949 was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis a few weeks ago, which makes the legal age to operate a golf cart 16, or 15 with a learner’s permit and an adult present. If you’re 18 and older, you have to have valid government-issued identification.
According to legislators, this bill was introduced as so many new “golf cart communities” have popped up in Florida in the last several years, not to mention the purchase of golf carts in the state is at its historic peak.
Currently the law allows anyone 14 or older to drive a golf cart. Because many 14 year olds don’t have state identification, it could be difficult for law enforcement officers to ascertain whether a driver was of legal age or not. The new law requires identification to be present on the driver of a cart.
The state law also made it difficult for local governments to enact their own laws that would raise the age. Even so, places like Pine Island and Captiva already had regulations in place that required golf cart drivers to be at least 16 and possess a valid driver’s license.
There have been several times in the past that this legislation was proposed for Gasparilla Island, but each time it was struck down. In 2000 this same proposal was made to state legislators, but died in committee. In 2008 Lee County DOT made this same proposal, including child restraint devices being necessary for children 12 and under (this new law does not address that) but those measures were eventually taken out of the proposed legislation. Several young residents of the island collected more than 300 signatures opposing the proposal, using the rationale that they used their carts to go to work and back and, quite often, that their actual jobs depended on them driving golf carts.
Eventually Gasparilla Island was taken out of the golf cart equation, after it came to light that not only did an overwhelming majority of island residents not want the regulations changed, but that the county was weighing statistics from Captiva Island and using them for our island.
Those statistics showed that in a two-year span there were five accidents involving golf carts and drivers under the age of 16, while on Captiva in that same time period there were 42 incidents involving young drivers.
In recent years we have had very few accidents with injuries involving underage drivers … at least very few that have been reported. The majority of those accidents involve adults and, quite often, alcohol or simple improper handling. Another problem that many had with the regulation regarding anyone over the age of 18 having to have a valid driver’s license was that many of the island’s older residents had lost their license to drive a car. The question as to whether that would disallow them to drive a golf cart was a question that hung in limbo, as the legislation was never passed. The new law does not address this, it only states it, “prohibits a person 18 years of age or older from operating a golf cart on certain roadways unless he or she possesses a valid form of government-issued photographic identification.”
It does not specify that the identification has to be a driver’s license.
Another question that arises is whether this law will be enforced on the GICIA Bike Path, as it is considered to be private property. Executive Director Misty Nichols said they intend to enforce the law and they will change their regulations and signage on the Bike Path to read as such.
Drivers could face a noncriminal traffic violation – a moving violation – if they are not in compliance.
