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Golf Cart Insurance Explained – Forbes Advisor

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Golf carts are more useful than an afternoon on the links. Some folks drive golf carts to get around their community, haul equipment or take leisurely rides around their property. transfer car

Golf Cart Insurance Explained – Forbes Advisor

If you plan to drive your golf cart on public roads, your state, county, city or town may require you to have golf cart insurance. But even if you’re not required to have it, it’s worth considering.

Golf cart insurance typically provides these types of coverage: collision and comprehensive, bodily injury and property damage liability, and other types. This coverage can be part of your car insurance, homeowners insurance or as a separate golf insurance policy.

You can also buy golf cart insurance with coverage for uninsured or underinsured motorists, personal injury protection (PIP) or medical payments, custom equipment and roadside assistance.

Golf cart insurance can pay for injuries when golfers fall off a cart, get struck by a car or crash into another vehicle or object.

Golf cart insurance has many similar coverage types to a typical car insurance policy. For example, you can buy coverage to pay for injuries, damage to someone else’s property or repairs to your golf cart if it gets cracked up in an accident. Here are some common coverage types that you can typically get with golf cart insurance:

To the casual observer, there might not be any difference between a golf cart and a low-speed vehicle (LSV). They can look virtually the same. But the biggest difference is top speed. A “conventional” golf cart has a top speed of less than 20 mph, while an LSV can typically reach speeds between 20 to 25 mph.

An LSV as defined by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration has:

Additionally, an LSV is required to be equipped with:

LSVs also have a sub-type called “neighborhood electric vehicles” (NEVs), which have top speeds of 25 miles per hour and fall under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 500 for low-speed vehicles. These vehicles often look more like a passenger car rather than a conventional golf cart.

A golf cart insurance policy with basic liability coverage can cost as little as $75 a year, according to Progressive. Adding other insurance like collision and comprehensive coverage, medical payments, uninsured motorist coverage or accessory coverage adds to the cost.

The exact cost of golf car insurance depends on factors such as:

If you plan to drive your golf cart on public roads, your insurance requirements will depend on your state, county, city or town. For example, Arizona requires all golf cart owners to have liability insurance. And Texas does not have a statewide requirement, although certain cities mandate insurance.

To drive your golf cart on public roads, you will need to have insurance that meets the minimum amount of car insurance in Arizona. You must buy:

Your golf cart is exempt from state registration if it carries no more than two people (including the driver), weighs less than 1,300 pounds and does not exceed more than 15 mph.

If your golf cart exceeds California limits, you may have to register and insure your golf cart, depending on where you live. For example, in Malibu, if your golf cart is an NEV or LSV, it can only be operated by licensed drivers and it must be registered and insured with the DMV.

Golf carts are not required to be titled, registered or insured in Florida. Golf carts can be driven on roads that are designated for golf carts with a posted speed limit of 30 mph or less. You must be at least 14 years old to drive a golf cart on designated public roads.

If your golf cart is an LSV, it must be registered, titled and insured with personal injury protection insurance and property damage liability insurance. You must have a valid driver’s license in your possession.

You can drive your golf cart in Nevada in residential developments that are approved by the city or county government. Certain developments in Clark County require a DMV permit and insurance.

If your golf cart is an LSV, it can be driven on public streets where the posted speed limit is 35 mph or less. An LSV is required to be registered and you must buy at least the minimum amount of car insurance in Nevada:

If you drive your golf cart on public roads, you must have at least the minimum amount of liability insurance as required for car insurance in North Carolina.

In South Carolina, you will need a golf cart permit to drive on public roads. You can only drive your golf cart within four miles of your home or business for roads with a posted speed limit of 35 mph or less. To obtain a permit, you will need:

If you want to drive your golf cart on public roads in Texas, you will need a golf cart license plate. You can drive your golf cart:

If your golf cart operates at speeds of 25 mph or less, you will need a slow-moving vehicle emblem to drive on public roads.

You will need a valid driver’s license to drive on public roads. Some cities and towns may require liability insurance that meets the minimum amount of car insurance in Texas.

You can usually buy golf car insurance from car insurance companies, add an endorsement to your home insurance policy or purchase a separate policy for recreational vehicles, such as golf carts. Golf cart insurance may be sold as an “off-road vehicle” policy with similar coverage types to an auto policy, including liability, collision and comprehensive insurance.

If you already have car insurance, you may be able to get a discount by bundling golf cart insurance with your auto insurance policy. But it’s a good idea to shop around and compare prices. It may be cheaper to buy a golf insurance policy that’s separate from your car insurance.

For example, the AARP Auto & Home Insurance Program from The Hartford offers a basic golf cart insurance endorsement to a home insurance policy. But an endorsement might limit your use to a golf course, meaning you won’t have coverage for an accident off the course.

If your golf cart is registered or driven on public roads, you likely won’t be able to get coverage through a home insurance policy. A standard homeowners policy excludes coverage for vehicles that are registered for use on public roads or property.

If you plan to drive your golf cart on public roads, you’re better off buying golf cart insurance through an auto insurance company or a speciality policy, like an “off-road vehicle” policy.

Discounts are one way to save on golf insurance. You may be able to save money by taking advantage of discounts, such as:

A typical car insurance policy might not cover a golf cart. That’s because defining a golf cart as an auto is tricky. If it’s a low-speed vehicle and driven strictly on public roads, it might be defined as an automobile. But if you’re taking your golf cart off-road, your policy might exclude coverage.

Even if your personal auto policy extends some coverage to your golf cart, it could be limited in coverage. It’s a good idea to speak with your insurance agent to find out what’s covered and if you will need to buy additional insurance.

A standard homeowners insurance policy typically excludes coverage for golf carts that are registered for use on public roads or property. For example, if you drive your golf cart on the public roads in your gated community, you won’t have coverage if you get into an accident.

You may be able to get coverage for a golf cart as an endorsement to your home insurance. But even that may have limitations depending on your usage of the golf cart. If you plan to drive your golf cart on public roads, you will most likely need to get golf cart insurance through your auto insurer or as a standalone policy.

Golf cart insurers often sell an optional coverage type similar to car insurance called uninsured motorist coverage. This pays for medical bills and other expenses (like lost wages) if you get into an accident with a driver who doesn’t carry insurance.

Golf Cart Insurance Explained – Forbes Advisor

45t Transfer Cart As a former claims handler and fraud investigator, Jason Metz has worked on a multitude of complex and multifaceted claims. The insurance industry can be seemingly opaque, and Jason enjoys breaking down confusing terms and products to help others make well-informed decisions.