Arizona has no statewide law that opens roads to golf carts. A golf cart driven on public roads is treated as a motor vehicle, so it needs MVD registration and insurance. Neighborhood electric vehicles (NEVs), a separate class, can use roads posted 35 mph or less.
Do you need a driver’s license to drive a golf cart in Arizona?
Yes, on public roads. A golf cart used on the road is a motor vehicle under Arizona law, so the usual driver’s license rules apply.
How old do you have to be to drive a golf cart in Arizona?
The statutes we read set no cart-specific age. The normal driver’s license rules apply.
Does a golf cart need a permit or registration in Arizona?
Yes, for road use. A golf cart is exempt from registration only when it’s used on a golf course or is only incidentally on a highway (§ 28-2153). Regular street use means MVD registration and liability insurance.
Where can golf carts go in Arizona?
Arizona has no statewide golf cart road rule and no scheme for towns to designate cart streets. A registered, insured cart follows the normal road rules. Some towns publish their own guidance.
One special rule: in an age-restricted community in an unincorporated area of a county with more than three million people, a cart or NEV may use the paved shoulder, or keep as close as it can to the right edge where there’s no shoulder (§ 28-721). That rule is about where on the road to drive. It doesn’t open any road to carts, and it doesn’t let an NEV travel along a road posted over 35 mph.
Golf cart or LSV: what’s the difference in Arizona?
Arizona defines a golf cart as a vehicle designed to be driven at no more than 25 mph, under 1,800 lb, carrying four people or fewer (§ 28-101).
Arizona’s street-legal low-speed vehicle is the neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV): electric, emission-free and built to the federal LSV standard. An NEV tops out at 25 mph and must carry a notice of its limits. Under § 28-966, an NEV can’t travel along roads posted over 35; lawful crossings are separately regulated. We didn’t find a road rule for gas-powered LSVs.
Can you drive a golf cart at night in Arizona? Hours and lights
The statutes we read set no hours or lights list just for golf carts.
Crossing roads
§ 28-966 says its 35 mph limit doesn’t stop an NEV from crossing a road posted over 35 at an intersection. We didn’t find a separate crossing rule for golf carts.
Follow the law and posted signs. Follow applicable law, posted restrictions and lawful directions from officers. If permission is unclear, don’t use that road or path until confirmed. Rules can change after we check them.
Using SlowGo here
SlowGo routes on roads posted 35 mph or under by default; it doesn’t establish cart access here.
Check local rules before you ride. It doesn’t know local cart rules or community roads’ own rules, and it doesn’t check whether your cart is registered for the road. Check local rules before you ride.
Where these rules come from
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-101 — definitions (golf cart, neighborhood electric vehicle)
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-721 — driving on the right; shoulder use in age-restricted communities
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-966 — neighborhood electric vehicles
- Arizona Revised Statutes § 28-2153 — registration exemptions
Town staff: see something out of date? Email hello@slowgoapp.com and we’ll fix it quickly.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Always follow posted signs and local rules.